FAQs

All Romabio paints are concentrated because of 3 reasons:
1). Reduces our carbon footprint by not adding the water.
2). Longer shelf-life without having to add toxic biocides.
3). Allows the PRO or DIYer to manipulate product as desired.

Dilution is adding water to the paint before you apply it. All Romabio paint products are concentrated and must be diluted with water prior to application. Use a separate mixing bucket and pour the proper amount of paint and water together and mix with a paddle or paint drill 5-10 minutes. The amount of water to use is included on the back instructions of all buckets. Learn more with this How-To video.

No. Color pigments don’t dissolve in water, so when the paint is applied, and water evaporates, the color of the paint remains the same.

Check out Where to Buy to see if there is a store near you. Check to see which products they carry is the one you want or call them to find out. You can always call us to order at 678-905-3700 if you don’t have a store near you.

Detailed technical information for application is available on the product’s Technical Data Sheet (TDS).

They have a long shelf life (5-10 years) in concentrate form. Shelf life will shorten if mixed with water, due to impurities in the water you mix it with. It is recommended only to dilute and mix with water the minimum amount of paint you will use and store the remaining concentrated paint separately.

Romabio will accept return of any unused and non-colored (not tinted) products with a 15% restocking fee.

Classico Limewash is an authentic slaked-lime. It is made from the lime that is mined directly from the Dolomites in Northern Italy, the same source for Venetian plasters. It is aged one year, and then slaked, and then specially formulated into Classico Limewash that gives you durability, but the ability to wash off before it fully calcifies.

Classico Limewash can be applied as 1 coat to create a wash off effect or 1-2 coats for a solid finish to any absorbent, unpainted masonry surfaces including brick, stone, concrete and more. To test for absorbency, throw some water on the surface and see if it soaks up (absorbent), and doesn’t sit directly on the surface (non-absorbent and will not work).  (Note: we do not recommend applying it to Exterior horizontal surfaces like a bench or driveway or where there will be heavy foot traffic as it will wear away easily.)

If it is non-absorbent, you can apply BioGrip Primer as a first coat, then apply 1-2 coats of Classico Limewash. However, you won’t be able to wash any off and get an exposed brick look.

Classico Limewash is available in 7 colors that were curated for the best colors for different styles and color tones of your home. You can order all 7 colors online at homedepot.com or Bianco White and Avorio White are available at select Home Depot stores. If you want a custom color, there will be a custom tinting fee. Call us to order a custom color at 678.905.3700.

We can custom tint Classico Limewash, but there is a custom tinting fee by size:

• 1 QT. = $15
• .67 GAL. = $30
• 4 GAL. = $100

To order a custom color, you will order Bianco White through Homedepot.com in the size you would like, then call us at 678-905-3700 with your custom color (Ex. Dove White, SW 6385). We will charge you the custom tint fee separately, and in all, there will be two separate transactions, the HomeDepot.com purchase and the custom tint fee through Romabio. You can also check to see if there is a Benjamin Moore location in your area as they can custom tint for you.

It depends on what you want to achieve. Classico Limewash is a beautiful whitewash finish that allows you to wash off and expose some of the brick. BioDomus I and II are our most durable coatings for masonry and are designed for longevity with a solid finish. Classico Limewash is not designed for a solid finish coat with longevity as it will patina and change. However, you can achieve a solid finish with Classico Limewash if you skip the water wash-off process. For Exterior, we recommend 2 coats, and for Interior, only 1 coat should be needed. Classico Limewash will shadow when rain or water is applied, and BioDomus I or II will not.

Not directly, but you can use our BioGrip Micro Primer as a first coat to act as a bridge, and essentially provide a micro masonry surface that will allow our products to adhere. Then add 1-2 coats of Classico Limewash.

If the surface is horizontal/parallel to the ground and will have anyone sitting or walking on it, then Classico Limewash will wear away easily and is not recommended.

Watch this video from Artistic Finishes.

To get the Old World look of the brick exposed (wash off effect), you only need 1 coat, no additional primer. To get a fully opaque look, 1-2 coats depending on the look you desire.

It depends on your square footage, how many coats you will use, how absorbent your surface is, and how thick you want the paint. For a wash off effect, you will only need 1 coat. You can use below square footage guideline for most applications.

• 1 QT. size covers 120 SQ/FT (makes 1.5 – 2 QT. after dilution)
• 0.67 GAL. size covers 300 SQ/FT (makes 1 – 1.5 GAL. after dilution)
• 4 GAL. size covers 1800 SQ/FT (makes 6 – 8 GAL. after dilution)

Dilution is adding water to the paint before you apply it. You should use 50%-100% water to the amount of paint you are using. If you want a thicker application, then use less water 50%-75%, but if you want it thinner, use 75%-100%. You can always add more water to it after you apply it, so try less water first and see if it’s the look you want. Remember, it’s removeable so you can always wash it off and start over!

No. The dilution ratio may change the coverage but will not change the color. Pigments don’t dissolve in water, so when paint is applied, and water evaporates, the color of the paint remains the same.

No, Classico Limewash paint is a fully opaque finish and when it is painted on the brick, it will stay the color of the paint and will not look pink.

Yes, Classico Limewash paint is a fully opaque finish and when it is painted on the brick it will cover the surface completely. It is up to you how much brick/stone/surface that you want to expose so you can cover it completely or wash it off a lot.

Yes, it can easily be removed with a pressure washer (or garden hose after immediate application) in the first 5-7 days. After that, you can use a diluted muriatic acid to remove it. Details in the TDS.

Dirty walls can easily be recoated with another coat of Classico Limewash or cleaned with soap and water.

After 3-4 hours of drying, normal rain will not affect the finish due to immediate calcification.

Because you dampen the surface prior to painting, as long as the temperature is comfortable for you and it has stopped raining so you’re not getting soaked, go ahead with your plans!

Between 50-90 degrees. You just don’t want it to freeze overnight the first 2 nights after application, and if it’s too hot, it’s too hard to keep the surface damp.  

When you first apply, the paint may appear semi-transparent at first, but it will dry completely to an opaque finish, just give it a little more time.

No, but Bianco White color for Classico Limewash has had success blending efflorescence in the past, due to the color being extremely similar in most cases.

No, the stains will bleed through and Classico Limewash is not effective.

Classico Limewash is a lime paint made without toxin ingredients. It is classified as Zero VOC based on U.S. regulation and contains 3.9 g/l of VOC which is below the 5 g/l.

Classico Limewash is an authentic limewash finish so it will patina as it ages depending on weather exposure. There is no warranty as it is unknown how your limewash finish will change based on your natural elements. But there is no need to repaint unless you want a different look.

Check out Where to Buy and if you enter your address you can see which Home Depot is nearest to you. Or, you can order online at homedepot.com and get free shipping.

Romabio Masonry Paints are Mineral Paints made with Potassium Silicate. Mineral Paints are different as they have superior durability due to the mineral paint attributes and are toxin-free, naturally mold-resistant and easy to use.

For BioDomus I and BioDomus II, it is a 2-coat system with no additional primer for unpainted, absorbent brick or stone. For all other surfaces, including (but not limited to) Prepainted Brick, Prepainted Stone, Poured Concrete, Portland or Gypsum Stucco, CMU Block, Cementitious Board, and Wood, you must use BioGrip Micro Primer as a first coat, then apply 1-2 finish coats of BioDomus I or BioDomus II.  

BioDomus I & BioDomus II color palettes are vibrant providing depth and light, and they look more natural when painted on masonry surfaces. Color possibilities are practically unlimited as we or a local Benjamin Moore can match other color palettes, or you can choose from over 200 colors in the Romabio color deck. Call us at 678.905.3700 to order a color deck.

There are two main differences:

1). You must dilute the paint with 5% – 30% water prior to application. See instructions on the back label.

2). You must dampen the surface prior to application. This can be done as you are prepping the surface with a pressure washer and can paint directly afterwards when the surface is still wet, but not dripping.

Potentially, we have done minor testing and have had positive results so far. We don’t know if it will work definitively at this point though.

20-year limited warranty when applied as a 2-coat system.

A really, really long time. If applied properly, you won’t have to repaint for 15-25 years depending on weather and elements exposure.

Our Interior paints will cover over most pre-painted surfaces without the use of primer.

Yes, very much so. Matte, Eggshell, and Satin are washable paints.

The Domus Collection of Interior/Exterior paints are comprised of:

• Potassium Silicate
• Inert Binders (4 – 18% depending on product)
• Natural Thickeners
• Earth Oxide Pigments (if colored)

The list of what’s not included is much more extensive but since we strive to only use the cleanest ingredients these are some that are not included:
• Acrylic Resins
• Toxic Binders
• Solvents
• VOCs and TVOCs

A paint labeled with Zero VOC in the U.S. cannot exceed more than 5 g/L of outdoor VOCs per liter of the VOCs regulated by the EPA Test Method 24.

A paint labeled low VOC in the U.S. cannot have more than 250 g/L of outdoor VOCs per liter of the VOCs regulated by the EPA Test Method 24

The term “VOC” is often used in a precise regulatory context, and its definition is defined by laws. The definition in the U.S. was developed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate outdoor air and help reduce outdoor pollution due to its affects on global warming. Essentially, the EPA developed a test called the Test Method 24 which determines which VOCs are included in a low or zero VOC emissions in regards to paint and coatings industry. These VOCs are high weight molecular compounds that are defined in terms of photochemical reactivity or ability to form ozone (or smog pre-cursors) and not toxicity.

Yes, certain VOCs are exempt from U.S. regulation because they are not photochemically reactive or smog pre-cursors. The EPA has established a general definition of a VOC that is very broad and it states that “any volatile compound of carbon” is classified as a VOC for regulatory purposes, unless it appears on a list of compounds that have been specifically exempted. For example, acetone and ammonia are both volatile and are both organic compounds. They are typically used as solvents in paints. However, if you read the MSDS for the paint you will not find them listed.  Another example is methylene chloride and 1,1,1-trichloroethane are not considered photochemically reactive, so they are exempt.  But they are associated with adverse health effects.

No it is not safe, “in 2011, the U.S. National Toxicology Program described formaldehyde as “known to be a human carcinogen” as stated from Wikipedia.

This is a complicated issue because there are many ways to look at the impact of a chemical. There is currently no singularity authority in place that will assess the most hazardous or health threatening chemicals. However, some resources will help paint a picture of which chemicals are big offenders. They include:

1). http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/spl/

2). http://www.c2ccertified.org/resources/detail/cradle-to-cradle-certified-banned-list-of-chemicals

The EPA Test Method 24 is a collection of ASTM test methods that collectively define the VOC content of a coating formulation as defined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Except the exempt list of compounds or other VOCs, any compound that is “picked up” by these test methods is considered a VOC for regulatory purposes.

List of exempt chemicals:

http://www.epa.gov/ttn/naaqs/ozone/ozonetech/def_voc.htm