☞ REVIVE: Painted Stone Facades

It's often difficult for folks to select a good exterior white color since they soon find out that there are probably a thousand variations of white out there to choose from. Many prewar buildings have limestone bases or brownstone painted to look like limestone. We noticed a building in Morningside Heights that was going through the exercise of selecting facade paint color last fall. Since these buildings are around 100 years old, repair work often entails filling in chips and cracks and then painting over everything to seal it off. From the first photo, there were three options on hand. Option one is a creamy white, option two a richer khaki color (the darker whites become, they turn into khaki or grey colors) and option three which is an optic white. Most choose option three since it is the whitest white out there. In fact, this color would probably work best for interiors but will get too dirty too quickly for the exterior. Option two is a nice shade but mimics the color of dirty, aged limestone.

So the winner was option one and from the lower photo, it does look like basic white in natural daylight but one would never know it from just looking at the color chips. The building ends up looking brighter and cleaner but will stand up against a little city grit. On a final note, a semi-smooth finish such as satin or eggshell is recommended so that the surfaces are slightly light reflective and easy to clean. Matte finishes in paint are too dry and attract dirt while too shiny semi-gloss or high gloss are better for weather proofing wood surfaces. Photos by Ulysses