Exterior Painting Naperville, IL
Brick painting and limewash in Naperville
Red or orange brick softened with limewash, colored with a breathable mineral paint, or fully painted, on exteriors and on fireplaces inside.
- Calls answered 24/7
- Limewash, mineral paint, full paint
- Exteriors and fireplaces
Quick answer
Brick painting in Naperville is one of the few paint decisions that is hard to reverse, so we sample first. Limewash gives a soft, weathered look and lets the brick breathe; mineral paint gives solid color that still breathes; masonry paint gives the most uniform finish. All three need clean, dry, sound brick and repointed mortar. Call to see samples on your own brick.
What the job involves
Brick has to breathe, whatever finish you choose
Brick and mortar absorb water and release it as vapor. A coating that traps that vapor, like a standard acrylic house paint, can cause spalling faces and peeling paint within a few freeze-thaw winters. So the coatings we use on brick are chosen for breathability first and color second.
The job starts with a gentle wash, a check of the mortar joints, and repointing where the mortar is soft or missing. Then we apply sample patches in a spot you choose, because brick color and texture change the result dramatically.
Updated September 2026
Types of work on this page
The 3 versions of this job we get asked for
Limewash
Limewash is slaked lime and water with natural pigment, brushed onto damp brick and partly washed back to let the brick show through. It soaks into the masonry rather than forming a film, so it cannot peel, and it wears gradually over the years into a softer, more aged look. Most people choose it to take the edge off bright red or orange brick without painting it solid. The effect is controlled by how much is washed off, so we sample a few levels of coverage and you choose before we do the whole house.
Mineral paint
Mineral silicate paint bonds chemically with the brick, giving a solid, matte color that stays breathable and lasts far longer than acrylic paint on masonry. It is the right choice when you want an opaque finish, such as a white, gray or black brick house, without the moisture risks of a film-forming coating. It needs clean, unpainted or previously mineral-coated brick. We prime with the manufacturer's matching primer where the brick is uneven in absorbency, then apply two coats by brush and roller to fill the texture.
Full-coverage brick paint
Where brick has already been painted with an acrylic, or where a very uniform color is wanted over mismatched brick, a breathable masonry acrylic is the practical choice. Peeling old paint is scraped and washed off first, efflorescence is treated, and mortar joints are repaired. We apply a masonry primer and two coats, back-rolled into the joints. Painted brick needs repainting every seven to ten years in this climate, which is worth knowing before you commit if the brick is currently unpainted.
What moves the price
What decides the cost of this job
Pricing comes from a walkthrough of the actual surfaces.
- Coating type. Limewash is the least material; mineral paint the most durable.
- Wall area and height. One-story ranch versus two-story fronts.
- Mortar condition. Repointing soft joints adds masonry time first.
- Existing paint. Previously painted brick needs scraping and cleaning.
- Efflorescence. Salt deposits must be treated before coating.
- Interior fireplace. Smaller area but more masking and soot cleaning.
Local conditions
Brick Painting & Limewash around Naperville
Naperville has a lot of brick in two forms: brick fronts and full brick ranches from the 1950s through the 1970s on streets closer to downtown, where median build years fall between the 1920s and 1960s, and brick-front two-stories from the 1990s. Chicago-area winters bring roughly a hundred nights below freezing, so any coating on that brick must let moisture out; a film that traps it will spall the brick faces within a few seasons.
Step by step
How the job runs from the first call to the last coat
Sample patches
Your chosen finishes tested on your brick.
Wash
Low-pressure wash to remove dirt and efflorescence.
Mortar check
Soft or missing joints repointed and cured.
Protect
Windows, trim, plants and walks covered.
Prime if needed
Mineral or masonry primer on uneven brick.
Apply
Limewash brushed and washed back, or paint in two coats.
Final look
Coverage checked in daylight with you.
Timeline
How long a brick job takes
A one-story ranch in limewash is usually two to three days after any repointing has cured. Mineral paint and full paint jobs take three to five days depending on height and prep. An interior fireplace is a day.
Do it yourself or call us
Painting brick yourself versus hiring it out
Brick finishes are hard to undo, which makes the planning more important than the application.
| Factor | Doing it yourself | Hiring us |
|---|---|---|
| Product choice | Standard paint often chosen and later peels | Breathable coating matched to the brick |
| Mortar | Coated over soft joints | Repointed before any coating |
| Limewash coverage | Hard to keep even across a whole wall | Sampled, then applied and washed back evenly |
| Two-story walls | Ladder work over large areas | Staging and a crew |
Brands we apply
FAQ
Questions about brick painting & limewash in Naperville
Only with chemical stripping, which is slow and rarely perfect. That is why we sample first and often suggest limewash.
It weathers gradually; many homes are refreshed after several years, and the aged look is part of the appeal.
Standard house paint can. We use limewash, mineral paint or breathable masonry coatings for that reason.
Yes. Interior fireplaces are cleaned of soot first and limewashed or painted with a heat-appropriate product on the surround.
If mortar is soft or missing, yes. Coatings do not fix failing joints.
No. Limewash needs raw, porous brick. Painted brick needs a mineral or masonry paint.
Book brick painting & limewash in Naperville
One number, both offices, answered around the clock. The estimate is a walkthrough, not a guess.
Call (630) 389-8505Calls answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.