Alternatives to Whitewashing Brick Homes in Raleigh

The Truth About Whitewashing Brick

We get so many people in Raleigh and around the areas who are thinking about whitewashing their brick homes. The reason for the interest almost always involves the curiosity of lightening, modernizing, or an artistic look. We understand the appeal of brightening up an older brown or red exterior, but to be honest, we don’t recommend whitewashing homes in the Triangle.

After years of working on exteriors in Raleigh, we’ve noticed that whitewash doesn’t hold up well, no matter what product or the new arbitrary claim. Between the red clay, which causes staining, and our hot and humid summer, which causes organic growth and sun degradation, whitewashing brick homes in the Southeast, in general, is a huge challenge .

Whitewash is basically a thin, see-through coating that gives a washed-out visual while allowing the brick to show through. Not only is it hard to retain a consistent, stressed look, but it also doesn’t have the thickness needed to stay clean. Because limestone whitewash is made of calcium carbonate, it does not have the resistance to withstand acid rains here in our increasingly polluted city.

In our experience, a whitewashed exterior derived from thinned exterior paint quickly becomes a high-maintenance burden that doesn’t provide the long-term protection your masonry needs. So, we recommend painting or staining.

Why We Discourage Whitewashing Exterior Surfaces in the Triangle

Many of our inquiries about whitewashing come from homeowners in Raleigh or Cary’s premier neighborhoods like Preston. Or older homes in Stone Bridge from homeowners looking for a high-end transformation. Any honest local company that prioritizes longevity and integrity would at least state the warning, right? Then, essentially, the decision is yours.

We pride ourselves on providing transparent, expert advice—even if it means steering a client away from a popular trend that we know won’t last in our North Carolina climate. We are committed to being upfront with our clients about the high maintenance costs of whitewashing, choosing to prioritize our reputation for quality over simply making a sale. It is just a code that we live by.

The Science of Whitewashing Failures

If you decide to whitewash your home with limestone or thinned paint, you’re adding a material that needs a lot of upkeep to a surface that was otherwise virtually maintenance-free. Both limestone and thinned paint trap organic matter such as mold, mildew, moss, and surface contaminants. Constant debris, red clay, slashback, and dust are common to both new and older Raleigh landscapes. Once red clay or mildew gets into the thin whitewash layer, it’s almost impossible to wash it out without removing the finish. Also, because the coating is so thin, moisture moves rapidly through the brick. Since it does not build mileage on the surface as a thick paint would, it does not provide any form of surface protection either. This combination of high moisture transfer and fragility causes early fading and a blotch appearance over time.

What many homeowners we encounter during estimates don’t realize is that both thinned paint and limestone whitewash are highly susceptible to rapid oxidation. Oxidation is essentially the chemical breakdown of the surface finish. In the case of thinned latex paint, the high water-to-paint ratio significantly weakens the resin binders that are supposed to hold the pigment together. Once exposed to intense UV radiation, these polymer chains degrade, leading to chalking. The paint literally turns to a fine powder and washes right off the brick face.

Limestone, while a natural mineral, undergoes a similar fate through surface erosion when it isn’t perfectly carbonated into the masonry. Because these finishes lack a durable, high-build film, the combination of our local UV index and environmental pollutants causes the color to fade and the texture to change, leaving you with a home that looks weathered and neglected within just 5 years.

The Last Warning & Process if You Insist

Clients considering a whitewash finish are seeking a distinct visual cue. But often, the artistic idea of thinking outside the box clouds the primary reason for coating any masonry substrate. Protection, longevity, and long-term cost reduction should be at the center of any money spent on a home.

For us, the idea of achieving a look for a short-term gain and potential headache just does not seem conducive to long-term customer satisfaction, which is what our 22-year history is built on. Knowing it is wrong but doing it anyway to appease a client’s desires undermines our business integrity.

However, here are the mixing and technical details to ask your contractor to adhere to. Or, if you are determined to tackle a small DIY brick interior fireplace or a small accent wall, there are two primary methods: Thinned Latex or Limestone.

Consolidating the Technical Process

The Latex Method (Thinned Paint):

• The Recipe: Use a 5-gallon bucket to mix a 50/50 ratio of one gallon of exterior-grade latex paint (Satin sheen) to one gallon of water.
• The Pro Tip: Use exterior house paint containing zinc oxide to help resist organic growth. Never mix more than 3 gallons at once, as the solids will settle, creating an inconsistent, streaky finish.

The Limewash Method (Limestone):

• The Materials: You need White Natural Hydraulic Lime (HLH 3.5), Alum Salt, and color pigments.
• The Recipe: Mix 1 liter of lime with 2 liters of water. Add 100 grams of Alum salt for every kilogram of lime to improve the “carbonation” process during which the lime hardens into a rock-like form.
• Important step: You need to soak the brick with water 24 hours before applying limewash. If the brick is dry, the lime won’t stick and will just turn into white powder that rubs off easily.

Cleaning Tips:

• You must thoroughly clean all surfaces. Never apply over a dirty or contaminated substrate. Use Dawn dish soap and a wire brush for interior projects, or a TSP (Trisodium Phosphate) solution for outdoor use. Any new brick will require phosphoric acid for cleaning.
• While bleach is best for killing organic growth on older brick, it is important to rinse the area thoroughly. Sodium hypochlorite typically has a pH of 11-13. Standard red clay brick is naturally neutral to slightly acidic (usually between pH 5 and 7). When you apply a bleach solution to porous brick, the alkaline salts penetrate the substrate and can raise the surface pH to a level that is hostile to high-performance coatings.

Romabio is the Dedicated Brick Alternative

If you want the look of a white brick home but want it to last more than 5 years, we exclusively recommend Romabio, available in paint and limewash. It is available to the public, and if you are local, it can be purchased at Prism Paint & Design in Cary, NC.  However, Romabio is not a standard latex paint. It is a mineral-based coating that actually petrifies into the brick itself. This creates a finish that is structurally part of the masonry rather than just a layer sitting on top.

For Raleigh homeowners, Romabio Masonry Flat is considered a premium application due to its high breathability. While standard acrylic paints do allow moisture to pass through in many cases near ground level, the moisture cannot pass through fast enough. Even a small amount of trapped moisture in painted brick will eventually lead to paint bubbling or brick faces spalling and breaking off. The extra water permeability of Ramabio ensures moisture can move through the wall without damaging the finish or your home’s structure.

To improve durability when painting brick with regular exterior paint, the surface is best painted with a satin finish. So, if you prefer a flat finish, Romabio “Authentic Slaked Limewash” avoids the traditional shiny look. It has a beautiful, flat, lime-like finish that looks authentic to the historic architecture found in many Downtown Raleigh neighborhoods. It provides 100% opacity while still allowing the natural texture of the brick to show through, giving you a modernized home that still looks like a masonry home.

Romabio is also very low-maintenance. Since it’s a mineral coating, it isn’t sticky like latex paint, so pine needles and dust don’t stick to it as much. Its high pH also helps keep mildew and mold away, which is great for the shady sides of Raleigh homes.

The Overlooked Permanent Option of Brick Staining

For areas of the home that take the most abuse—like front steps, foundation rows near the red clay, and walkways—standard paint is almost guaranteed to fail. This is where brick staining becomes the superior overall choice. The only issue is that it has limited options. Unlike paint, which creates a film on top, a professional masonry stain penetrates deep into the pores of the brick and dyes it from the inside out.

Since the stain is inside the brick, it won’t blister, peel, or flake. You won’t have to worry about the finish coming off your steps after a heavy summer rain. This makes staining ideal for the lower parts of Raleigh homes, where soil splash and pressure from the foundation are toughest. Even the so-called dedicated concrete stains don’t last very long on steps.

The best way to stain a brick house in Raleigh involves a meticulous three-stage process. First, we perform a deep chemical clean to remove all efflorescence (white salt deposits) and organic growth. If the brick contains contaminants, they block its pores, preventing the stain from making it inside the cells of the brick. We use a phosphoric acid wash outdoors on new brick. The wash opens the pores so the stain can penetrate deep into the substrate.

Once the brick is prepped and bone-dry, we apply the stain with a sprayer, followed immediately by “back-brushing.” This ensures the stain is worked into the mortar joints and every nook and cranny of the brick face. The result is a vibrant, uniform color that looks like it came from the brick factory, offering a lifetime of beauty without the maintenance cycle of whitewashing or traditional painting.

Conclusion: Knowing Your Options

Now that you are better informed than most people considering a whitewash finish, you have time to think it over more clearly. If you decide to paint or apply Ramabio specialized coatings and you live in Raleigh, NC, we are here to help. Contact our pros to look at your Raleigh brick project. All consultations are free. Call 919-426-4928