Limewash is a lime-based mineral finish brushed onto walls and masonry that dries to a soft, mottled patina. Portola's lime wash data sheet describes it as breathable, matte and naturally variable, best applied in two brushed coats above 55°F, and not wipeable once dry.
Portola describes its lime wash as a traditional lime-based finish that dries to a weathered patina with subtle movement and natural color variation that softens and streaks with age. Its high pH makes it a mild fungicide, and it is breathable, which suits historic restorations, interior and exterior masonry, and interior drywall.
Porous ones. Portola lists interior and exterior masonry and interior drywall, and says lime wash is not suggested for floors, wood, glazed brick and tile, metal or other non-porous surfaces. Raw masonry does not need its undercoat. New drywall gets two coats of a stain-blocking drywall primer before Portola's Limeproof Undercoat, and walls with sheen are lightly sanded first.
Portola says its lime wash is roughly four shades darker when wet than when dry and keeps lightening with each coat. Lime particles are white and mute colors, so there is a limit to how deep it can be tinted, and darker colors bloom less predictably. Sampling on the actual surface is essential.
Portola's coverage estimates include two coats: roughly 40 to 50 square feet per quart, 150 to 200 per gallon and 800 to 1,000 per 5 gallons, with porosity and texture changing the result. A 300 square foot brick wall would take roughly 1.5 to 2 gallons for two coats by that guide. Because each can is tinted to order and slight variation between containers is possible, ordering enough at once helps keep color consistent.
Joseph Assise III Painting is based in Easton and serves towns across eastern Pennsylvania and western New Jersey, centered on the Lehigh Valley. Town pages:
Allentown, PA | Bangor, PA | Bath, PA | Belvidere, NJ | Bethlehem, PA | Blairstown, NJ | Brodheadsville, PA | Califon, NJ | Catasauqua, PA | Center Valley, PA | Chester, NJ | Clinton, NJ | Columbia, NJ | Coopersburg, PA | Coplay, PA | Delaware Water Gap, PA | Doylestown, PA | East Stroudsburg, PA | Easton, PA | Emmaus, PA | Flemington, NJ | Forks Township, PA | Fountain Hill, PA | Frenchtown, NJ | Hackettstown, NJ | Hellertown, PA | High Bridge, NJ | Hope, NJ | Jim Thorpe, PA | Kutztown, PA | Lehighton, PA | Long Valley, NJ | Macungie, PA | Mendham, NJ | Milford, NJ | Mount Pocono, PA | Nazareth, PA | New Hope, PA | Northampton, PA | Oxford, NJ | Palmer Township, PA | Palmerton, PA | Pen Argyl, PA | Perkasie, PA | Phillipsburg, NJ | Portland, PA | Quakertown, PA | Riegelsville, PA | Roseto, PA | Sellersville, PA | Slatington, PA | Springtown, PA | Stockertown, PA | Stroudsburg, PA | Tatamy, PA | Topton, PA | Upper Black Eddy, PA | Upper Mount Bethel, PA | Walnutport, PA | Washington, NJ | Whitehall, PA | Williams Township, PA | Wind Gap, PA
Local guides with housing-age and climate data: Lafayette College, Easton | St. Luke's Easton Campus | Lehigh University, Bethlehem | SteelStacks, Bethlehem | Wind Creek, Bethlehem | Lehigh Valley Hospital, Cedar Crest | Dorney Park, South Whitehall.
It depends on the look and the surface. Portola describes lime wash as breathable and mineral, developing a weathered patina suited to historic and masonry surfaces, but it is not wipeable and is not for glazed brick. Acrylic paint gives uniform, durable color as a film. Limewash suits an aged look; paint suits a crisp one.
Yes, on drywall and masonry. Portola lists interior drywall among suggested uses, with two coats of a stain-blocking drywall primer and its Limeproof Undercoat on new drywall. Walls with sheen are lightly sanded first. Limewash is not wipeable, so an optional matte sealer is offered for high-traffic areas in light colors.
Outdoors, Portola says lime wash remains soft and gradually fades over time, which is part of its look; it can be refreshed with another coat. Indoors it keeps a soft, suede-like appearance. Its durability is different from a film-forming paint, so expect periodic recoating outside.
Portola says its lime wash should not be applied below 55°F, in direct sun or in extreme heat, and should not be allowed to freeze. In the Lehigh Valley, late spring through early fall gives the most reliable conditions for exterior limewash.
Sources: Portola Paints Lime Wash technical data sheet (rev. 02.28.25). Figures checked October 2026.
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