Limewashing our New Home – When to DIY or DIFM

How do you know if you have the skills to tackle a big DIY project? Today I’m answering the question I get asked most regarding Limewashing our new home – when to DIY or DIFM (hire someone to Do It For Me)?

I get it.

The thought of transforming the exterior of your home is daunting.

And scary.

When we put the first application of Romabio’s Classico Limewash on our new home, I was suddenly washed over with – “Here we go!” A bit of fear, but tons of excitement about transforming my home into a custom look I love.

Well, today I am ready to pull away the curtain and share all the nitty gritty details with you to help you make the BIG decision.

First off – let’s get one thing clear that I think will change your mind right off the bat. Romabio’s Classico Limewash is not a typical paint. It’s a mineral based product made from slaked and aged lime sourced from the Dolomites in Northern Italy – the same place where Venetian Plaster comes from. It’s sold concentrated so you dilute and then mix with equal parts water. It goes on semi-transparent, then dries lighter than it looks when it’s wet. It calcifies to the brick becoming like a rock itself.

I think that’s the coolest!

When To DIY

The application is easy.

Since it is recommended that dilute the lime wash with equal parts water, the consistency is very milky, which makes it easy to work with.

On our last house, we were able to teach our teenage boys how to mix the lime wash and apply it in one afternoon by themselves!

And if you mess it up – it’s easily removed within the first 5 days with a pressure washer.

And if you need pointers, there are also several video tutorials you can watch on the Romabio website.

You don’t have a lot of time.

One of the reasons I love Romabio’s Classico Limewash the most is that it’s a one coat application.

I am always juggling projects in this house which means I don’t have tons of time to give to projects.

It easily brushes on with their Large Masonry Brush, or works in a paint sprayer which is even faster! Just make sure you properly mix the limewash and water so you don’t clog the sprayer.

And since this is a lime-based product, it easily cleans up with soap and water and is safe for your plants. So don’t worry if you splash a flower bush here and there.

TIP: If you get Romabio’s Masonry Brush – it makes the entire process quick and less messy! It’s designed to hold twice as much paint for a quicker application on larger surface areas.

You can’t afford to hire help.

Like most of our projects, this is the driving force for us to take on the work ourselves. We are musicians who sing for their supper and our budget is always on the skimpy side.

So we are in a situation that forces us to give skills we don’t have another thought. Which is why I started Noting Grace – to encourage you that you aren’t alone!

If we can do it, so can you!

When To Go The DIFM Route
(Do It For Me)

You are afraid of heights.

When we limewashed our Tennessee home, we hired some help. We did the majority of the work on our own, but there were a few high peaks that made our knees shake when we climbed the ladder. We found a reasonably priced painter to help us finish those areas. He used a sprayer to finish the application super quickly.

For safety reason, we recommend you hire a professional if your home is a two-story or larger.

You don’t like getting wet.

I’m not a girly girl, but I did notice that my shoes were wet – a lot. Before applying the Limewash, you wet the brick.

Then, if you plan to weather or distress the brick, you are playing around with water to create that look.

Maybe I’m just a messy chic – and I’m a known klutz, so it may just be me, but it was a thought I want to throw out there.

Your hurdles are bigger than your vision.

You have it in your mind – the gorgeous reveal of your beautifully lime washed home.

But you can’t get over that hurdle of messing it up. Or not liking it. Or some other reason – bees, heights, the outdoors – whatever it is, those fears can be greater than your vision.

While I find this extremely easy to DIY, some people aren’t cut from the same cloth. That’s why Romabio has a list of PRO applicators that specialize in their products. The guesswork and fear are taken out of the equation for you.

Since we are tackling our second exterior lime wash, and have used Romabio products throughout both our houses in the last year, we decided to DIY it this time, and we’re feeling pretty confident!

I hope this helped you make your decision. If you have any other questions, check out this great FAQ page from Romabio.

And if you want to see the behind-the-scenes of our current lime washing project, head over to my Noting Grace Instagram page and follow along with my stories.

UPDATE!

To see the reveal of our second limewashed home, head over to this post.

Check out these other Limewash Posts!

• Limewashing an Interior Accent Wall
• How to Lime Slurry a Brick Fireplace
• How to Lime Wash a Basket
• How to Install and Limewash Brick Veneer
• 10 Tips for Limewashing Your Home
• How to Limewash a Brick Home
• Limewashing Your Home for Instant Curb Appeal
• Limewashing our New Home – When to DIY or DIFM
• DIY Limewash Terra Cotta Lavender Plant
• Limewashing a Painted Brick Fireplace
• Why We’re Limewashing Our Brick Home
• Everything You Wanted to Know about Limewash

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