Short answer
Brick in Naperville can be painted, but the coating has to breathe, because brick soaks up rain and needs to dry outward through its face. Mineral paint and limewash let that vapor pass, while a standard acrylic film can trap it and peel.
What changes once brick gets a coat of color
Color on brick is close to permanent. Limewash can be worked back while it is fresh and then wears away slowly over years, but mineral paint becomes part of the surface.
So we start with a test patch on a side wall, check the mortar and any white efflorescence, and settle the look with you before the whole house is committed.
How brick painting and limewash are priced
We do not list a published planning range for brick work here, so your price comes from measuring the walls at the walk-through.
What moves the price
- Wall area and how many stories
- Old paint to strip before mineral coats
- Mortar repair or efflorescence to treat first
- Limewash layers and how much is rubbed back
- Trim, windows and doors to mask
Mineral paint, limewash and mortar wash compared
All three let brick breathe; they differ in coverage, texture and how they age.
| Finish | Brick texture | Coverage | How it ages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mineral paint | Texture stays, color is solid | Hides the original brick color | Holds color with a very slow fade |
| Limewash | Mottled, with brick showing through | Partial, adjusted by hand | Weathers and softens over years |
| Mortar wash | Heavy, rough and rustic | Ranges from light to heavy | Permanent once the mortar cures |
Brick projects to try yourself, and when to call
A limewashed garden wall is a fair weekend job; a full house front is a different scale of work.
Fine to do yourself
- A planter or garden wall in limewash
- Test patches on a hidden spot
- A gentle rinse of dirt and cobwebs
Worth calling a painter
- Two-story walls and chimneys
- Brick with efflorescence or failing mortar
- Stripping old paint before mineral coats
Breathable mineral paint
Mineral paints are built on silicate or similar mineral binders that bond with the masonry instead of forming a plastic skin on top. The color goes on solid, the texture of each brick still reads, and water vapor keeps moving outward. Brick has to be clean, dry and bare of old acrylic paint for that bond to work, so prep may mean stripping an earlier coat. We apply by brush and roller, working the mortar joints first, and two coats are typical for even, full coverage.
Limewash
Limewash is slaked lime and water with mineral pigment, brushed onto damp brick so it soaks into the surface. While it is still wet, we can rub some back with a sponge or a fine spray to let red brick show through, which is how the aged, mottled look is made. It dries much lighter than it goes on, so we test a patch and let it cure before you judge the color. Limewash weathers gradually, and touching it up later is easy because a new coat blends into the old.
Mortar wash
A mortar wash, sometimes called a German smear, spreads a thin layer of mortar over the brick face and then knocks some of it off before it sets. The result is heavier and more textured than limewash, with patches of brick peeking through a rough white or gray coat. It will not wash off later, so the pattern and density are agreed on a test panel first. Joints and window returns are worked by hand, and the wall is misted while curing so the mortar does not dry out too fast.
Brick New Traditionals in Stillwater, and historic-district rules
Brick New Traditional homes line the cul-de-sacs of Stillwater, next to New Traditional townhouses in the Windridge subdivision and custom-built houses. On a brick-fronted home like these, a limewash or mineral coat changes the whole street view, so the test patch goes on a side wall and the trim color is chosen alongside it. In the Naperville Historic District, the city's certificate of appropriateness table puts painting under no review required, and replacing less than half of a primary facade's materials in kind is exempt as well.
Brick from test patch to finished wall
- Inspect. Check the mortar, efflorescence and any old paint on the brick.
- Clean. Wash the wall gently and let the masonry dry out properly.
- Test panel. Try the finish on a hidden section and approve the look.
- Apply. Brush and roll the coats, working joints and window returns first.
- Cure and check. Mist the wall where needed, then walk the finished sides with you.
Masonry coatings that let brick breathe
Romabio mineral paints and limewash for most brick, with Sherwin-Williams and Benjamin Moore masonry products where a different system suits the wall.
- Sherwin-Williams
- Benjamin Moore
- PPG Paints
- Behr
- Valspar
- Cabot
- Sikkens
- Olympic
- Zinsser
- Kilz
- Romabio
- Ready Seal
Jobs that often go with this one
Fireplace & Mantel Painting
Painted or limewashed brick, mantels
Exterior House Painting
Scrape, caulk, prime, two coats
Exterior Trim, Soffit & Fascia Painting
Trim, fascia, soffits, shutters
Pressure Washing & Soft Washing
Siding, decks and flatwork