Roofing & Exterior
Painting Brick Is Forever. We'll Make Sure You Mean It.
Brick painting and limewash with breathable mineral coatings — and the honest counsel that this is a one-way door, because getting paint back off brick is a nightmare you don't want.
Free inspection & photo report · Fixed, line-item bids· Written workmanship warranty
- ★ 4.9 · 52+ Google reviews
- 1,500+ projects completed
- Licensed & bonded in WA, OR & ID
- Written workmanship warranty
Signs to watch
Is this you?
You want the painted or washed brick look
White or soft washed brick reads bright and modern, and it's genuinely a great look. We'll help you get there — after we make sure you understand it doesn't come back off easily.
The brick is mismatched, patched, or dated
Additions, repairs, and old repointing rarely match the original brick. A uniform coating or limewash is the honest way to tie it together — once you've accepted the permanence.
Already-painted brick that's peeling
If brick was painted before with the wrong coating, it traps moisture and peels. We can't easily undo it, but we can strip failing coating where feasible and re-coat with a breathable system that stops the cycle.
You're weighing limewash against solid paint
Limewash soaks in for a soft, weathered, breathable finish; solid masonry paint is opaque and uniform. They age differently and commit you differently — worth understanding before you pick.
Your options
Limewash and mineral coatings — and honest counsel first
The most important thing we do on a brick job is make sure you want it, because painted brick is effectively permanent — stripping it later is expensive, messy, and often damages the brick. If you're sure, breathability is everything: brick holds moisture, so we use limewash or breathable mineral and Sherwin-Williams masonry coatings that let the wall dry rather than sealing water in behind an impermeable film. Limewash penetrates for a soft, matte, weathered look; solid paint gives full, uniform coverage. Either way, prep and the right permeable product are what keep brick from trapping moisture and spalling.
The method
How we do it
- 01
Make sure it's the right call
We walk the brick with you, talk through the permanence honestly, and confirm the surface is sound — no active moisture, spalling, or failed mortar that painting would only lock in.
- 02
Clean and prepare the masonry
Wash off dirt, chalk, and biological growth, address any efflorescence, and let the brick dry fully. Limewash and mineral coatings need a clean, sound, absorbent surface to bond and cure.
- 03
Apply limewash or breathable paint
Limewash worked into the brick for a soft, breathable finish, or a permeable masonry coating for full opaque coverage — applied at proper coverage, then a walk of the finished wall together.
Straight numbers
What drives a brick painting or limewash job
Cost follows condition and finish choice. What moves the number: the square footage and height of brick, how much cleaning and any repointing or spall repair the masonry needs first, whether you choose limewash (often fewer coats, penetrating) or solid breathable paint, and access. Stripping and re-coating already-painted brick that's failing costs more than a clean first-time job. There's no hard figure here without seeing the wall — but we'll price it straight, and we'll tell you plainly if we think you shouldn't paint it at all.
Where we do this work
Brick Painting & Limewash: straight answers
Can painted brick ever be returned to bare brick?
Rarely, and never cleanly. Chemical stripping and media blasting are expensive, messy, and frequently damage the brick face itself — which is why we treat painting brick as permanent and make sure you're certain before we start. If keeping the option open matters to you, don't paint it.
What's the difference between limewash and painting the brick?
Limewash is a thin mineral coating that soaks into the brick for a soft, matte, slightly translucent, weathered look, and it's highly breathable. Solid masonry paint sits on the surface for full, opaque, uniform color. Limewash ages more naturally and gently; paint gives a cleaner, more finished look. Both are effectively permanent.
Will painting my brick cause moisture problems?
It can, if the wrong coating is used. Brick carries moisture, and an impermeable film traps it, leading to peeling and, in freeze-thaw areas east of the Cascades, spalling as trapped water expands. We use breathable limewash and mineral or masonry coatings specifically so the wall can still dry out.
How long does limewash last before it needs refreshing?
Limewash weathers gradually rather than peeling, and part of its appeal is the way it softens over time. Eventually it can be refreshed with another coat that bonds right over the old one — no stripping required. Solid masonry paint lasts longer between coats but commits you harder. We'll walk you through the tradeoff.
Get the brick painting & limewash conversation started.
Free 20-minute inspection. Photo report you keep either way. Zero pressure.