Brick limewash in Harlem, Manhattan is specialty work for Chelsea Limewash Co., in a neighborhood of brownstone and limestone row houses with classic stoops. Limewash is made for brick, soaking into the masonry and curing by carbonation into calcium carbonate rather than coating it like paint. That leaves the brick breathable and softened, with a cloudy, weathered matte instead of a sealed, plastic-looking face. From a stoop-front facade accent to interior exposed brick, our crews brush it on by hand.
Harlem is built on brownstone and limestone row houses with classic stoops, set within several historic districts. The brick and masonry facades and exposed-brick interiors here are exactly the surfaces limewash was designed for. The neighborhood's rich architectural heritage makes a breathable, period-appropriate brick finish a natural fit over a sealing paint.
Brick is the surface limewash keys into best, because the slaked lime soaks into the masonry and cures by carbonation into calcium carbonate. The finish bonds as mineral and stays breathable, so moisture is not trapped behind it the way it can be under an acrylic masonry paint. The look is a softened, cloudy matte that lets the brick's texture show through.
Many Harlem owners want to lighten or unify old, mismatched brick without hiding it under a flat, plastic-looking paint. Limewash does exactly that, thinning to a wash that veils the brick or building to fuller coverage while staying mineral and breathable. Because it is not a film, it weathers gently rather than peeling in sheets.
We limewash exposed interior brick for a soft, textured accent wall and treat facade and stoop masonry where the historic district allows. On both we clean and dampen the brick first so the lime keys in evenly. For any exterior work in a historic district, we help you understand what is permitted before we begin.
We also finish walls in nearby Meatpacking District. Call Chelsea Limewash Co. at (646) 828-5798 for limewash & mineral paint finishes across Manhattan.