Limewashed brick fireplace with an oak mantel in a home in Warrenville, IL

Six and a half miles east, on the DuPage River

Aurora Limewash: Limewash in Warrenville

A small city that waited until 1967 to incorporate, and still marks its older homes with plaques.

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 Warrenville, Illinois, about 6.6 miles east of Aurora in DuPage County, through local painting and masonry contractors. Warrenville has about 15,200 people, a history that goes back to 1833, and a city program that marks its older houses with plaques.

A Warrenville fireplace surround typically runs $500 to $1,500 to limewash; seal the brick first to make it easier to clean and the limewash cannot bond, so you pay $2 to $4 a square foot to strip it before starting again.

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

Limewashing a brick exterior in Warrenville typically runs $4,000 to $12,000, at $4 to $8 a square foot as published by a Chicago-suburb limewash applicator. A fireplace surround runs $500 to $1,500, and an interior accent wall $800 to $2,000.

Get a price: (630) 528-2808

Signs a Warrenville home is ready for a lime finish

A dark brick fireplace is the dated feature in a renovated room
Exterior brick is bare and absorbs water
The mortar is sound or repairs are planned
You want a finish that can be refreshed rather than repainted

Colonel Warren's town

The city's history says Warrenville was settled in 1833 by Julius Warren and his family, who came from New York and claimed land along the DuPage River. Warren supplied cut lumber to settlers and worked as a surveyor, developer, mail carrier and innkeeper, earning the title of Colonel, and his inn and tavern became a gathering place. The town stayed small and rural for a long time and incorporated only in 1967, at about 4,000 people, after five failed attempts.

Plaqued homes and an old tavern

Warrenville's city pages list a Plaqued Homes program, Honorary Stones, the Albright Studio museum, the Warren Tavern and a City Historian. For an older house that carries a plaque, a reversible, breathable finish is the respectful choice, and limewash can be washed back in its first 5 to 7 days if the colour is wrong.

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

Inside the house

Indoors, fireplaces and accent walls need no weather window and no approval. The fireplace limewash page covers surrounds, hearths and chimney breasts, and why a sealer applied for easy cleaning has to come off first.

Outside, between May and October

Exterior limewash waits for the maker's weather window: above 50°F, below 88°F, and no two freezing nights straight after. That puts Warrenville's exterior season from mid-May to early October, the same as the rest of the valley.

Newer Warrenville

The city today counts about 15,200 people, 63 miles of municipal streets, and the Cantera business development along Interstate 88. Much of the housing is far newer than the 1833 settlement, and newer brick behaves differently from old brick: denser, less absorbent, and worth a splash test before any limewash is priced. Where it beads water, a breathable mineral paint is the usual alternative.

Questions people ask

How much does limewash cost in Warrenville?

Typically $4,000 to $12,000 for a brick exterior, $500 to $1,500 for a fireplace surround, and $800 to $2,000 for an accent wall.

What are the signs a Warrenville fireplace will take limewash?

It absorbs a splash of water, has no sealer, and any soot on the face washes off.

When was Warrenville incorporated?

In 1967, with about 4,000 people, after five failed attempts. It was settled in 1833.

Should an older plaqued home be limewashed?

Limewash is breathable and reversible in its first 5 to 7 days, which makes it the cautious choice on an older house.

Can a fireplace be limewashed in winter in Warrenville?

Yes. Interior work has no weather window.

Common jobs here

Fireplace limewash

The quickest way to change a room: a soft lime finish on the brick everyone looks at.
Interior limewash walls

The soft, cloudy movement of a lime finish on a wall, which flat paint cannot fake.
Exterior brick limewash

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

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.