Applying limewash

[Bogart]

I am wanting to apply limewash to the inside of a claylump outhouse. The surface seems to be dusty no matter how many times I brush it. Do I apply anything before the limewash and can it be sprayed on?
I realise I will need a few coats at daily intervals. Spraying looks a much easier method than a brush.

 

[skier-hughes]

Not sure about the spraying on, but you certainly need to liberally spray water onto it first to dampen the surface, so the limewash doesn't dry too quickly by the wall sucking out all of the moisture.

 

[Bogart]

Especially with everything being bone dry at the moment.

 

[Bogart]

Just found an article that says one can spray it on but it does not reach all the nooks and cranies like a brush will. Now I find that an odd statement as I would have thought a spray would be at least as good, if not better, than a brush at reaching said nooks and crannies.

 

[paulc]

I spray painted a new wooded shed last month. I can atest to the coating not getting in to all the nooks & crannies. I put it down to a build up of air pressure in the recesses causing the incoming paint to bounce out again. Perhaps with an industrial airless spray gun, it might have worked (used to use one to spray 100 litres of thick paint at a time in another job).

The other problem with spraying water based paints this time of year, especially with some of the cheap hobby grade guns - The paint droplets may dry out too fast between the time it comes out of the nozzle and hits the wall.

 

[Bogart]

Recently did a log store using the sprayer, airless, and it got to everywhere. Few patches now due to the heat and the shrinking of the wood. Anyway I digress have just sprayed the limewash and it looks to be fine, only another coat , or two.

 

[Andys]

Move along please, nothing to see here...

 

[Bogart]

Rather a stupid comment!

 

[CliffordPope]

It's an ironic catchphrase used to suggest that there has been a cover-up.

Rather clever in this context, but clearly it sprayed over your head.

 

[Andys]

Sorry, I didn't mean to cause confusion. l actually wrote a very sensible reply only to realise the OP hadn't asked the question I thought he had, rendering my reply about preventing dustiness of the limewash finish irrelevant.
Andy

 

[CliffordPope]

Pity, I liked the joke.

 

[MatthewC]

I think the idea of spraying may be problematic: when I brushed limewash, I found that I had to stir the mix very often as it settled out quite quickly. If your spraying takes too long (and don't ask me how long that is) then you will have thick limewash gumming up the sprayer by the end.

Either way, cover up everything as it gets everywhere.

 

[Roger H]

Add 5% boiled linseed oil to the mix and whisk liberally. It will reduce any dusting.

 

[a twig]

I successfully used a £20 electric sprayer from Screwfix with limewash, I posted here about it a while back

EDIT: Ah-ha, here we are:
https://www.periodproperty.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=15214&p=216144&hilit=Spray#p216144

 

[robgil]

Use a brush if you can. It's going onto clay lump, clay lump will suck the moisture out of the lime wash very quickly so its vital to dampen it down first, also its been very hot lately, not ideal weather for lime work, its drying before its getting a chance to go off. You can use wet hessian sack to try and retain some moisture. If you put linseed in it you may as well put PVA in it, I wouldn't.