Suburban house in Oswego, IL with a limewashed brick front and siding above

Six miles south, down the Fox from Aurora

Aurora Limewash: Limewash in Oswego

A downtown newly on the National Register, and a lot of newer brick around it.

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

Aurora Limewash arranges limewash and brick finishing for homes in Oswego, Illinois, about 6.1 miles south of Aurora, through local painting and masonry contractors. Oswego has about 38,800 people in Kendall County, a downtown that joined the National Register of Historic Places in 2022, and a history as the Kendall County seat for a short spell in the 1840s and 1850s.

A brick front in Oswego typically runs $1,600 to $6,400 to limewash; brush it on dense face brick without a splash test and it can fail to bond, leaving $2 to $4 a square foot of stripping before the job can be done properly.

$4,000 to $12,000 for a typical brick exterior

Limewashing a full brick exterior in Oswego typically runs $4,000 to $12,000, at $4 to $8 a square foot as a Chicago-suburb limewash applicator publishes. Brick fronts on siding houses are smaller jobs, often $1,600 to $6,400 for 400 to 800 square feet of brick.

Get a price: (630) 528-2808

Signs your Oswego brick front needs testing first

The brick has a smooth or wire-cut face that looks almost glazed
Water beads on the brick instead of soaking in
A previous owner may have applied a water repellent
Mortar joints are thin and very hard

The downtown on the National Register

The Downtown Oswego Historic District was officially listed in the National Register of Historic Places on August 15, 2022, and the village publishes a walking tour of it. National Register listing is honorific and federal; it is different from a local district with a certificate requirement. The village also has a Historic Preservation Commission, so for any downtown property, ask the village what applies before changing the exterior.

A county seat, briefly

Kendall County's seat moved to Oswego after residents petitioned the state legislature in 1845, then went back to Yorkville when county voters chose its more central location in 1859. The Yorkville page tells the other side of the story.

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

Newer brick fronts

A newer house with a brick front is a different job from an old brick wall. Dense face brick needs a splash test before anything is priced. Where it does not absorb, a breathable mineral paint is the alternative, covered on the mineral paint page. Homeowners associations may control exterior colours, so check before choosing.

Exposed walls and recoats

Limewash wears fastest where rain hits hardest: the windward wall, the chimney, the base of a wall splashed by a downspout. That is not a fault, since a breathable finish is meant to weather gradually, but it does mean the most exposed walls may want a recoat before the sheltered ones.

Checking with the village

The Downtown Oswego Historic District is on the National Register, and the village has its own Historic Preservation Commission. Those are different things: the federal listing is honorific, while any local requirement comes from the village. Before changing the exterior of a downtown building, ask the village directly what applies to that address, and keep the answer in writing for the contractor.

Questions people ask

How much does limewash cost in Oswego?

Typically $4,000 to $12,000 for a brick exterior, or $1,600 to $6,400 for a brick front.

What are the signs an Oswego brick front needs testing before limewash?

A smooth or glazed-looking face, water beading on the brick, or a possible water repellent from a past owner.

Is downtown Oswego a historic district?

The Downtown Oswego Historic District has been on the National Register of Historic Places since August 15, 2022.

Does National Register listing stop me limewashing?

National Register listing is honorific. Ask the village whether any local review applies to your property.

Was Oswego ever the Kendall County seat?

Yes, after an 1845 petition. The seat returned to Yorkville in 1859.

Common jobs here

Brick front limewash

The brick front that makes a newer house look dated, softened to sit with the siding instead of fighting it.
Mineral paint for brick

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