Exterior paint - Earthborn or KEIM Royalan

[BlueTed]

Good morning All.
I have started ‘unwrapping’ my house and removing all the modern materials that are suffocating the building and cause damp - cement, plastic paint and higher ground levels (the paint is being removed using Doff).
The house will then be re-painted and I’ve read some good reviews about breathable exterior clay paints.
Does anybody have much experience of Earthborn or KEIM? They appear to be similar in terms of design, but I do not think that Earthborn have a great range of colours - lots of whites and pastels but little else. I had sort of made my mind up to use Earthborn but not having the colour I want has pushed me towards KEIM with a much more extensive colour range.
Any thoughts will be much appreciated - I just want to try and understand if they’re the same, or if one is better than the other

 

[Jahouli]

Hi BlueTed
I don't have any experience of KEIM but I have used Earthborn silicate masonry paint on my crumbly stone exterior cills. I've also used Earthborn clay paints internally and whilst pleasant to use I've struggled with colours not quite looking like the colour cards. Not so much a concern for myself but my partner takes issue and I need to keep keep her on side...
I ended up using Graphenstone on the stone cills and I'm very happy with it. Good range of colours and 'breathable'. I noticed Ty Mawr has started stocking and recommending Graphenstone alongside Earthborn as a suitable paint.

 

[Lacan07]

Good morning All.
I have started ‘unwrapping’ my house and removing all the modern materials that are suffocating the building and cause damp - cement, plastic paint and higher ground levels (the paint is being removed using Doff).
The house will then be re-painted and I’ve read some good reviews about breathable exterior clay paints.
Does anybody have much experience of Earthborn or KEIM? They appear to be similar in terms of design, but I do not think that Earthborn have a great range of colours - lots of whites and pastels but little else. I had sort of made my mind up to use Earthborn but not having the colour I want has pushed me towards KEIM with a much more extensive colour range.
Any thoughts will be much appreciated - I just want to try and understand if they’re the same, or if one is better than the other

I'm in a similar situation and I agree Earthborn seem to have an uninspiring selection, especially of the deeper tones. And buying a sample first is a must.

I recently stumbled on the Fenwick & Tilbrook website and they make most of their palette in clay paint:

Homepage - Fenwick & Tilbrook

The home of premium paint manufacturer, Fenwick & Tilbrook. Pigment-rich paint made to order in over 250 beautiful colours.

www.fenwickandtilbrook.com

I've yet to find any recommendations though

 

[emmalavaine]

Hello,
We’ve use a company called Ingilby Paints on our internal walls in limewash, distemper & linseed oil (for wood work) & have been very happy. They do exterior paints but have yet to use them. Good range of colours as they have been established for over 50 years & also offer a free colour matching service. Hope this helps ?

 

[BlueTed]

As an update, I’ve been very impressed with Keim and their service. They have built a quote based on the size of the exterior and a specification sheet with photographs and the correct products required dependent on the surface (some brick and some render).
They are happy to provide decent sized samples and three free samples and the customer pays £10 postage.
The best part I discovered is they can match their paints to almost all other paint manufacturers colours and I have almost settled on some Farrow and Ball colours. They do not offer wood and metal paint which initially I thought might be an issue because I wanted the guttering and windows in matching colours, but if I choose F&B or even Little Greene etc. most paint trade places can mix the eggshell to match.
Sounds like I’m a Keim salesperson ha ha! I’m just impressed with their advice, even down to colours that will compliment each other and colours with undertones that shouldn’t be used together.
I have read good things about Earthborn, but the limited colour range plus the lukewarm support put me off.

 

[a twig]

Good report, thanks!

Think there was a thread that I posted in about some quality issues with Earthborn a while back, I was previously always Earthborn but reckon it’ll be time to give Keim a go now, thanks

 

[Lacan07]

As an update, I’ve been very impressed with Keim and their service. They have built a quote based on the size of the exterior and a specification sheet with photographs and the correct products required dependent on the surface (some brick and some render).
They are happy to provide decent sized samples and three free samples and the customer pays £10 postage.
The best part I discovered is they can match their paints to almost all other paint manufacturers colours and I have almost settled on some Farrow and Ball colours. They do not offer wood and metal paint which initially I thought might be an issue because I wanted the guttering and windows in matching colours, but if I choose F&B or even Little Greene etc. most paint trade places can mix the eggshell to match.
Sounds like I’m a Keim salesperson ha ha! I’m just impressed with their advice, even down to colours that will compliment each other and colours with undertones that shouldn’t be used together.
I have read good things about Earthborn, but the limited colour range plus the lukewarm support put me off.

Nice one, I'll give them a go.

Matching colours is a nightmare for me! I just copy something I see on the internet

 

[steveb]

We used Earthborn silicate on our last house but the range of pastel colours didn't suit the new one - or it would have made us look like every other house on the street - but now we have started a trend of bolder colours, not just white and yellow

We went with Keim royalan on the exterior. Keim even sent a man round to take a look and recommend a specification, free of charge. And this was only a regular terraced house, not a trophy home.

The only problem we have had is in areas that the man said looked "over-worked" (on the new lime render) and in that area by the door the top coat of the lime is peeling from the under-coat so I don't think I can blame the coating.

The Keim colour swatches are a wonder to behold - big enough to carry around and offer up to things like if you see a house you like. I did plenty of this in the streets around sloane square in London and got a few odd looks. Also the range of bold colours is great, particularly in the avant-gard range. I think this pic below is after the first coat as the cills are not painted nor the property next door touched up. The bold colour has stayed bold and not faded at all as far as I can see.

 

[Feltwell]

The best part I discovered is they can match their paints to almost all other paint manufacturers colours and I have almost settled on some Farrow and Ball colours. They do not offer wood and metal paint which initially I thought might be an issue because I wanted the guttering and windows in matching colours, but if I choose F&B or even Little Greene etc. most paint trade places can mix the eggshell to match.

I would steer away from the "mainstream" wood paints. Have a search on Bedec MSP, on here and elsewhere - you can use that on both wood and metal, it lets the wood breathe and it's very durable. Some merchants will mix it to colour I believe - I've used it extensively but I've just used their standard colours.

 

[NecessaryWing]

Hi,

We use a local 5th generation lime plasterer for any works to our Georgian cottage. He is incredible and has such extensive experience of period properties. He swears by Keim and uses nothing else for both internal painting onto fat lime plaster and external onto fat lime rendering.

For internal walls we tend to prime and paint ourselves after he has plastered and we also use Keim. Great product and they have a very good technical support team.

I’ve also heard good things about Emperor paint for external applications as it’s breathable. This guy uses it on his period property:

 

[Lacan07]

Ive just discovered Little Greene sell lime wash and distemper but its not cheap!!

 

[TudorCottage]

I used Emperor Masonary paint on our cottage in the summer. Very impressed, nice Matt white finish. Applied 2 coats but 1 would have been sufficient in some areas, that was over an off white.

Not cheap (what is in the period property world!!) and also claims to have some insulation benefits, but judging by the interior temperatures in the recent cold spell I’m somewhat doubtful

I would definitely use it again.

 

[Cartoonist]

Hi,

We use a local 5th generation lime plasterer for any works to our Georgian cottage. He is incredible and has such extensive experience of period properties. He swears by Keim and uses nothing else for both internal painting onto fat lime plaster and external onto fat lime rendering.

For internal walls we tend to prime and paint ourselves after he has plastered and we also use Keim. Great product and they have a very good technical support team.

I’ve also heard good things about Emperor paint for external applications as it’s breathable. This guy uses it on his period property:

Does he do work in Essex? Thanks.

 

[Feltwell]

I've just dropped a note to Keim as I want to give my cellar a spruce up, currently plastic masonry paint that is OK in some places, OK but stained in some others, and failed in others - hoping I can scrape back the failed bits and paint over the lot. I shall see what they say!

 

[NecessaryWing]

Does he do work in Essex? Thanks.

Not sure. He lives in Luton. He is very nice and friendly so call him and ask. He is very connected in the period property industry so if we wouldn’t come that far he may know someone. I always ask him for contacts for things he doesn’t do e.g. heritage roofers, sash window installers etc that he’s worked with.

 

[NecessaryWing]

@Cartoonist you could also try these people. I haven’t used them but people I know have said they are very good.

 

[Cartoonist]

Cheers!

 

[Feltwell]

I dropped a note to Keim over Christmas, asking them for recommendations for paint for my cellar.

Got a call back today from a really helpful technical manager - as it happens their office is not far from me, so he's going to call in tomorrow with a moisture meter, have a look and make a recommendation. Top service when you consider it's just 1 small domestic cellar!

 

[NecessaryWing]

I dropped a note to Keim over Christmas, asking them for recommendations for paint for my cellar.

Got a call back today from a really helpful technical manager - as it happens their office is not far from me, so he's going to call in tomorrow with a moisture meter, have a look and make a recommendation. Top service when you consider it's just 1 small domestic cellar!

Yes their tech team is brilliant. I’m really impressed with Keim. I have a photo of office wall we had done. Traditional 3 coats of lime then Keim Optil after priming it. Used two coats of the paint 24 hours apart. Such a lovely vibrant earthy colour that has given a great sense of warmth to my office.

 

[Feltwell]

Chap came out from Keim today, cellar walls are actually not as damp as I feared, from his damp meter. A clear difference was seen between the bits I've stripped back and have had a few days to air, and the bits still covered in nasty plastic paint. He said he regularly gets much worse readings in churches.

Recommended their Optil paint - saved me a few quid, I was going to go for one of their exterior masonry paints, he assured me there was no need and their interior Optil paint at half the price would do just fine.