Paint or limewash: an honest comparison
Both change the look of brick. They are not the same thing.
Paint forms a film on the surface. You get a clean, even color that lasts, and you can repaint it later in a new color. But once brick is painted, getting it back to bare brick is hard, slow and expensive. Treat painting brick as a long-term decision.
Limewash is lime based. It soaks into the brick instead of sitting on top. It wears over time, especially where rain hits, and some of the brick shows through more each year. That aged, patchy look is the point. If you want it to stay perfectly even, limewash is the wrong product. If you like a house that looks like it has been there a while, it is a good one, and it can be freshened up later.
We are happy to talk you out of either one if it does not fit your house.
Brick needs to breathe
Brick and mortar take on water and give it back out through the face. A coating that seals that in can blister, peel or push moisture somewhere you don’t want it. On bare brick we start with a masonry primer and use exterior coatings suited to masonry. Limewash breathes on its own.
Efflorescence and moisture checks
Before we quote paint or limewash, we look for signs of water:
- White, powdery deposits (efflorescence), which mean water is moving through the brick.
- Gutters and downspouts that dump water onto the wall.
- Sprinklers that hit the brick every day.
- Soil, mulch or red clay piled against the bottom courses.
- Loose or crumbling mortar. That is mason work, and it needs to be fixed before any coating.
If we find a moisture problem, we tell you what we see and what should happen first. Painting over it would only waste your money.
Which paint level fits
For painted brick, all three levels work over a proper masonry primer:
- Essential (SuperPaint Exterior): for a budget refresh or a house going on the market.
- Performance (Duration Exterior): our most common pick.
- Showcase (Emerald Exterior): the longest life and best color hold.
Limewash is its own product and is not part of the three levels.
What affects the price
Painted brick is priced by how much brick there is and the paint level you pick, with the wash and two coats included. Walls 14 ft or taller add to it, and trim and doors are priced on their own. Limewash is quoted on site. You get a written price before we start.
See how we price, go back to exterior painting, or set up a color consultation. Stucco on part of the house? See stucco painting. We work across the Upstate, including Spartanburg and Taylors. For more, read painting brick or vinyl siding in the Upstate.