Limestone, fieldstone and stone veneer
Aurora Limewash: Limewash for Stone in Aurora
Lime on stone is the oldest pairing there is, and it settles into the joints in a way paint never can.
- Aurora and ten towns within 20 miles
- Written price before work starts
- Licensed, insured local contractors
- Historic district rules covered
Aurora Limewash arranges limewash for stone walls, foundations, fireplaces and veneer around Aurora, applied by local masonry and painting contractors. Stone takes limewash differently from brick: the wash pools in deep joints, catches on rough faces and reads more varied, which is most of its appeal.
Limewashing stone runs $4 to $8 a square foot and leaves it breathing; seal it with a film-forming coating instead, and when that fails, stripping it from rough stone costs $1.50 to $9.50 a square foot.
$4 to $8 a square foot of stone
Stone is priced like exterior brick, at the $4 to $8 a square foot a Chicago-suburb limewash applicator publishes, and usually toward the top of it. Rough fieldstone and deep raked joints take more product and more brushwork than flat brick, and natural stone often needs more washing first. A stone foundation band or a veneer accent wall is a small job; a whole stone house is not.
Get a price: (630) 528-2808Signs your stone is a candidate
- The stone is porous enough to darken when you splash it with water
- Veneer panels have a colour that has faded unevenly or looks dated
- A stone foundation band does not sit well with a newly limewashed brick wall above it
- The joints are sound, even if the stone face is weathered
How stone takes lime
Limestone and most sandstones are absorbent and take limewash readily. The wash darkens as it goes into the stone and lightens dramatically as it dries, and it gathers in the deep joints, so the finished wall shows the shape of every stone. Very dense stones, like granite fieldstone, absorb far less and may only hold a thin wash. A test patch decides it.
Stone veneer is a different material
Manufactured stone veneer, common on newer houses, is a cast concrete product with a coloured face. Many veneers absorb well enough for limewash or a mineral paint. Some were sealed at the factory or afterwards, which blocks a limewash entirely. The splash test applies here too, and if water beads, the conversation turns to a mineral paint instead.
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) 528-2808Old stone foundations on the river towns
Older houses often sit on rough stone foundations. In Geneva, established in 1835, and Batavia, both with historic downtown districts, a lime finish on old stone is about as close to the original as anything available. Both towns have historic districts, and Batavia now requires a certificate for painting previously unpainted exterior materials, so check before the brush comes out.
Stone and brick on the same house
Houses with a stone base and brick above can be washed as one, or the stone can be left natural as a darker plinth. Washing both in the same tint at the same dilution usually reads lighter on the stone, because stone absorbs differently. Doing the test patch on both materials avoids a surprise.
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to limewash stone?
About $4 to $8 a square foot, usually toward the top for rough fieldstone with deep joints.
What are the signs stone will take limewash?
It darkens when splashed with water, the joints are sound, and it has not been sealed.
Can you limewash manufactured stone veneer?
Often, if it is unsealed and absorbs water. Sealed veneer needs a different product, usually a mineral paint.
Does limewash change the texture of stone?
No. It is a thin mineral wash, so the stone's texture and the depth of the joints still show.
Should a stone foundation match limewashed brick above it?
It can, or it can be left natural as a darker base. Test both materials, because stone usually dries lighter.
Often done together
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Exterior brick limewash
A breathable lime finish over the whole brick exterior, from a faint wash to near-solid white.
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Fireplace limewash
The quickest way to change a room: a soft lime finish on the brick everyone looks at.
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Tuckpointing
Limewash will not hold a crumbling joint together. This is the masonry work that has to come first.
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