Limewash vs White Wash and
German Schmear

What’s the REAL difference?

Exploring Your Ideal Aesthetic:

Limewash vs. White Wash and German Schmear

When it comes to giving your home’s brick or stone a fresh look, you might have come across terms like white wash and German Schmear in addition to limewash. While they may all seem similar, each technique offers a unique aesthetic tied to a distinct product and application method.

Let’s delve into the differences:

Limewash: Easy, Eco-Friendly Elegance

Limewash, like white wash, is a mixture of slaked lime, water, and pigments. However, unlike white wash limewash creates an organic, more opaque finish that conceals the underlying masonry surface to a greater extent. Limewash has been used for centuries as a protective and decorative coating for both interior and exterior walls.  

Additionally, limewash is prized for its eco-friendliness and when using authentic Italian slaked lime, you can create beautiful effects easily. Romabio Classico Limewash® is formulated to absorb into the brick or stone surface, calcifying over a brief period, which creates a durable and breathable surface. Its unique properties allow the finish to age gracefully, developing a soft, patina over time – or instantly with the use of water during the application process. This technique is celebrated for its versatility and timeless appeal.  

Limewash provides eco-friendly elegance, and using Romabio Classico Limewash provides you with two options. 1) ease of a DIY application, or 2) you can find an experienced, local PRO in our Romabio Preferred PRO Program. 

White Wash: Timeless Simplicity

White Wash, like limewash, is one of the oldest and simplest methods of painting natural surfaces. It used to involve applying a mixture of hydrated lime, water and sometimes pigments directly onto porous surfaces like wood or masonry. In modern times the term white wash is more often associated with mixing acrylic or latex paint and water, to create a watered-down finish for many interior or exterior surfaces.  

Due to the translucent character of this mixture, like limewash, white washing subtly alters the surface appearance of your substrate, while allowing its characteristics to show through. Ultimately, white wash offers a simplistic albeit not long-lasting approach to washing color over a surface. Unlike limewash, heavily diluting a latex or acrylic product with water will break down its chemical makeup, and reduces its durability as a coating.

Classico Limewash in Bianco White by DLC Brick and Brush

German Schmear: Adding Texture and Character

German Schmear, also known as German smear or mortar wash, is a technique that involves applying a thin layer of mortar or mortar-like mixture to brick or stone surfaces. Unlike the more sophisticated finish of limewash, German Schmear creates a heavily textured and weathered appearance by allowing some of the underlying masonry to peek through in a more dramatic fashion. Because the mortar mixture sits on top of the masonry surface, this technique is ideal for dry climates, because moisture can build up between the substrate and the decorative mortar finish, creating problems with mold, cracking, and chipping. 

This is a highly specialized application method and tends to be very labor intensive and the most expensive of the three techniques. 

Joanna Gaine’s German Schmear house  from HGTV’s Fixer Upper. Photo by Rachel Whyte

German Schmear Look Using Limewash 

When Better Homes & Gardens reached out to Romabio about the major differences between these techniques, we offered their readers a fourth alternative; Achieving a German Schmear look with Limewash.

If you want a German schmear brick look but with the breathability and functionality of limewash, there are two different options, says Leslie Aiken, owner of Romabio. “You can apply a moderately diluted mixture of Classico Limewash with a trowel over your brick or stone to mimic the German schmear technique,” she says. “Or, you can also use an authentic Italian plaster like Romabio Travertino for a thick and more ‘schmeary’ finish.”

One more option for those who want a look somewhere between a plaster and paint finish is using Romabio Lime Slurry, which would also be applied using a trowel.

Athens Building Co. was featured in Southern Living Magazine for using this exact technique with Classico Limewash.

Choosing the Right Technique for Your Project

Despite the product consistency and application method differences, all three techniques give a rustic charm. When deciding between limewash, white wash and German Schmear for your home improvement project, consider:

• Your desired aesthetic
• Your desired surface texture
• The type of surface or substrate you are updating
• Your overall budget

While limewash and German Schmear share some similarities in their use of natural materials and surface treatment, each technique offers its own distinct aesthetic and application method. By understanding the differences, you can choose the one that best suits your style and vision for your home.

3 Reasons Homeowners Love Romabio

Classico Limewash stands out among other brands for several reasons:

1. Classico Limewash is hand crafted in Italy, using authentic slaked lime from the Italian Dolomite Mountains that is slaked, then aged like a fine wine allowing Romabio to create the best formulation for durability and artistic effects.
2. Classico Limewash is available in light to medium colors. Romabio has curated timeless colors inspired by the beauty of Italian architecture in the Classico Color Collection. Or you can call your local retailer.
3. Classico Limewash is very easy to apply as a one-coat process without the need for a primer for unpainted, unsealed brick or stone.

Romabio Classico Limewash is a top choice for turning ordinary and outdated masonry surfaces into works of art.

Additional Masonry Limewash Resources:

• Designer Becki Owens: Transforming a Dated Exterior with Romabio Classico Limewash
• Content Creator, Philip or Flop: How to DIY Limewash a Brick House
• How to Limewash Brick for Maximum Curb Appeal
• Four Ways to Paint Outdated Stone

Unlike limewash for brick or stone, achieving the perfect cloud-like movement of color on an interior wall requires different products and different techniques – even if the term ‘limewash’ is still used. Romabio has options to achieve this designer favorite look, too.

Interior Wall Limewash Resources

• Romabio Velatura Mineralwash
• Jen Fancher of Noting Grace: Limewashed Walls Featuring Velatura Mineralwash
• Houston-based Romabio Preferred PRO Chooses Velatura Mineralwash for Interior Wall Limewashes.

 

 

Need to Hire a Pro?

If you’re ready to get started on painting your home, consider the value of premium Romabio paint. It’s eco-friendly, durable paint that lasts and looks great, and that means years of enjoyment long after the actual painting is done. Order on Amazon now!