Most are made before the first coat
Aurora Limewash: Seven Limewash Mistakes That Cost Aurora Homeowners
Limewash is forgiving on the wall. The expensive mistakes happen in the planning.
- Aurora and ten towns within 20 miles
- Written price before work starts
- Licensed, insured local contractors
- Historic district rules covered
Aurora Limewash collected these mistakes for owners of brick homes around Aurora who want limewash done once and done right. Limewash itself is a forgiving finish, washable in its first days and easy to touch up later, so nearly every costly mistake happens before the first coat or in the choice of finish, not in the brushwork.
1. Limewashing over paint or sealer
Limewash bonds by soaking into bare masonry. On painted or sealed brick it cannot soak in, so it sits on the surface and flakes or wipes off. Romabio gives no guarantee for its Classico limewash over surfaces painted with acrylic or oil paint. The fix is stripping first, which adds about $2 to $4 a square foot, or choosing a mineral paint. Doing it the wrong way round means paying for the limewash, then the stripping, then the limewash again.
2. Skipping the test patch
Limewash dries far lighter than it looks wet. A colour that seems too strong when brushed on is often right a few days later, and one that looks perfect wet can dry almost white. A small patch, dried and seen in daylight, is the only reliable preview, and Romabio's 5 to 7 day reversibility window is exactly the time to judge it.
Not sure what your brick will take? Describe the house, the brick and the look you want, and get a straight answer on coats, prep and a typical price.
Call (630) 528-28083. Brushing onto dry brick in hot sun
The maker's instructions call for the masonry to be dampened before the first coat and say not to apply in direct sun above 88°F, or when the surface cannot be kept damp. Limewash that flash dries on a hot wall does not bond properly and looks patchy. Shaded walls first, damp brick ahead of the brush.
4. Painting over failing mortar
Limewash is a finish, not a repair. Over sandy or recessed joints, water still gets into the wall behind it, and the problem shows up later as staining or spalling. Repointing first runs $8 to $30 a square foot by a national cost guide. The tuckpointing page covers the mortar to use on older brick.
5. Choosing whitewash because it looks the same
Whitewash is thinned paint. It can look like limewash on day one, but it forms a film, slows moisture leaving the wall, and has to be stripped like paint to remove, at $1.50 to $9.50 a square foot by HomeGuide's figures. If the reason for choosing it was price, the saving rarely survives the first time the finish needs attention.
6. Forgetting the approval
Several Fox Valley towns review a first coating on brick in their historic districts. In Aurora, masonry work and complete repainting need a Historic Certificate of Appropriateness. In Batavia, painting previously unpainted exterior materials now needs one. In St. Charles it goes to the full commission. Starting without approval risks a finish you are asked to remove.
Not sure what your brick will take? Describe the house, the brick and the look you want, and get a straight answer on coats, prep and a typical price.
Call (630) 528-28087. Booking the exterior for November
Romabio says not to apply below 50°F or with two freezing nights to follow. NOAA's normals put Aurora's average November low at 31.7°F. Late-season exterior work is a gamble with the cure. Book the outside for mid-May to early October, and do the fireplace in winter.
The mistakes that do not matter much
A wash that came out a little too strong can often be softened by wetting the wall and working it back. One that came out too light takes another coat. Uneven weathering after a few years is fixed with a recoat, not a strip. That flexibility is the main reason limewash is a safer choice than paint for brick you care about.
Mistakes with the colour itself
Two colour mistakes come up again and again. The first is choosing a tint from a chip or a screen; limewash on brick is translucent, so the brick's own red shows through and shifts any tint warmer. The second is matching the limewash to the trim instead of the roof and the landscape. A test patch beside the trim, the roof line and a window shows how the colour actually sits with the house, and that is worth a few extra days before the full job starts.
Forgetting what is next to the wall
Limewash is caustic while wet, with a pH of 13 on Romabio's safety data. Plants, painted trim, windows, metal and paving next to the wall need covering, and anything splashed needs rinsing promptly. It is an easy step to rush on the last afternoon of a job, and the most annoying one to fix afterwards. The what to expect guide covers the protection a careful crew puts down.
Trying to save on coats
One coat of limewash gives a light, translucent wash; two give fuller coverage. Owners sometimes ask for a single coat to save money and then ask for a second when the first dries lighter than they expected. Doing the coats in one visit, 2 to 8 hours apart as Romabio's instructions give, is cheaper than a second visit later. Decide the coverage from the dried test patch, then price that number of coats.
Questions people ask
What is the most common limewash mistake?
Applying it over paint or sealer, where it cannot soak in and flakes off. Test with a splash of water first.
Why did my limewash come out patchy?
Usually because the brick was too dry or too hot, so the wash flash dried. The brick should be dampened first.
Can a limewash mistake be fixed?
Usually. Romabio says it is reversible in the first 5 to 7 days, and later a wash can be softened or recoated.
Do I need to repoint before limewashing?
Where joints are sandy or recessed, yes. Repointing runs $8 to $30 a square foot by a national cost guide.
Is whitewash a cheaper way to get the limewash look?
Similar up front, but it is thinned paint and has to be stripped like paint to remove.
Can limewash go over a clear masonry sealer?
No. A sealer stops the limewash soaking in, so it has to be removed first, or the finish changes to one made for sealed surfaces.
Is it a mistake to limewash in November?
Usually. Romabio says not below 50°F or with two freezing nights to follow, and Aurora's average November low is 31.7°F.
Talk it through before anyone opens a bucket
Say what the brick is, whether it has ever been painted or sealed, and how much of it shows from the street. You will hear what the job usually involves, what it tends to cost, and whether your town needs a sign-off first.
Call (630) 528-2808