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Over a year ago when I fell down the rabbit hole of white brick exteriors on Pinterest, I started dreaming up what my own house would look like white. I have nothing against traditional brick, but a good white exterior just makes my heart flutter!
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Here are some of the amazing images that inspired me.
After doing some research, I knew I wanted to work with Romabio Classico Limewash (I used Avorio White). Romabio’s limewash is hydrated limestone from Italy and binds with the brick while still allowing it to breathe, so it won’t flake or peel off like paint would (though it will slowly wear and “patina” over time).
Did you know that limewash is actually an ancient method of treating brick? We’re talking Pharaohs in Egypt ancient. It has antibacterial, insecticide, and fireproofing properties, so it actually protects the brick from deteriorating! Plus its chemical free, so it’s safe for the environment.
TUTORIAL
Here are all the materials you’re going to need to tackle this yourself (because you totally can)!
- Romabio Classico Limewash
- The amount of limewash you’ll need is dependent on your house size. I used just a little more than 4 gallons undiluted).
- A massive brush (budget option vs. brand option)
- Garden hose
- Spray nozzle
- Mortar mixing panel
- Extra bucket
- Power washer
The very first thing you need to do is pressure wash your brick. Get all that nasty dirt that you didn’t even realize was hiding on there off so that it is ready for the limewash to adhere to.
The Romabio limewash is sold in concentrated form, so you need to dilute it. You can dilute it at a 100% (1 part limewash, 1 part water) or 50% (2 parts limewash, 1 part water) or anywhere in between, so test out a few different dilutions to get the look you want and the consistency that you prefer to work with. Attach the mixing paddle to the drill and mix your limewash in a bucket.
Since the limewash needs to kind of seep into the brick to adhere properly, the brick needs to be wet when you apply it, so spray it down with your hose. You don’t want it to be dripping wet, but it does need to be damp.
Now dip your brush in and paint the limewash on. Since it dries to an ultra matte finish, you don’t need to worry about brush strokes showing through once it’s dry.
I found that turning the brush sideways and painting the vertical grout lines first before turning the brush horizontal and continuing on worked best for my brick. Work in small sections so that your brick doesn’t dry out. It also helps to work on overcast days where it’s not too hot because the brick doesn’t dry out as fast.
You’ll freak out a little about how transluscent is seems, but it dries much more opaque. It does shadow when it rains, meaning that it does get a little “darker” when it gets wet just like untreated brick does.
I did two coats because I want a solid, opaque look (check out the one coat vs. two in the pictures below). While the product boasts one coat coverage, I would probably plan to do two coats even if I was distressing. But (1) my brick could also be more absorbent than your average brick and (2) you could probably dilute it a little less than I did to get better coverage on the first pass!
I chose not to add any distressing, but if you want to this is where you would do that. To get any splatters off your driveway, wait for the limewash to dry for a couple of hours and then spray them with either your power sprayer or the high pressure setting on the hose nozzle. No need to worry about splatters in your lawn because it is basically just rock powder at it’s core, so it won’t harm your plants. And just to mention, as long as your limewash has 2-3 hours to dry rain won’t bother it.
Make sure to sign up for email notifications and follow me on instagram to see all the other exterior projects I have cooking because this is just the start!
With love,
Mercedes ♥
With Love, Mercedes 
You did an awesome job. I love it!
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Love the whitewash look, you did a beautiful job!
Do you know the color/manuf of your roof? I have a transparent whitewash with some orange tones of Chicago brick coming through…I think your roof would work better than the dark grey I currently have. Thanks.
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Hi there! Thank you so much 🙂 Unfortunately, I don’t know the color of the roof. It was the same roof that was on there when we bought the house!
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Hi! We just limewashed our multi-red brick home. I was wondering what color are your garage doors? I’m struggling to find an accent color for a part of the house that is being stuccoed. That color would work perfectly with the distressed limewash. Thanks!
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Yes! BM Thunder
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Hat was your process for behind the downspouts? Did you tape off the windows or anything? We also have a deck and aren’t sure how we’re going to get around that too.
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Hi! The limewash comes right off of metal with a baby wipe (even after it’s dry), so I just didn’t worry about it. It comes off of wood too, but you need to get to it a little faster.
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Beautiful! What dilution did you end up using?
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I did 2 coats at 50% dilution, so 2 parts limewash 1 part water.
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Looks great! Is there a reason you went with the Romabio product versus just regular Type S lime?
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Thank you! The main reason is that the romabio product is tinted, so you can get a look other than stark white, which can be really blinding outside. It also has some other stabilizers in it to make it easier to apply (type s would probably take 4+ coats to achieve a similar look).
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Nice blog thankks for posting
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Hey!
Do you have to seal it? If it comes off driveways that easy shouldn’t there be worry that it will come off the brick?? I will be doing my house soon! TIA
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I did not seal it! After it cures you need to use an acid like vinegar to scrub it off. It will weather over time to give a more worn look, but that’s the goal of limewash! If you’re looking for an opaque finish that will last for years, I’d recommend a masonry paint 🙂
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Love how your home turned out! I’m doing the same now and wondered, did you need to wet the brick while you were doing the second coat as well?
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Yes!
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Thanks so much for you’re post! The house looks amazing!! I am wanting the same look. No distressing. How long did you wait between the first and second coat?
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If I remember correctly just a day or two!
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Thank you for informative blog post.
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This looks great! Do you remember what color paint you used for your trim?
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We ended up painting the garage BM Thunder, the gutters I spray painted (highlight with details is on Intagram!) and the soffits & fascia was just what came with the house so I don’t know the color!
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This is a great post and eases some of my anxiety about it for sure!!! Could you tell me about how long you think it took you to complete one coat? Several hours, a day?
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I’m trying to remember because it was a while ago, but I think the whole process took me a couple weeks
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I’m doing this during the summer! I love how yours turned out and I’m wondering how it has held up, now almost 5 years later. Can you post an updated picture?
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That’s so exciting! Unfortunately we no longer live in this house, so I don’t have an updated photo to share.
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