It's rendered so now what?

[Anonymous]

I'm pretty sure that blue circle produce hydrated lime as well.
Limewash will stick to anything that is absorbent and that includes weak cement renders. Suction is the key element - no suction no stick. I have also used limewash on a skimmed plasterboard ceiling - after 8 years it still looks as good as it could do! Mike.

 

[Anonymous]

I think that exterior lime may require something VERY sucky though, to withstand weather. It's not something I'd cover acres with without a trial patch left over a winter.

I suspect the cem part of Snowcem may indicate some of what's in it. I also recall it being VERY white!

Bet Blue Circle only produces hydrate to add to their cement! Better than having a rival take up that profitable area!

Cynic? Moi?

 

[Anonymous]

I meant to add a link to my last mail.
Yes it's cement based they claim it breathes and it's now made by a different company or should I say the company has been taken over bl****y foreigners.



http:///www.castlecement.co.uk/new/snowcem.asp?theme=standard&page=snowcem.asp&lang=

 

[Anonymous]

Heildleberg Cement Group, makers of 65 million tonnes of cement per year.


snowcem

 

[Anonymous]

I used it years ago 3:1 silver sand and snowcem on swimming pool coping stones.
layed on A Bed of ordinary compo
And point with the silver/snowcem.
Funny stuff, not like OPC, better in fact from what I remember
Bonds very well
Expensive

 

[Anonymous]

Mike

That's very interesting about the limewash on skimmed plasterboard.

The walls of my house are like a great many other old houses - patched with lots of different things from lime plaster, through to gypsum. I don't want to hack every last vestige of gypsum off, as it would be very messy and costly to fix (in my time and effort - I've got plenty else to do). I've removed the gypsum where it was causing problems though.

I would love to use limewash on my walls and ceilings, but am concerned that it would not stick to the modern gypsum skim. So I'm very interested to hear that you've been successful with limewash in a similar situation. Please let me know if you had to use any special preparation to make this work.

If it's possible to use limewashes successfully on patchy, repaired walls then it is something that a lot of people like me would benefit from. I'd rather not use emulsion - it would be a shame to spoil the original plaster that survived for over a century under wallpaper.

Cheers

Ian

 

[Anonymous]

Ian - you might be better off with distemper. Don't forget it breaths and looks 3 million times better that any emulsion I have ever seen.
Now , the ceilings I have limewashed have been brand new so I can't speak for patchy bits. The trouble with jobs like this is that you don't know what has been put on the walls before. Is there that nasty stabilising solution on the wall? Is there any PVA etc. etc.? Is there distemper on the walls? If so you won't be able to lime wash over it. Distemper on limewash yes, limewash on distemper no. You can cheat a bit by adding some very basic powdered skimmed milk to your limewash. This will make it sticky which may allow you to get away with all sorts of bodgery.
As a pro I would just do it with distemper cos I KNOW it will work. Punters are never that impressed when it all falls off a week later. But, if it's your own place and you don't mind experimenting a bit then give it a go. Mike.

 

[Anonymous]

Jo, do you REALLY have to buy this house?

 

[Anonymous]

Mike

Thanks for that - I see what you mean about trying to limewash over old walls that have been treated with who knows what in the past. Distemper sounds like a good alternative.

I don't want a perfect finish, but I do want it to last.

Cheers

Ian

 

[Anonymous]

I can echo that distemper looks better. Its dead matt, much more so than emulsion, and if your lightings sufficiently diffuse that hides all sorts of sins. It has body, unlike emulsion, so covers hariline cracks. The downside is careless application will cause streaks.

Ime its also white rather than brilliant white, much nicer.

NT

 

[Anonymous]

I can confirm that distemper sticks ok to rice, as long as its ine ground!

NT

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks, NT.

Diffuse lighting is a must in my house - plenty of sins to hide (building related, that is) !!!

Ian

 

[Anonymous]

No, not anymore. Husbands job looking unsafe so had to pull out unfortunately, we were so close too.

Hopefully things will look up and then we can start looking again.

Good news is that a once reluctant husband is now keen to look for another old house when we're able )