
What’s the difference between whitewashing and limewashing?
What’s the difference between whitewashing and limewashing?
Exposed brick adds warmth and texture to many homes, but when it’s time to upgrade, whitewashing and limewashing is a term used interchangeably when someone is thinking about coating their brick, and it can cause some confusion, but there is a difference between the two!
Whitewashing Application
Whitewash involves applying a product to your brick that is diluted and applied to your brick that will tone down your brick. The toned-down look offers a vintage and weathered look that’s becoming very popular, but it’s an even almost transparent coating and not meant to look like your brick was painted.
ei. Whitewash:

For a long time, standard paint has been the go-to for whitewashing, but if diluted, regular paint will not offer the same look that products like Romabio Classico Limewash will provide. In addition, diluted regular paint will not stick to brick like Romabio Classico limewash will provide, so if you use regular paint, you can expect chipping, cracking and peeling to happen in your brick! This will not happen with Romabio Classico Limewash.
Pros | Cons |
Easy application. | When you use regular paint, it’s permanent. Once you apply paint, and you don’t like the design... It’s going to take lots of chemical stripping and power washing to start over! Romabio Classico Limewash DOES allow application to be removed within a certain time after application. |
Less time consuming if no distress of brick is involved. | It takes lots of trials to get the right coverage for the consistency you’re looking for. Depending on the brick, sometimes the brick pattern will dictate the finished. |
No chipping, cracking, and peeling. | |
We know the product were mentioning for whitewashing says “Romabio classico Limewash”, but this product is also used for whitewashing because it can be diluted to your needs, and like mentioned above, it can be power washed if a new design needs to be applied!
Limewash Application
Like white washing, limewash is used to give your brick a classy vintage, patina look, but with limewash is often referred to the application of a coating and then adding a distress to it. Romabio Classico Limewash is our go to for creating this classy patina, and distress look, and there is no other product superior! Unfortunately, we have seen paint being used for limewash, and often we see paint peeling, cracking, and bubbling, because paint is not absorbed like Romabio Classico Limewash.
ei. Limewash

Pros | Cons |
It’s absorbed by brick, so no chipping, peeling, cracking, or bubbling. | Limited colors. (Only light colors) |
Adds antique, and unique character to your brick. | Consistency with product and application must be achieved to avoid different look and distress patterns for your project. |
Protects brick, and mortar from elements just as well as any other regular paint. | |
More flexible in application (Can be washed off if you would like another pattern). | |
Ganso applying a limewash application!