Clay Paint - Thumbs up

[DaveBrigg]

After reading pages of comments and suggestions about the best paint for lime plaster, we eventually settled for clay paint because it seemed to be one of the easiest options. A couple of rooms later and we're really pleased with the results.

The first coat had to be watered down a little for new plaster, but after a second coat was applied the finish is excellent - much better than the modern stuff on our previous house. It has a sort of smooth matt finish which gives it depth, and it covers over the minor blemishes and hairline cracks in the plaster. At about £35 for 5 litres it's not cheap, but one tub has done both coats in the lounge and kitchen, so can't really complain. It dries in about 8 hours, and there is no smell at all.

The only possible downside is that nowhere locally keeps it in stock. We got ours post-free because of the size of the order, but I imagine the cost of a single tin coming by Parcelforce would be substantial.

 

[Moo]

Has it been up long enough for you to be able to comment on its durability (esp. things like cleaning and brushing off on clothes)?

 

[Penners]

Where did you get it?

 

[DaveBrigg]

Moo - I've just rubbed myself along the wall and nothing has come off (there are no paint marks on my jumper either) so it seems to pass that test. It will wipe with a damp cloth, but rubbing hard started to remove the surface. It's only been up a couple of days though, so may get better over time.

Penners - the list of stockists is on the website http://www.earthbornpaints.co.uk/stockists/index.htm We got ours from the place in Doncaster, who were very helpful and added a discount and free delivery for a large order. It's amazing the difference that painting the walls makes to a room.

 

[Penners]

Thanks for the link, Dave. Through it, I've found a couple of retailers nearby.

One of them has their own website that includes a link to an organisation called Natural Building Technologies. They describe their emulsion paint as "..formulated for reduced environmental impact...". However, the ingredients are listed as follows:-

Water, dolomite, clay, vinyl-acrylic polymer, ropaque, titanium dioxide, thickener, cellulose, mineral oil antifoam, acrylic dispersing agent, caustic soda, chlorine free preservative

I'm surprised to see modern paint ingredients like vinyl-acrylic polymer and titanium dioxide in there. I wonder what anyone else thinks?

 

[DaveBrigg]

From the Earthborn website "It is also important for consumers to remember that not all LOW or VOC FREE paints are the same and that paints can (and normally do) contain other 'nasties' such as acrylic softeners and high level of preservatives."
The clay paints have no acrylic, but the white does contain titanium dioxide. I'm not sure if that is as nasty as it sounds - I've just seen an advert for titanium coated razors. They do have zero VOC's though, which pleased the children no end, because they were able to get the brushes out daub the walls themselves.

 

[Gervase]

Titanium dioxide is pretty well unavoidable these days in paints - as a whitener it's the only thing with a density and the ability to reflect UV light that matches good old lead, and unless you have permission from English Heritage or Cadw, lead paints are a no-no these days.
TiO2 isn't poisonous, but it has ethical considerations, as much of the world's titanium comes (or used to come) from Mozambique and Zimbabwe.

 

[biffvernon]

I think Australia is the biggest producer of titanium at the moment but an enormous production facility, quarries and harbour works, is being developed in Madagascar. This really is one of the worst bits of environment destruction of a unique ecosystem. RTZ are planting some more trees round the edge so that's OK. If the only source of illmenite was in Surrey I bet we'd manage without.

TiO2 is used is a vast range of products as well as paint. Toothpaste, plastics, just about everything around us that is coloured white and a lot of things that are other colours too.

Further reading:
http://www.wrm.org.uy/bulletin/99/Madagascar.html

 

[jocelyn plummer]

I think £35 for 5 ltr tin is a good price, some companies are more expensive . Penners raises a good point about the 'ingredients' and I have been very interested in the ensuing commments--- Has anyone investigated Potmolen products /paints recently?

 

[Carissa]

Another thumbs up for clay paint. We used it to paint the spare room and the finish, texture, and depth are gorgeous. We'll be using it for the rest of the rooms in the house (apart from the lounge which we already used standard emulsion on, before learning more about breathability and other alternatives).

It's slightly more expensive than dulux etc, but only £10 more for the room we did. We're lucky and have a local supplier. We bought the off-white (so no titanium dioxide) and made out own colour mix with the earth born pigments.

 

[Penners]

I only raised the TiO2 question because I was surprised to see it in a paint described as "natural".

I'm not aware of anything particularly unfriendly about the substance per se, although I guess the mining is pretty destructive, as Biff mentions above.

 

[Carissa]

Titanium dioxide also uses very large amounts of energy in its production, and I think I read somewhere taht a lot of energy is sued to mix it into paints. Hence we went for the off-white option. The Earthborn website explains this.

 

[Penners]

I read somewhere taht a lot of energy is sued to mix it into paints.

Yeah - it's the litigious society we live in....

 

[plumbers mate]

Would this be suitable for a ceiling which is showing it's age?
Does it paint on as easily as good old emulsion - the ceiling I have in mind hasn't been painted for over 25 years or more so don't know what is on it at the moment.

 

[DaveBrigg]

Would this be suitable for a ceiling which is showing it's age?
Does it paint on as easily as good old emulsion - the ceiling I have in mind hasn't been painted for over 25 years or more so don't know what is on it at the moment.

That's my project for tomorrow. Spent the last two days removing lining paper, textured masonry paint, gloss and mould and squeezing 2 kilos of plaster into the cracks. I can see the diluted coat being a bit messy, but the normal consistency reminds me of my old school custard (fortunately without the lumps). I'll try to post before and after pictures - if it works.

 

[inwood]

Does it stick to gypsum plaster walls as well as lime? - I have a mixture of the two (external walls lime internal gypsum plaster) so need a paint that will stick to both to ensure an even colour across the room.

 

[DaveBrigg]

I'm having problems with the digital camera at the moment, but the ceiling was painted over the weekend. There were patches of new lime, polyfilla, old lime which had had the paint scraped off, old lime with severe mould stains and old lime coated by a sort of eggshell paint, which had the surface lightly sanded.
I used two coats, the first diluted with approximately 25% water, and it has completely hidden everything, except the new lime, which is still a bit patchy. This was a bit of a surprise, since the newly plastered walls were covered with no problems. Maybe it's just the white, or something to do with my painting technique.
The white is very white - almost dazzling, and brighter than the chalky shade on the colour chart. Not very Georgian, but when the lights are on, the glare makes it harder to see that the ceiling is shaped like a Land Rover test track. I get the impression that it would cover gypsum too, but you could always buy a match pot first to try.

 

[glayzell]

if you are in the kent area ecomerchant based in graveny, near faversham, stock clay paints. They have a website.

 

[johndison]

I was pleased to see the positive reports about our earthBorn Claypaint. Provided that the subtarte is grease and dust free, earthBorn Claypaint should adhere to and cover well just about any substrate. Certainly lime plaster and gypsum plaster aren't a problem. I am uncertain as to the brand or source of the Ecomerchant claypaint referred to, but I am doubtful that it is earthBorn Claypaint and is therefore likely to be a substantially different formulation (earthBorn Claypaint is unique in its very high clay content).

If you are looking for a TiO2 free paint then select earthBorn Off White, Ochre, Sand Orange or Bordeaux Red Claypaints. The colour (and covering power) of all these comes from the coloured clay used in their formulation. They do not contain any TiO2.

 

[CHRIS]

I have been watching this thread over the last week and wanted to wait until I have finished my kitchen sort out, I went to Earth and reed and Chris was very helpful on recomending the NBT off white for finishing off over some Aglaia roll on plaster and it looks great very nice soft finish.

Watch out using true clay paint in a kitchen as oil or grease splashes will mark and not wash off