Gloved hand scrubbing softened grey paint off red brick on a house near Aurora, IL, bare brick showing in the cleaned patch

Getting painted brick back to bare, gently

Aurora Limewash: Brick Paint Removal in Aurora

Limewash cannot bond to paint, so on painted brick the job starts here.

Aurora and ten towns within 20 miles
Written price before work starts
Licensed, insured local contractors
Historic district rules covered

Aurora Limewash arranges paint removal from brick for homes around Aurora, carried out by local masonry and painting contractors who strip with chemistry and brushes, not blasting. On a painted brick house that wants limewash, this is the first and most expensive part of the job, and it decides whether limewash is possible at all.

Chemical stripping adds about $2 to $4 a square foot and leaves the brick face intact; pressure-blast it to save time and you can strip the brick's fired outer face, which turns a cosmetic job into repairs at $20 to $50 a square foot.

$2 to $4 a square foot on top of the finish

A limewash applicator working the Chicago suburbs lists paint stripping as adding $2 to $4 a square foot to a limewash job. A national cost guide gives a wider $1.50 to $9.50 a square foot for removing exterior paint from brick, because the number of layers, the type of paint and the brick itself vary so much. A test patch with the chosen stripper is the only way to price a whole wall accurately.

Get a price: (630) 528-2808

Signs the paint should come off

The paint is peeling, blistering or flaking, especially low on the wall
Brick faces are crumbling under the paint where moisture has been trapped
White salt deposits push through the paint
You want limewash or the natural brick back, not another coat of paint

Gentle methods only

Brick has a hard, fired outer face and a softer body. High-pressure washing and abrasive blasting can remove the face along with the paint, leaving brick that absorbs water and wears fast. The national cost guide says the same: a chemical stripper and a brush, not high pressure or blasting.

Most stripping is a paste applied to the wall, left to soften the paint, then scrubbed and rinsed off at low pressure. Old houses may need two or three rounds.

Lead paint on older houses

Paint on houses built before 1978 may contain lead. Disturbing it is regulated by the federal Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule, which requires lead-safe work practices from contractors on pre-1978 homes. Ask any contractor how they handle it before stripping starts.

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) 528-2808

When not to strip

If the brick under the paint is badly damaged, or the paint is sound and well bonded, stripping may not be the best value. The national cost guide notes that for brick in poor condition, painting over the previous coat can be safer than removing it. In that case, a mineral paint with the right primer, covered on the mineral paint page, may beat stripping and limewashing.

After stripping

Stripped brick is rinsed, left to dry, and checked for absorption and mortar condition before any limewash goes on. Inside a historic district, paint removal can itself need approval: Aurora's list of work requiring a Historic Certificate of Appropriateness names paint removal specifically.

Questions people ask

How much does it cost to remove paint from brick?

Chicago-area limewash applicators list stripping at $2 to $4 a square foot extra; a national guide gives $1.50 to $9.50 a square foot.

What are the signs painted brick needs stripping?

Peeling or blistering paint, crumbling brick faces under it, salt coming through, or a plan to limewash.

Can you pressure wash paint off brick?

High pressure can strip the brick's fired face along with the paint. Chemical strippers and low-pressure rinsing are the safe route.

Can you limewash over painted brick?

No. Limewash bonds by soaking into bare masonry. Painted brick needs stripping, or a mineral paint instead.

Does paint removal need permission in Aurora?

In Aurora's local historic districts, yes. The city lists paint removal among the work needing a Historic Certificate of Appropriateness.

Often done together

Mineral paint for brick

For the owner who wants painted brick, without the peeling that ordinary paint brings.
Exterior brick limewash

A breathable lime finish over the whole brick exterior, from a faint wash to near-solid white.
Limewash removal

Easy in the first week, harder after that, and never as hard as getting paint off.

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.