Lime Plastering

[harkerhill]

Hi

I'm currently gutting my lounge and dining room. UFH is now intalled, it's now time for the walls.

They are a complete mess at the moment, some are lime, some are gypsium, some are a mixture, some are concrete!

My question is, what to do. I want a good smooth finish on the walls, the house is a solid 9 inch brick build.

I've had a plasterer around who suggested to keep costs realistic but not cause damage to the building, to remove any gypsium,concrete etc from the external walls. Basically back to the brick on external walls and plasterer using lime.

On the internal walls, just re-skim with gypsium.

Will gypsium on internal walls cause any structural damage?

Any advice from anyone?!

 

[Gervase]

No problem with gypsum on internal walls, though you may experience some cracking in the angles where the internal gypsum-plastered wall meets an external lime-plastered wall, due to the different abilities of the two types of plaster to accommodate the movement of the building.
If costs are an issue, that sounds like a good compromise, however. You can achieve a good flat finish with two-coat lime plaster, which should also help keep costs down.

 

[Wren]

I have a similar(ish) problem. Stone cottage (rubble filled walls) with lime plaster on the walls. Except that is where they put in wiring and also replaced the ceilings upstairs (top three inches of wall upstairs is gypsum not lime).

My problem is that I want to use limewash (because it lets the walls breathe but also because the finish is beautiful and will go with the feel of the place) but I heard that it will look patchy if some of the wall is gypsum not lime. Has anyone come across this? (I am trying to avoid the arduous job of chopping out the gypsum to replace with lime, but want a really nice finish at the end.)

 

[Gervase]

Limewash will adhere perfectly well to gypsum plaster, so don't worry. And, with at least two coats and preferably three needed to get a good finish, you'll never know what's lime and what's gypsum (unless you were to wet it - then the lime plaster area would show up as more absorbent and darker.
If you've got any worries, add a quarter to half a pint of skimmed milk to each 20-litre bucket of limewash - the casein in the milk will help bind the limewash to the wall.

 

[GK]

We recently did a complete room in limewash, three walls are in lime plaster and one in gypsum. The difference is like chalk and cheese. The lime wall has a deep rich colour whilst the modern wall looks pale by comparison.

 

[monkey writer]

what about if your wall is a hodepodge of patches of original lime plaster, cement, gypsum, pollyfiller, some kind of really hard concrete like substance, and new lime plaster...?



I guess the real question is does lime wash really look so different depending on what it is covering?

Also, would lime wash adhere to old gloss paint? It's been such a pain chipping and stripping it from the internal surface of the external wall that I'm just going to leave it on the other three walls and paint over it...

 

[Anna]

I have a rough & oldish plasterboard ceiling with what-looks-like-flaky-but-is-really-well-stuck paint. After sanding, washing etc there was still a lot of paint up there, in obvious contrast to the plasterboard. One coat of claypaint has covered it all beautifully if that's any help to anyone.

 

[Gervase]

Limewash doesn't like gloss paint, I'm afraid. It's best to remove the stuff - use a heavy-duty scraper like this.

 

[thiambal]

These scrapers are great - the larger 6" version is much more useful when tackling woodchip but this smaller one would probably be best for paint - unless it is coming off in strips.

I would suggest you use gloves as the handle tends to rub big blisters on your palms with repeated scraping. Although this could just be my baby soft office worker's hands!

Do by replacement blades as the cutting edge tends to dull on these quite quickly which just makes things harder work.

 

[Becka]

how about over emulsion? most of my rooms are painted in farrow and ball estate emulsion, but since decorating I've got carried away pulling off plasterboard and started finding the original wattle and daub walls so I'm thinking limewash or distemper is the best treatment for these, but that leaves the problem of either buying expensive f&b limewash to match, or limewashing the whole lot in a different colour.. how do you thing it would take..?

 

[monkey writer]

i know! I could paint emulsion over the gloss and lime wash over the emulsion... :twisted:

 

[CHRIS]

Becka
I have tried the FB limewash and dont think much of it, you could do a search from a few weeks ago and it was discussed then. You can get much cheaper stuff and better Quality from Ingliby Mariner in Glemsford (other side of Haverhill from you). give them a call very helpfull

5E Clockhouse Farm Estate
Cavendish Lane
Glemsford
Sudbury C010 7PZ

Phone: 01787 280864
Fax/voice mail: 01787 280886
Email: ingilby.mariner@virgin.net

 

[Nemesis]

Instead of limewash, consider distemper.

Rose of Jericho has a good range. Very helpful on the phone.

 

[Becka]

Do you think distemper would go over the previous emulsion? most of the rest of the room is gypsum plaster (on newish (1950's) walls). I've no major objection to redoing the whole area with traditional paints but don't want to find it won't stick..

 

[Nemesis]

It has more stickability generally then lime, and it's a very trad finish.

Call Rose of Jericho - see if you can get a small sample sent?

They are really nice to talk to, helpful on the phone.

Good colour range too.

http://www.rose-of-jericho.demon.co.uk/products/rj4_01.htm


http://www.rose-of-jericho.demon.co.uk/products/rj4_03.htm


It may be that clay and other 'natural' paints will work too.

There's a whole heap of links here, and I did post awhile ago with others which may be useful:

http://www.homesandgardens.com/shopping/essential/The_Essential_Guide_to_Paint_article_81434.html






Potmolen Paints is another trad paint supplier which many haven't heard of.

 

[CHRIS]

Ingibys also do a product called Interlime which is designed for such situations as you have with needing to cover over emulsion, but gives you a finish just like traditional limewash (contains linseed oil and other jigery pokery). They will mix what ever colour you like from most swatches.

Off topic but saw a Grade 2x listed house having a new window fitted today (old one was just a sheet of perspex) and spied a nice can of "No more big gaps" on the side!!!!