Older two-story brick house in Wheaton, IL, its front half limewashed white and its side still red brick

The DuPage County seat, eleven miles northeast

Aurora Limewash: Limewash in Wheaton

A town that celebrates its older houses through a register rather than a review board.

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

Aurora Limewash arranges limewash, German smear and brick finishing for homes in Wheaton, Illinois, about 11.4 miles northeast of Aurora, through local painting and masonry contractors. Wheaton is the DuPage County seat, with about 53,700 people, and a long-standing interest in its older homes that shows up in a city-run historic register.

A Wheaton brick exterior typically runs $4,000 to $12,000 to limewash; wash it over a forgotten water repellent and it will not bond, and stripping a failed coating costs $2 to $4 a square foot before you can start again.

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

Limewashing a brick exterior in Wheaton typically runs $4,000 to $12,000, at $4 to $8 a square foot as published by a Chicago-suburb limewash applicator. A chimney alone is often priced like chimney painting, at $400 to $1,500, and two storeys of ladder work push any exterior toward the top of the range.

Get a price: (630) 528-2808

Signs a Wheaton house is ready for limewash

The brick is bare and darkens when splashed with water
The mortar is full and hard, not sandy
The brick colour is the only thing about the house you would change
The chimney or the front is the only brick, and it clashes with new siding or roofing

A register, not a review board

The City of Wheaton Historic Commission runs the Wheaton Register of Historic Places, and the city describes its purpose as identifying and acknowledging historically significant sites and promoting appreciation of them. Owners apply themselves. A building may qualify at 100 years old if it keeps its original style and integrity, or at 50 to 99 years old with historical or architectural significance. The city publishes an interactive map of listed places and resources such as "1892 Wheaton and Its Homes".

For a register-listed house, the respectful choice is a finish that can be undone, and limewash is reversible in its first 5 to 7 days and far easier to remove than paint after that.

Older houses and soft brick

Where a Wheaton house is old enough for the register, its brick may be softer and more absorbent than modern face brick. That suits limewash well, but it also means the mortar should be checked, because old lime mortar wears. The tuckpointing page covers repairs that have to come first.

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

Chimneys and second storeys

On a two-storey house the chimney is the hardest brick to reach and the most exposed, so it is often the first to show weather. It can be washed with the house or alone, which the chimney limewash page explains.

When the weather allows

Romabio says not to apply its limewash below 50°F or above 88°F, or with two freezing nights to follow, and normal rain does no harm after 3 to 4 hours of drying. For Wheaton, as for Aurora, the reliable window runs from mid-May into early October.

Questions people ask

How much does limewash cost in Wheaton?

Typically $4,000 to $12,000 for a brick exterior. A chimney on its own often runs $400 to $1,500.

What are the signs a Wheaton house will take limewash?

Bare brick that darkens when splashed, sound mortar, and no paint, sealer or water repellent on the face.

Does the Wheaton Register of Historic Places restrict limewash?

The city describes the register as a way to identify and acknowledge significant sites. For a listed home, a reversible finish like limewash is the cautious choice.

Can an older Wheaton house be limewashed?

Usually very well, after the mortar is checked and any failed joints are repointed.

How long does it take limewash to dry?

Romabio says to allow 2 to 8 hours between coats, and normal rain will not affect it after 3 to 4 hours.

Common jobs here

Exterior brick limewash

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

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