Authentic Limewash Services in North Atlanta

Exterior Painting

At Earthly Matters, we provide authentic limewash services to give your home a timeless, European-inspired charm. Unlike paint, our traditional slaked-lime finish penetrates the brick, creating a soft, mottled patina that beautifully ages over time. If you desire a classic, rustic aesthetic that celebrates the texture of your masonry, limewash is the perfect choice.

The Benefits of a Limewash Finish

- Unique, Old-World Aesthetic: Limewash creates a soft, matte, and slightly chalky finish with subtle variations in color that cannot be replicated by paint. It gives your home a warm, romantic character that feels as if it has been there for centuries.

- A Healthy, Breathable Finish: Made from natural limestone and water, limewash is a "breathable" coating. It allows moisture to evaporate from the brick, preventing the blistering and peeling associated with non-breathable paints. Its high pH also makes it naturally resistant to mold and mildew.

- A Living Finish That Ages Gracefully: Limewash calcifies onto the brick, becoming part of the surface itself. Instead of failing, it ages gracefully over time, developing a unique patina. It can be easily refreshed with a new coat every 5-7 years to maintain its beauty without ever needing to be stripped.

Our Professional Approach to Limewash!

We believe every job, big or small, deserves the highest level of professionalism. Our application of this traditional material is a true craft, ensuring an authentic and beautiful result.

Earthly Matters technician lightly cleaning a brick wall in preparation for an authentic limewash application in Roswell.

Step 1: Surface Preparation & Dampening

Proper preparation is key for limewash. Our process begins with a gentle cleaning of the brick to remove any dirt or loose debris. Unlike painting, the brick surface must be damp to properly absorb the limewash, so we saturate the wall with water just before application begins.

A close-up of a painter using a traditional block brush to hand-apply a coat of white limewash to a red brick home.

Step 2: Artisanal Limewash Application

Using traditional masonry block brushes, our skilled artisans apply the authentic limewash mixture to the dampened brick. We work in sections, applying the coating with specific brush strokes to achieve the desired coverage and texture. Depending on the look you want, we can create anything from a semi-translucent wash to a more opaque, distressed finish.

A beautiful brick home in North Atlanta showcasing a classic, mottled limewash finish with a timeless, rustic patina.

Step 3: Curing & Patina Development

Limewash doesn't "dry" like paint; it cures through a chemical reaction with the air. We monitor this curing process, which can take several days to reveal the final, soft color. This slow curing is what creates the beautiful, natural variations and timeless patina that make limewash so unique.

FAQs for Limewash

What is the difference between Limewash and German schmear?

While both create rustic looks, they are different. Limewash is a thin, wash-like coating that colors the brick while letting its texture show through. German schmear (or smear) is a much thicker mortar-based application where we use a trowel to spread mortar across the brick, often leaving large sections of the original brick exposed for a more irregular, heavy-textured look.

Can you Limewash a house that has already been painted?

No, unfortunately, limewash cannot be applied to a painted surface. Limewash needs to absorb into the porous brick to cure properly. If your brick is already sealed with paint, that paint would first need to be completely stripped off—a very intensive process—before limewash could be considered.

How much control do I have over the final look?

You have a great deal of control. During the application process, we can alter the final look by how much of the limewash we "wash off" after it's applied. This allows us to expose more or less of the original brick, creating a custom level of distress—from a subtle, translucent wash to a heavier, more weathered patina.