How to Whitewash Brick and How Long Does it Last?

Painting a house or room means that you will have to maintain the paint layer over time to ensure that it does not become faded or chipped. Using whitewash can add the effect to brick and leave the color almost maintenance-free. Mix the whitewash with other materials to make it cling to the brick better or other colors if you do not want to have a completely white effect. Whitewash can last for over 20 years before you have to maintain it, depending on the local conditions.

Table salt
Hydrated lime
Water
Cement
Brushes
Cement board
Color pigments

Instructions

- 1
  Mix lime with table salt at a ratio of 5:1. Add water until the mixture is the consistency of pancake batter.
- 2
  Add cement to your whitewash if you would like extra holding power. The lime in the whitewash is the glue that holds the whitewash to the brick, but adding cement will make your whitewash last for several generations.
- 3
  Colorize the whitewash with purchased powdered pigments if you want to add color. Purchase the pigments at traditional builder's merchants. Make a test batch and apply it to a piece of cement board to make sure you like the color. Note the ratios of pigment, lime and salt to get consistent color batches.
- 4
  Apply the whitewash to the brick. Add a thin layer if you would like the brick to show through. Add a thicker layer if you would like to completely disguise the brick.

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