Brick house near Aurora, IL partly limewashed, a ladder against the bare side wall

The tallest, most exposed brick on the house

Aurora Limewash: Chimney Limewash in Aurora

A breathable finish for the one piece of masonry that takes the worst of the weather and the heat.

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

Aurora Limewash arranges chimney limewash for houses around Aurora, carried out by local masonry and painting contractors with the ladder and roof access to reach it. A chimney is often limewashed with the rest of the house, but it can be done on its own when the chimney is the only brick that clashes with a new roof or siding.

A chimney limewash is priced in the $400 to $1,500 range; paint the chimney with acrylic instead and you invite the trapped moisture that sends a chimney back for repointing at $8 to $30 a square foot.

$400 to $1,500 for a typical chimney

A national cost guide puts painting a chimney at $400 to $1,500, and a chimney-only limewash lands in the same range, with height, roof pitch and access deciding where. The same guide notes that masons advise against painting chimneys because of the risk of trapped moisture, and recommends a mineral paint or stain where colour is wanted. Limewash is the most breathable of those options.

Get a price: (630) 528-2808

Signs a chimney needs attention first

Mortar joints near the top are recessed, sandy or missing
White salt deposits (efflorescence) streak down the brick
The crown at the top is cracked or the cap is missing
Bricks are spalling, with faces flaking off

Why paint fails first on chimneys

A chimney is soaked by rain on every side and warmed from inside, so moisture is always moving through the brick. A film of acrylic paint slows that moisture down until it freezes behind the paint, and the paint, then the brick face, comes off. The national guide makes the same point: painted chimneys tend to need tuckpointing more often. Limewash lets the moisture leave, which is why it suits a chimney better than paint does.

Repair comes before any finish

Limewash will not hold loose mortar together or seal a cracked crown. If the top courses need repointing or the crown needs repair, that work is done first, and the limewash goes on after the new mortar has cured. The tuckpointing page covers that part of the job.

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

Matching the chimney to the house

On an all-brick house the chimney is washed with the walls. On a siding house the chimney is often the only exposed brick, and the choice is whether to match it to the siding, the trim or the roof. A test patch on the chimney itself is worth the ladder trip, because the chimney is seen against the sky, where tints read differently.

Access and safety

Most chimney work needs a roof ladder or scaffold, and limewash is caustic while wet, with a pH of 13 on the maker's safety data. Roofing below the chimney is protected before work starts and rinsed if splashed. On a two-storey house in Wheaton or Naperville, the chimney top sits well above the second-floor eaves, and that height is where most of the price comes from.

Questions people ask

How much does it cost to limewash a chimney?

Typically $400 to $1,500, in line with chimney painting, with height and roof access deciding where in that range.

What are the signs a chimney should be repaired before limewash?

Recessed or sandy mortar, white salt streaks, a cracked crown or bricks with their faces flaking off.

Is it bad to paint a brick chimney?

Masons generally advise against acrylic paint on chimneys because it can trap moisture. Limewash and mineral paints are the breathable alternatives.

Can the chimney be limewashed without doing the house?

Yes. It is a common standalone job when the chimney is the only exposed brick or clashes with a new roof.

Does limewash hold up on a chimney?

It weathers faster on a chimney than on a sheltered wall, but it is touched up by re-wetting and recoating, not by stripping.

Often done together

Exterior brick limewash

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

Limewash will not hold a crumbling joint together. This is the masonry work that has to come first.
Limewash touch-up

The advantage of limewash: when it wears, you add to it rather than strip it.

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.