Wow, what a simple solution to a dated fireplace! My living room is so much brighter, and my fireplace looks so much better. It is VERY popular for painting bricks and other masonry, like stone! 800-339-4073. So, I will have to re-do it at some point to maintain the look, but that is the case with any painted finish. OK so as for limewash, it tends to get more color with age. If the lime wash is not old enough removing it by washing the brick with water, a little scrubbing by bristle brush, and lastly cleaning the … I did not want a totally polished or covered look that paint would have given, so limewash was the natural choice here! During the colonial period, people got their lime from local deposits in Winn and Bienville parishes where limestone occurred naturally as cap roack protecting salt domes from the environment. I didn’t want to destroy the rock – just update it to work with our new color scheme – and that is easily accomplished with limewash. Brass is one of my favorite finishes. I think that if you mix the limewash at a thicker consistency (at least 1:1 ratio), you should be able to cover those colors no problem. All in, this project cost me just under $70, and that is because I had to buy things like painters tape, rags, and a protective tarp (since the ones I already had are still packed away from the move). With a small section wet, I began applying the limewash to the stone. Limewash is a very ancient paint made from limestone which has been crushed, burnt and slaked with water to make lime putty. I finished the entire column in a day of work (about 7 hours, including a lunch break), and saved myself a lot of money by limewashing the exterior stone myself. Thank you so much! Simply by thinning the limewash with water, I would have been able to get a more translucent effect and would have allowed more of the natural stone color to show through. I also like that the limewash will continue to patina and age with time, unlike paint. Mix together one part hydrated lime with four parts water in a large bucket with a paint stick until it … It is ultra matte, just like rocks and stone, and allows the natural patina to show through (where desired). Because of that, it’s fun to add some winter-themed decor to the mix. Hi, I'm Bre! Your email address will not be published. Limewash works best when applied to more porous substrates, such as lime plaster, clay brick, soft stone etc. I felt a pit in my stomach because I couldn’t let this orange hearth ruin this makeover! Ha! It’s easily the focal point of our entire home. As Romabio (the manufacturer) recommends, I worked from top (left to right), on down. ROMABIO ® Classico Limewash is an authentic, slaked-lime paint that is specially formulated to create unique white wash effects for Interior and Exterior unsealed and absorbent brick, stone, and other masonry surfaces. I’m not sure I want any of the existing stone color to come through. So, what do you think? Inspiring creativity with crafts, DIY, and home decor projects. Limewash is unsuitable for impervious materials (flint,hard brick, etc) and first-time limewashing is inadvisable on sandstone. I didn’t have to worry about some of it dripping on the bushes or grass below the stone, because it’s totally natural and non-toxic and washed away as soon as it rained. A biological product that is created by crushing the limestone to a powder, burning it and adding water to make a lime putty. The unique, distressed look it produces is classic, and goes so well in many different decor styles. Us stone fireplace people need to stick together! Doing this let some of the rock tones show through – but not too much! Lime wash or “white wash” is the original house paint. According to the manufacturer, you should be good within four hours of application! UPDATE: I finished the mirrored built-ins makeover, and we replaced the carpeting with luxury vinyl plank flooring (you can read my luxury vinyl plank review here!) Limewash is made from powdered limestone that has been treated with heat and water to change its chemical composition, resulting in a stable product that provides a … It is no longer being used as our virtual learning classroom (thank goodness! I diluted this batch of limewash more than the limewash I mixed for my fireplace makeover, because I wanted to let a little more of the rock show through. Last September I announced that we were moving from our beloved home outside of Chicago to the Milwaukee suburbs. PRO TIP: If you won’t find any hydrated lime and white Portland cement in your area, buy white thinset and mix it with water. They say that generally, a quart is enough for a fireplace makeover. This limewashed stone project was the first part of our outdoor overhaul (which you can see here! * N.B. While it may appear to adhere to impervious surfaces It’s unlikely that it will provide as durable a coating as the lack of suction will impair its overall effectiveness. Hi, Stacey! And then they had it “over-grouted” to give it the look of a stone wall that had been there for centuries. Let me know in the comments and please share this post to Pinterest to help others learn how to limewash their fireplaces, too! Slurries can be used to fill large voids or spaces, such as the the space between bricks or stones, to create a vintage appearance. Be sure to check it out!). ;-)). Hi, Gwen! Awesome! Limewashing is definitely the easiest way to change the color of a home’s stone facade or rock facade. Thanks for visiting my blog. ), but instead is a beautiful modern vintage dining room that we love! Courtney Clymer, who writes Lifestyled Atlanta, wanted to create her own limewashed brick backsplash in her kitchen.She gave … SE WI! 🙂. Also have a reddish roof that will stay and a long front porch. (Click that link if you want to learn how to paint a marble fireplace hearth, too!). It was nice not having to think about any of that! More to come as we continue to update this page. Once it has been aged and thinned it can be colored with natural pigments creating a depth and weathered patina reminiscent of a Mediterranean old world finish. I’m in WI, too!! Oh gosh – I can envision the glossy black paint and it’s making me cringe!!! For example, when I put it on the rock about a month ago it was stark white almost. Now that you know that, let me show you how it’s done! We are slowly updating our 70’s house also. So, I did some research and decided to do a DIY stone fireplace makeover with Romabio brand limewash. Patty 🙂. Limewash works best on porous surfaces such as brick, cement block, terracotta, and stone. My secret recipe that I used on a very successful project where I had to match 70-year-old weathered whitewash is just below.Here's just one part of the project I did. Limewash covers bricks with a coating that absorbs into the masonry without trapping moisture. 🙂. I used the masonry brush to cover the large stone pieces and rocks, and then I got into the grout and crevices with the 3″ chip brushes. Comments like yours are what keep me going! Limewash is naturally white and forms a complex crystalline matrix which has a matt, slightly chalky appearance. So glad you like it. Yikes! It can be used on some untreated wood, but remember that since it's a very thin mixture that absorbs, it will draw out the grain of the wood. To be safe you could definitely contact Romabio (limewash manufacturer) to double check, but I am thinking you will be good to go! It is so DIY friendly and makes such an impact at a low price. The product contains instructions for how much water to add. This post contains affiliate links. My daughter did the same to hers and what a difference! They’re a beautiful winter […], I am officially on the chalk paint bandwagon. The limewash did not work on the marble hearth (I accidentally got some on the hearth and it wiped right off even though it had dried), so I had to think of a different solution. I used the Riposo Beige shade for my limewash fireplace makeover. I think you won’t believe how easy it is to limewash a stone fireplace! I’m also looking forward to seeing the rest of the house and seeing how you transform and decorate other parts of it! Your fireplace is beautiful! Now I know. Removing Lime Wash from Brick. It does, however, look FABULOUS with the new color of our house (which you can see in my 1970s exterior makeover post)! Applied easily as a 1-coat process to instantly create authentic limewash finish equal to the look in historic Europe. My scaffolding didn’t get me high enough to reach the top left corner of the stone column, so I used my extension pole and brush extender to reach that corner with the masonry brush. Sorry if you already know this, but I thought that some of you might be unfamiliar with limewash, so let me fill you in! I started on the top side and worked my way down. We would also like to have a mantel built for the fireplace, but it is surprisingly expensive (according to the one quote I’ve gotten), and my large round wood mirror gives the natural wood look we’re after – at least for now! I would guess that Cristallo White might be the soft white you’re looking for. I repeated this application / drying / wiping process across the front and couldn’t believe the immediate difference the limewash made! Slurries are similar to this wash made with lime stone. It’s amazing. With age it will get even more tones as it fades away and the elements age it. It’s beautiful! 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