Sympathetic Paint for lime plastered walls

[Roger H]

Hi all.

I am converting a barn-like former workshop to residential use. Walls are coursed rubble with rubble infill with occasional internal lime plaster or lime wash. All pointing is lime mortar. On the walls that I am required to dryline and insulate I imagine I'd want something breathable. How stable is a lime wash going to be in daily use? Is a breathable paint a better option? Thanks in anticipation of your advice,

Roger.

 

[Gervase]

To be honest, if your local BCO is insisting on drylining and insulation, much depends on the materials. If it's plasterboad, then any paint will do. if you're going to use Heraklith or a clay board, then you can use breathable paints - clay paint or distemper - but those will be pointless if the insultation is a non-breathable foil material.

 

[Roger H]

Thanks for that, though to clarify, this is more on the walls that aren't going to be drylined. I am hoping to persuade the BCO to let me strike a balance between some insulation on the tattiest, or northern walls, and letting some character be retained on other stone/plaster bits, or where drylining might be too awkward, e.g. on window reveals.

Roger

 

[Gervase]

Limewash isn't too bad in daily use - if you use casein (in the form of skimmed milk if you want to keep it simple) as a binder it doesn't tend to dust as much. That said, it won't like being wiped down or stand up to a lot of abuse.
if you want plain white, that's no problem, as you can just slap another coat on every few months. Coloured limewash is harder to match, however. Distemper is slightly more hardy.
For a really tough finish, I've heard good things of clay paints - the sort stocked by Ty Mawr among others.

 

[ajbaker]

I cannot comment on NBT Paints just yet, but I am about to paint my bedroom with their trade emulsion. Breathable, friendly and a good spectrum of colours.

http://www.natural-building.co.uk/data_emulsion.htm



Available from Mike Wye amongst other places. http://www.mikewye.co.uk