The decorative brick wash guide
Love your home. Fall back in love with your brick.
Limewash, German smear, whitewash, and slurry can turn dated red or orange brick into something soft, bright, and timeless — without hiding the texture that makes brick worth having. Here's how each one works, what it costs, and how to pick.
"I love my house, I just don't love my brick." It's the most common thing masons hear from homeowners in Houston and Dallas — and for good reason. A lot of Texas homes built from the 1970s through the 2000s were clad in heavy red, orange, or muddy-brown brick that now reads dated next to today's lighter, warmer exteriors.
You have more options than living with it or covering it in paint. A decorative wash sits on the brick rather than sealing it under a plastic film, so the masonry keeps its texture, its character, and — with the right product — its ability to breathe.
The four finishes
Four ways to update brick, from the lightest touch to a full stucco look.
Whitewash
The lightest touch
A thinned, semi-transparent coat that softens and brightens brick while letting its color show through. Most uniform, most subtle.
- Brick visible:
- High
- Texture:
- None added
- Reversible:
- Hard to remove
Limewash
Soft, chalky, old-world
A lime-based mineral wash that soaks into the brick and cures into a matte, mottled finish that weathers gracefully over time.
- Brick visible:
- Medium–High
- Texture:
- None added; matte, mottled
- Reversible:
- Partly (wipe back when wet; softens over time)
German smear
Rustic texture
Wet mortar smeared over the brick and partly wiped back, leaving brick peeking through a raised, hand-troweled surface. Permanent.
- Brick visible:
- Medium (30–70% coverage)
- Texture:
- Raised, hand-troweled
- Reversible:
- No — permanent
Slurry
Stucco look, brick underneath
A full coat of mortar wash that covers nearly everything while the brick shape still reads through. Permanent.
- Brick visible:
- Low (shape reads through)
- Texture:
- Soft plaster-like
- Reversible:
- No — permanent
Quick comparison
Full comparison table →| Finish | Whitewash | Limewash | German smear | Slurry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| How much brick shows | High | Medium–High | Medium (30–70% coverage) | Low (shape reads through) |
| Texture | None added | None added; matte, mottled | Raised, hand-troweled | Soft plaster-like |
| Reversible | Hard to remove | Partly (wipe back when wet; softens over time) | No — permanent | No — permanent |
How to choose
- 1
How much brick do you want to see? Lots → whitewash or limewash. Some → German smear. Almost none → slurry.
- 2
Do you want to feel texture or just see color? Texture → German smear or slurry. Color only → whitewash or limewash.
- 3
How sure are you? Mortar washes are effectively permanent. Limewash is the most forgiving — it can be wiped back while wet and softens with weathering.
Not sure yet? Take the 60-second Style Finder.
60-second Style Finder
How much of your brick do you want to see when you're done?
Before & after
Real Brick Restoration project homes across the Houston area.
Spring Branch, HoustonCost snapshot
For a professionally applied exterior wash, Brick Restoration's typical range is $12,000–$25,000, driven mostly by how much brick there is to cover and how much repair it needs first. A one-story, roughly 1,800 sq ft home with brick on all four sides runs around $12,500. Interior projects like a fireplace are a small fraction of that.
Estimate your projectWhy prep matters more than the finish
Every wash magnifies what's underneath it. Cracks, missing mortar, stair-step settlement cracks, and efflorescence stains all show more clearly under a light-colored finish. A good wash project starts with a masonry repair walk-through — which is why it pays to have a mason, not just a painter, do the job.
Who's behind this guide
This guide is published by Brick Restoration, Inc., a family-owned Texas masonry contractor since 1993 with 20,000+ completed projects and 800+ reviews across Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, and Kingwood. We wrote it because homeowners kept arriving at consultations confused by conflicting definitions online. Use it however you like — and if you want a mason to look at your brick, we're here.
- Family owned since 1993
- 800+ reviews
- 20,000+ projects
- BBB A+
- 1-year workmanship warranty
- Financing available
See it on your own brick first
Request a free design consultation, or talk to a mason about your brick today.
Call Houston (281) 558-1828 · DFW (972) 587-8796