Brick Surface Guide
How to apply limewash to brickwork
This is the right guide for you if you want to learn how to:
- limewash raw standard brick made of clay or cement
- prepare your brickwork before painting
- apply limewash paint
- control paint opacity to create a ‘whitewashed’ look
If your brick walls have already been painted, view Previously Painted preparation instructions.
Supply Checklist
Lime Wash BrushesLime Wash Brushes
Limewash Paint
Whisk Mixing Tool
01 Planning + Preparation
During construction or renovation, it is advisable to schedule Bauwerk painting as the final trade to prevent damage to the final finish caused by other trades or building equipment.
To test your colour (which we recommend) on an unpainted, breathable surface like brick, apply it to a separate piece of the same material or a discreet, hidden area. Sampling directly on the surface may leave a visible patch. To minimise this, leave the edges of the test patch feathered out and in a irregular shape.
The coverage of Limewash Paint on raw, absorbent, unpainted brick is approximately 7-10 m² per litre (75-107 ft²), per coat, with 2 coats required for full coverage.
Note: Recommendations for coverage are to be used as a guide only, variation in the quantity needed will depend on the porosity of the surface to be painted. We always recommend the use of sample pots for an accurate colour representation and consumption for your particular surface and light conditions.
02 Surface Preparation
Clean Brick
Brick surfaces should be free from any dirt, dust, mould, moss and loose material. Use a high-pressure water cleaner where applicable, brush away loose particles and dust, and allow the surface to dry.
Surface Repairs (where necessary)
Your brick doesn’t need to be pristine before limewashing. Small imperfections in your surface will either add character or be less noticeable after limewashing. However, if you are doing a full restoration or renovation and need to repair deep holes and cracks, contact us for repair considerations you can supply to your builder.
Previously painted internal and external brick surfaces can be limewashed, but some extra preparation steps are required to ensure effective limewash absorption.
03 Prepare Limewash
- Thoroughly stir limewash paint and decant into a suitable container or bucket. Ensure no pigment remains in the original container.
- Continue to stir the paint regularly throughout the painting process.
- Select the right limewash paintbrush for your surface. Deeper recesses are easier to paint with shorter, stiffer bristles. Flat or moderately undulating surfaces are best painted with our 4×14 limewash block brush.
04 Limewash Paint Application
- If painting raw brick, slightly dampen the surface with clean water using a brush or a light mist spray to reduce absorption and ensure easy application of limewash paint. Repeat until you can stretch out the paint easily.
- Dip your Bauwerk natural bristle brush into the paint. Remove excess paint with a flick of the wrist. The brush can hold a lot of paint, but should not be dripping.
- Start in a corner of the wall–holding the brush at a right angle to the wall. It may be best to hold the brush on the brush body, rather than the handle for more control.
- Using loose, free strokes stretch the paint as far as possible, varying the direction of strokes constantly. Let the bristles do the work. There is no need to apply too much pressure. To reach deeper recesses make smaller movements, either back and forth or in small circular motions.
- Brush out the paint evenly in a thin coat, preventing runs or drips, while covering every part of the surface in the first coat. Maintain a wet edge at all times to prevent lines in your finished surface*. Finish each coat in one continuous application. Do not try and patch walls once the coat is finished, as missed areas can be covered in the next coat. With large expanses, it helps to work to a natural break in the wall, such as mortar joints.
- When wet, the colour will appear darker and transparent. Do not compensate for this by applying more paint. As the paint dries, the colour will lighten to the chosen colour and become more opaque.
- Allow a minimum of 1-2 hours between coats. Apply a second coat (no need to dampen again). Paint the second coat faster, wet-in-wet and a lot looser. Missing spots is okay, as the first coat should have covered everything. Allow the paint to dry.
If you’re painting with our ‘whites’, maintaining a wet edge is not required. These colours patch easily and are great for spot touchups.
Cleanup and Maintenance
- There is no need for a sealer or additional top coat over the limewash. A third coat of limewash can be applied, based on your colour and coverage preferences.
- All brushes, tools, and containers wash out quickly with minimal water and without harm to groundwater.
- Following these steps ensures a natural, dust-free surface with a fantastic texture, making it easy to repaint and maintain
How to Get the Look: Whitewashed Bricks
One of the benefits of using limewash on brick is that it allows some of the character of the brick to show-through and create dimension instead of a flat monotonous surface. This is perfect when you’re dealing with a brick fireplace or an exposed brick wall that is seeking too much attention in its natural red/orange state. The best part is that limewashing allows you to control how rustic and transparent you’d like your finish based on your preference, so you can create a subtle effect or cover it fully. The effect is down to your choice of limewash and the application technique used.
Very Transparent Look
Semi-Transparent White
Medium coverage to Fully Opaque
Distressed Application Technique
Have a cotton cloth ready to rub off any excess paint you wish to remove
- Prepare the Surface: Clean the surface thoroughly before painting.
- Control Absorbency: Brush clean water onto the bricks to reduce absorbency. This controls the transparency of the finish. For highly absorbent bricks or to control transparency further, wet the surface before applying the first coat of limewash. Dip your brush in water occasionally to prevent specific areas from absorbing too much paint.
- Prepare the Limewash: Dip the Limewash Brush into the paint (about 1 cm) and shake off excess.
- Application Technique: Hold the brush at a right angle to the wall; avoid excessive pressure. Spread the paint in all directions with light and easy strokes, varying direction constantly. Allow the bristles to do the work.
- Work Light and Fast: Work quickly, spreading the paint as far as possible. If the bricks are too dry, dampen them again.
- Avoid Excess Paint: Be cautious not to deposit too much paint into deeper holes or recesses. If excess occurs, immediately use a cloth to rub off the extra paint.
Render + Limewash FAQs
Can I sample paint colours directly on my brick wall?
When working with an an unpainted, breathable surface like brick, it is best to apply limewash paint samples to a separate piece of the same material or a discreet, hidden area. Sampling directly on the surface may leave a visible patch.
How can I apply a limewash paint finish to an indoor brick or block wall that has previously painted?
For internal brickwork you have a few options:
Option 1:
Remove the existing paint layers through methods like sand or ice blasting, or chipping off. This is typically an expensive process and creates a lot of dust. If you don’t need a paint-free surface consider exploring Option 2.
Option 2:
Leave the existing paint layers as part of the history of the wall. Glossy paint layers should be slightly sandpapered to remove the gloss, but it is not necessary to remove the paint entirely. Then continue the preparation steps as outlined in our Surface Preparation and Application guide above.
Things to consider: Limewash paint works best on absorbent surfaces. In situations where there’s a mix of absorbent and non-absorbent areas, such as a wall with paint on some parts and not on others, the final color may show variations, appearing lighter or darker where it has been absorbed differently.
Additionally, most of the painted surfaces have no or very little absorbency. That may result in lesser adherence to the paint where people come in direct contact with the wall.
For better adherence and a more uniform finish, we would recommend preparing your walls with 2 coats of a water-based undercoat-sealer/primer and 1 coat of Bauwerk Prep Coat.
What is the difference between BAUWERK whitewash and limewash paint?
Historically, whitewash was a lime and water-based coating that was white in colour. However, more recently the term ‘whitewash’ is used more generically and often refers to painting with a watered-down conventional paint. So, if comparing generic ‘whitewash’ to Bauwerk’s limewash paint there are many differences. Bauwerk paint is made from distinct materials (clay, minerals and natural pigments) compared to conventional paint which contains plastics. The result and benefits are therefore very different.
If we’re speaking specifically about Bauwerk products and comparing our Whitewash to our Limewash…they are one and the same! Bauwerk Colour’s Whitewash, is simply a pure white limewash paint colour in our palette. It’s the same composition as the other 399 colours in our palette, other than of course its unique tone and value. It is one of our 8 ‘whites’ alongside Chalk, Raw White, Bleached White which all have slightly tonal variations.
Bauwerk Colour’s Transparent White is the only product in our range that does not contain pigment. This is the base limewash used together with pigments to create all of other limewash colours. This product is suitable for achieving a transparent wash with minimal texture, particularly for subtle effects over surfaces like brick.
Can I paint a fireplace with limewash paint?
Yes, Limewash is completely non-flammable, making it a great choice in fire-affected areas, and for use in and around chimneys and fireplaces. From a design perspective, you can apply limewash very subtly to tone down prominent brick colours, or cover the bricks all together with a more opaque finish. See our guide above for recommendations on colours and products when painting for purely decorative purpose. If the surface is exposed to heat and flames remove any pre-existing paint layers (if applicable) and paint the lime wash paint without any primers or sealers directly on to the masonry surface.
Can you limewash cinder block?
Yes! Cinder block is a very absorbent brick/block, which is great for limewash paint.
