A recipe for lime was for exterior and interior lime plaster wall

[Morganne]

I do not have a period property but have a lime wash question. I’d really appreciate help as it seems there isn’t succinct information on the formula for lime washes in my area unless I buy the ready made lime putty with colors already added which is a very expensive proposition for me. I have bags of 3.5 hydrated lime and powdered pigment. This is a new house being built of hemp and limestone blocks and requires lime plaster I’d like to use lime eases on the inside to give a more traditional European look.
I live on an island on the west coat of Canada and would very much appreciate any formulas and techniques for this traditional practise to cover the lime plaster walls
Sincerely
Morganne

 

[noj]

I normally use lime putty, but found these:

From Wales

How can I make my own Limewash?

Ty-Mawr

www.lime.org.uk

And from Scotland

HYDRAULIC LIMEWASHES​

Another very interesting form of fine particle suspension limewash is achieved using hydraulic lime, the form of lime which sets on addition of water. This may be made by either slaking hydraulic quicklime in an excess of water or mixing hydrated hydraulic lime in an excess of water and maintaining a saturated slurry.
Current wisdom suggests that the hydraulic set should affect the performance of the lime slurry through settling and hardening. This in fact is not the case: if the materials are well stirred on a regular basis, once a day for the first week or so and then every two to three days thereafter, the particles continue to get finer and smaller with age.
The particle sizes can, with time, be as little as 1-3 microns. In the case of a moderately hydraulic lime (NHL 3.5), this generally takes place in about two months. The settled putty that forms at the bottom of the storage vessel is beautifully silky smooth to the touch.
The set is only marginally diminished (bear in mind that a hydraulic lime only realises 10 per cent of its total final strength in the first month and then only in ideal curing conditions) as limewash is not strength dependent. Even two to three months of storage and (theoretical) reduction of strength is not an issue that should cause concern. At our workshops in Charlestown, we regularly make limewash by slaking our local hydraulic quicklime in an excess of water and store it for up to a year before remixing and applying as limewash. The results are quite beautiful and extremely durable.
There is a great deal of information available about the use of hydraulic lime but much of it is derived from the chemical composition and is often related to the performance of cement. The testing regimes in the European standard EN459 were originally formulated for cement testing, while the main test criteria relative to performance is compressive strength, gauged by testing cubes, which is also a cement based criteria. The actual performance of these materials is markedly different and we should be prepared to experiment with them without the standards and constraints of the cement and concrete industry as our guiding principles.


This article is reproduced from The Building Conservation Directory, 2008

Author​

ROZ ARTIS-YOUNG is director of The Scottish Lime Centre Trust based in Charlestown, Fife. She sits on a number of management committees including the National Heritage Training Group and the Edinburgh Group (for professional accreditation in conservation).

 

[Morganne]

Thank you very much for taking the time to weigh in on my request for a lime wash recipe.
It would be so good if I had the time to make my own putty. Unfortunately I don’t have the time as I am on a deadline with my building permit and it will expire soon and they will
make me start from scratch with all the various factions.

Hope to get some one who does know of lime wash from the powdered stage and be able to apply it directly.
Thanks again.
Morganne from Canada.

 

[a twig]

Not sure where you are in Canada, but Graymont have a plant in Exshaw that sells everything lime related you can possibly need

EDIT: sorry just seen you are west coast so Exshaw, Alberta is a bit of a trek, maybe they would ship?

 

[a twig]

According to google a fair few paint suppliers in Canada sell large tubs of pre-made limewash so you can just whack it on straight from the tub

EDIT: which you have already said is too expensive - really need to read better

 

[malcolm]

Can you not buy lime putty over there? It comes in a big tub and you water it down to make lime wash (adding pigment as required).

 

[a twig]

Third attempt - page 3 of this document gives you the method for making limewash from powdered hydrated lime:

https://www.lime.org/documents/lime_basics/limewash.pdf

Although as you say your lime is 3.5 that will be hydraulic, not hydrated, so @noj ’s 2 month recipe is the only option to make limewash from what you already have

 

[Morganne]

Thanks for your advice all the way across the sea and land. Yes. Definitely have hydraulic lime. And by what you say I need to make my own lime putt or buy it. Thanks again.
Morganne from CanadA. West coas. Salt spring island.