Limewash Painting Services in Melbourne

Limewash is lime and pigment mixed in water, and it soaks into the surface and hardens there as it takes in carbon dioxide from the air, slowly turning back into a form of limestone. Acrylic paint, by comparison, dries as a plastic skin on top. That gives you a flat, chalky finish with movement in the colour, on a wall that can still let moisture out.

Soft, muted ones. Limewash is translucent and the lime lightens every tint, so the deep, saturated colours you can get in paint aren't possible. We colour-match tones from Bauwerk, Porter's Paints and other mineral-based ranges, and we can match a tone to stone, brick or joinery already in the room.

Bare brick, render, lime plaster, stone and other porous masonry take it best. Plasterboard and previously painted walls can be limewashed once they have a suitable base coat. We don't limewash metal or gloss surfaces, since there is nothing there for the lime to soak into.

Only away from direct splashing. Limewash breathes but it isn't waterproof, so we keep it off shower walls and splashbacks. On a low-splash wall, such as in a powder room, we can seal it with a breathable sealer the product maker recommends.

Longer than painting the same wall, because each thin coat has to dry before the next and most walls need two or more. The product's data sheet sets the recoat time and the number of coats. Outside, we don't apply limewash in hot sun, strong wind, rain or frost, so exterior start dates can move with the weather and we confirm them with you in writing.

Inside, very little. Interior limewash usually needs no retouching unless the wall gets knocked or marked, and a touch-up blends in better than it would on paint because the finish is already varied. Outside, it wears back slowly with rain and sun, and a weather-facing wall typically needs a refresh coat every 5 to 10 years depending on exposure.

Yes, it is one of the lowest-impact finishes we apply, made from burnt limestone. It carries very low or no VOCs depending on the product, and its high alkalinity discourages mould. Some modern ranges add binders, so check the data sheet if you need a figure for a particular product.

Yes. Limewash work carries our 7-year workmanship warranty, and we hold $20M public liability insurance. Outside, the colour softens slowly as rain and sun wear the surface back. That is how limewash ages, and a fresh coat brings the colour back up.

We price it after seeing the wall, because the surface moves the cost more than the area does. Stripping old paint, repairing mortar, a base coat and the number of coats all change the hours. Start with the online instant quote for a ballpark, and if you are weighing limewash against polished plaster, our Venetian plaster cost guide covers that finish.