Exterior Painting in Naperville, IL
Brick and masonry painting in Naperville: paint, limewash, stain and foundations
Dated red brick, a patchy painted chimney or a gray foundation wall? Brick needs coatings that let it breathe, and we help you choose between paint, limewash and stain first.
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Answering 24/7Naperville service office
Updated September 2026
This job
Brick & Masonry Painting
Exterior Painting · answering 24/7
Quick answer
Brick and masonry painting in Naperville, IL uses breathable coatings made for masonry, applied only after the brick is cleaned, repaired and fully dry. Paint, limewash and masonry stain each change the look differently, and once brick is painted, going back is difficult.
The job
Brick has to breathe under whatever goes on it
Brick takes on water and lets it out again. Coat it with the wrong paint and moisture is trapped, which leads to peeling and to brick faces flaking off after freeze and thaw.
We wash, repoint loose mortar, let the wall dry and use breathable masonry coatings. Because painted brick is hard to undo, we talk through the options first.
What moves the price
What moves the price of masonry painting
Masonry is priced by wall area and by how much cleaning and repair the brick needs.
- 01Wall area
Square footage of brick, block or foundation sets the labor.
- 02Mortar repair
Crumbling joints are repointed before any coating.
- 03Coating type
Paint, limewash and stain differ in material and steps.
- 04Previous paint
Peeling old paint is scraped back first.
- 05Height and access
Chimneys and two-story walls need ladders or staging.
- 06Texture
Rough brick and deep joints take longer to cover.
What this job covers
A
Painted brick
Painting brick gives it a solid, even color, most often white, gray or a deep charcoal. We wash off dirt and efflorescence, repoint crumbling mortar joints, let the wall dry and prime with a masonry primer. Two coats of a breathable masonry paint are brushed and rolled into the joints so every recess is covered. Previously painted brick that is peeling is scraped back to sound paint first. Brick that has never been painted is a bigger decision, and we will say so.
B
Limewash and whitewash
Limewash is a mineral coating that soaks into brick rather than forming a film, so it stays breathable and weathers softly over time. Applied wet and partly wiped back, it lets some of the brick color show through for an older, softer European look. Whitewash, which is thinned masonry paint, gives a similar effect but is more permanent. We always test a hidden section first, because each brick takes the wash differently and the look depends on how much is wiped off.
C
Masonry stain
Masonry stain changes the color of brick without hiding its texture. It penetrates the brick rather than coating it, so it does not peel, and it is often used to blend mismatched brick after an addition or a repair. We clean the wall, test the stain on a few bricks and apply it brick by brick or across the wall, depending on the effect you want. Stain suits owners who want a new color but still want the wall to read as brick.
D
Foundation walls
The exposed band of concrete or block foundation between the siding and the ground often looks gray and stained next to fresh paint above it. We clean it, remove efflorescence, patch small cracks and coat it with a breathable masonry paint in a color that sits quietly under the siding. Rain and sprinkler splashback is what stains foundations, so we keep mulch and soil clear of the fresh coating while it cures, and suggest simple ways to cut down the splash.
Around Naperville
Naperville's humid continental climate brings about 36 inches of precipitation a year, and brick soaks up part of it, which is why breathable coatings matter so much here. Inside the Historic District, exterior changes must stay compatible with a building's style and features under the city's design guidelines, so painting brick that has never been painted deserves a check first. Outside the district the decision is yours, and we help you weigh it.
How the job runs
How a masonry job runs
- Step 1
Walk-around
We look at the brick and mortar and talk through paint, limewash or stain.
- Step 2
Test patch
A small hidden area is coated so you see the real result.
- Step 3
Clean and repair
Masonry is washed, efflorescence removed and mortar repointed.
- Step 4
Dry
The wall is left to dry fully before coating.
- Step 5
Coat
Primer where needed, then the chosen coating worked into every joint.
- Step 6
Final walk
We check the finish with you and clean up the site.
Compare the options
Painting brick yourself, or having us do it
Brick is easy to paint badly and hard to undo.
| Item | Doing it yourself | Having us do it |
|---|---|---|
| Wrong paint | Standard house paint traps moisture and peels | Breathable masonry paint, limewash or stain |
| Wet brick | Painting too soon after washing traps water | Walls left to dry fully before coating |
| Mortar joints | A roller skips the recessed joints | Joints brushed so every recess is covered |
| Going back | Painted brick is very hard to strip later | Options and samples discussed before we start |
Masonry coatings we apply come from Sherwin-Williams, Benjamin Moore and PPG.
Benjamin Moore, Sherwin-Williams, JC Licht, Behr, PPG, Valspar, Cabot, Sikkens, Rust-Oleum, Zinsser, Purdy, Wooster
It can be, with a breathable masonry coating. It is hard to reverse, so we test a patch first.
Limewash soaks in and weathers softly; paint forms a film with solid color. Limewash lets some brick show.
Partly, but it is slow and rarely perfect. That is why painting unpainted brick is a big decision.
Yes, inside and out, with heat-suited products near a firebox and breathable ones outside.
Many years when the brick is dry and the coating breathes. Peeling usually traces back to moisture.
Often booked together
Other jobs that usually come up alongside this one
Answering now
Book a brick and masonry look in Naperville
Call any hour. We look at the brick, talk through the options and send a written estimate.
