What finish is this?

[nozzaamazon]

Hi,

I have just uncovered a wall under pasterboard and want to idenify the coating that is on top of the daub panel?

It looks too think for lime wash - is it a skim of lime or distemper .....?

What could I use to recreate this finish as on otehr panels I'm back to daub and its quite rough to limewash directly on?

Also bonus points for my other wonderings: :?:

Does anyone know why the studs are cut at an angle at the top and nailed to the ceiling beam?

Can anyone tell roughly how old this contruction type is?


THANKS

 

[middi]

Hi

The thick "crusty" coat on the daub is most likely years of accumulated layers of limewash, you can very easily reproduce this yourself or purchase ready made.

Those studs appear to be an "afterthought" for an intenal partition therefore not of the original construction as main building, probably not of the same quality workmanship as the main building . I would guess of late 17th to mid 18th C construction but the actual building pre-dates this . All of historical importance.

 

[middi]

.......also, it is quite possible that if a " smoother" finish was required on these daub panels, where limewash or some hand painting finish was envisaged, then a final coat of a very smooth layer of "mud" ( no straw included) would have been applied. This coating layer would have been just thick enough to cover and smooth over the intentations in the daub ( usually between 3 and 10mm thick).

This treatment was the norm on " status" buildings but not so widerspread on the humble cottages.

You can certainly apply a thin coat of lime plaster to smooth over the bumpy daub. It is easy to do but a bit tricky to stop the coat from cracking due to the very high absorbing rate of the daub, if this is well dampened just before application it helps a lot.

 

[nozzaamazon]

Thanks middi - we are definatley in the humble cottage category. I like the bumps, its just the rough finish that want to cover a little. I have a good 100 or so panels to do -so may try the limeplaster first and see if I can get this to work without cracking to save the tens of limewash coats.

Any particular mix for the limeplaster? Any hair? How thin can go?

 

[middi]

The best and cheapest way to do this is to buy a bag( or bags as required) of hydrated lime and premix neat by slowly adding lime to a third full, say,of a 5 gall. or 25 l. drum or bucket, cary on untill you have achieved the consistency of thick double cream( clotted cream is better). cover this with a layer of water, say 25mm, and leave in a corner in the garage or shed ( out of the fost) for about a week. Chek two or three times during the week that the water has not been totally absorbed and top up if necessary. There is no need to cover it.

After this period of rest it should be ready to use at about two and a half to 3 to one mix with normal building sand ( the higher percentage being the b/sand. Do not add too much water to the mix to start with, mix it a bit on the dry side as it is easier to apply and easy to keep going over the application as often as you like as long as it is damp.

This lime mix ( lime putty ? ) you have made in the tub can also be use to make your limewash by adding it to a little water and keep stirring untill it is of the same consistency of very creamy milk and apply with a thick brush

 

[kevmiles1]

Hard to tell from the picture but the top coat looks like it could be lime plaster with a limewash on it, if it is very white and a couple of millimeteres thick then it probably is

 

[nozzaamazon]

Thanks Middi - at the w/e I used some of the homemade lime putty and had a go on a panel or too - worked rather nicely and has dried with almost no cracks.

Now I need to go buy a stack of dustbins and get busy.....