Earthborn Clay Paint On TOP off Limewash???

[Mark and Jen]

I have been working on the internal stone walls of my barn (converting it to a gym space). They are 300 year-old stone and lime. I have been using quick lime to mix up a mortar mix for re-pointing and then created a lime slurry to give a smooth finish across the walls. A bit like a render I suppose. I have now moved onto using the quicklime to create a putty and then watering it down into a lime wash. However, it is now apparent that is it is going to take multiple coats to create a flat white finish. So I am considering fast tracking the process by using an Earthborne clay paint as the finishing coat. However, Earthborne have suggested that it might not be possible to paint on top of the one coat of lime wash and that if I do it will become unstable over time?

Does that sound right, has anybody used clay paint on top of existing line wash? Interestingly, their own website says you can use it over lime plaster so I'm not entirely sure what the big difference is between that and a coat of lime wash
Obviously, the best solution would be to put five coats of lime wash on-but I simply don't have the time to do that across the entire internal barn space! (If it can be avoided).

 

[a twig]

Pish, when I was first lime plastering and very bad at it I did exactly the same, a few coats of limewash to heal the cracks and smooth things out, then Earthborn to achieve the colour we wanted, no issues.

Perhaps if you were using a limewash with casein or linseed in then you might see issues with adhesion but otherwise no problems

 

[Mark and Jen]

Interesting - they suggested the finish would be too powdery? Its odd, cause to me the finsih with one coat of lime was seems rock solid and a great surface to stick to!

 

[a twig]

You can get dusting with limewash if the lime content is too high, but it’s nothing that a quick brush down with a soft brush won’t fix before painting the clay on.

If you’re concerned then you can always to a tester pot in an unobtrusive corner and see how it goes but in my experience the Earthborn clay paint sticks to pretty much anything and I painted an entire house in various colours - it even adheres to old gloss paint in woodwork after a quick rub down with sandpaper

 

[Kearn]

I have been working on the internal stone walls of my barn (converting it to a gym space). They are 300 year-old stone and lime. I have been using quick lime to mix up a mortar mix for re-pointing and then created a lime slurry to give a smooth finish across the walls. A bit like a render I suppose. I have now moved onto using the quicklime to create a putty and then watering it down into a lime wash. However, it is now apparent that is it is going to take multiple coats to create a flat white finish. So I am considering fast tracking the process by using an Earthborne clay paint as the finishing coat. However, Earthborne have suggested that it might not be possible to paint on top of the one coat of lime wash and that if I do it will become unstable over time?

Does that sound right, has anybody used clay paint on top of existing line wash? Interestingly, their own website says you can use it over lime plaster so I'm not entirely sure what the big difference is between that and a coat of lime wash
Obviously, the best solution would be to put five coats of lime wash on-but I simply don't have the time to do that across the entire internal barn space! (If it can be avoided).

depends on your goals Earthborn is a plastic bound paint, not truly vapour or moisture permeable. Seems a shame to undo the good work for the sake, of a few more coats of lime wash. Equally, genuine limewash internally will need touching up periodically, and will likely rub off. Less so if you apply a hot wash, which would also go not thicker and require less coats than a diluted putty.

An oil or casein distemper would save the discolouring of clothes and regular recoatiings, but maintain moisture and vapour management, plus give some colour. Ingilby or Rose of Jericho.