Limewashing walls in cellar.

[conkersack]

Hello.

I'm thinking of painting my cellar with limewash to brighten it up - I have read from this group that it is a good choice as it is breathable, etc.

What I would like to know before I do it though, what is the finish like? If I rub my hands or clothes over it, will it leave a powdery mark like certain other finishes? Or is it (hopefully) a nice 'friendly' finish? If I marked it with anything is is a case of washing the mark off with soap and water or slopping on another coat of limewash on the area?

Also, how long would a limewash finish last in an 'average' cellar - is it a case of repainting every year?

I'd love to use limewash, just to give it a go if nothing else, but I don't want a finish that is going to be 'messy' even when it's supposed to be done.

Sorry for my ignorance, I am genuinely interested in using limewash but know next to nothing about it.

Thanks in advance,

Roger Melly

[ben]

[snipped all of it]

Where did you get the Limewash from?

Can't get it where I am tried half a dozen places.

[conkersack]

My father had some lime putty in the shed. I intend to mix it up with some water untill it's a single cream consistency as suggested by a poster in previous postings.

Perhaps you could try a mail order place? Other than that, I don't know. Sorry.

If I find anywhere, I'll post details though.

Cheers.

[biff]

Try one of these:

[Anna Kettle]

Hi Roger

Its not dusty if it is put on right. Damp down the surface with a water spray before you begin, so that most of the suction is killed. You are trying to avoid the wall sucking all of the water out of the limewash before it gets a chance to set

Limewash is 'sort of' washable. You wouldn't want to scrub it too hard, but you can run a damp cloth over it. Its easy enough to put on another coat of limewash but the edge between old and new will always be visible so either relimewash the complete wall or decide that character is a good thing

Physical damage will mean that the bit by the stairs needs repainting first and how often depends how fussy you are. Five years? Longer? Limewash is fragile when first painted on so it would be a good strategy to choose a limewashing time when you will not want to use the cellar much for a couple of months

To set properly, limewash needs a good airflow which can be tricky in a cellar. Leave the cellar door open and if you can put a fan in the cellar that will help. Limewash also needs a little moisture around which might not be a problem in a cellar but keep an eye on it and lightly respray if necessary.

You will probably need about four THIN coats of limewash, with a gap of maybe 48 hours between them

Have fun Anna

~~ Anna Kettle, Suffolk, England |""""| ~ Lime plaster repairs / ^^ \ // Freehand modelling in lime: overmantels, pargeting etc |____|

01359 230642

[Mary Fisher]

Ah! My mother always wiped the walls with a wet mop before she whitewashed the walls, she didn't know why, just said it was what you had to do. A puzzle explained after many decades!

Yes, a palimpsest of your life!

We have all sorts of legacies of children and grandchildren in our house - accidental and deliberate marks. Over the years they've become rather special and remind us of The TimeWhen.

When I was a child neighbours had nasty black marks on the wall by their door, low down. It was where their dog rubbed past on its way in. I used to think that was awful, they wouldn't clean it off, it was the only thing they had left of their beloved pet who'd been killed accidentally. I'm not suggesting that's a universally good thing but that people are different in what they want to clean off/cover up.

Thanks, Anna, for memories ...

Mary

[Rob Morley]

Would a greenhouse heater be good for this - humid warmth with added CO2 ? Just a thought ...

[conkersack]

Hello Anna, I was hoping you'd reply. It was your posts I had read previously, I just had some more questions.

So it's similar to painting PVA on walls when using regular paint? Would a squirt of PVA be recommended in the limewash then, or would it be a bit unnecessary?

Yeah, that last bit sounds like a winner to me!

Ah, well it's in pretty much constant use, the main room of the cellar is the home office but having said that, I only want to paint the 'corridor' bit and stair wall of the cellar. After 3 or four days of setting, will the limewash be less likely to rub off on clothes? I could handle being carefull for a few days!

This won't be a problem, I'll open the window and door, there's a good flow that way, plus the fan.

So as long as I manage to put the wash on correctly, the finish shouldn't leave powdery white marks on my hands/clothes when it's all done then?

Thank you for your help Anna!

[conkersack]

What a great word!

[bigcat]

If its for regular habitation use Id suggest distemper rather than limewash. Distemper is a fair substitute for emulsion, and can be cold washed.

NT

[conkersack]

OK, I'll have a look at that too even though it sounds like a dogs disease.

Cheers.

[Anna Kettle]

In my earlier reply I assumed the wall is breathable (brick or lime plaster) in which case don't PVA it cos PVA will stop it being breathable. If the wall is not breathable (emulsion paint or cement render) then start with a coat of dulute PVA, allow to dry, then limewash as before

Needs must! It won't rub off once it is set (maybe two days) but it will be easily bashable for a month or so

Anna

~~ Anna Kettle, Suffolk, England |""""| ~ Lime plaster repairs / ^^ \ // Freehand modelling in lime: overmantels, pargeting etc |____|

01359 230642

[Anna Kettle]

Just clarifying here ... NT is talking about oil based distemper which would be fine. Water based distemper is very dusty and only suitable for ceilings and suchlike

Anna

~~ Anna Kettle, Suffolk, England |""""| ~ Lime plaster repairs / ^^ \ // Freehand modelling in lime: overmantels, pargeting etc |____|

01359 230642

[conkersack]

Yeah it is. I'll not bother putting the PVA in then!

Well that sounds grand as a trout. I can be careful not to bash for a while, but two days so it doesn't mark clothes is good news!

Thanks for your help Anna (and others!).

Cheers.

[conkersack]

Noted and understood captain. What about the poorly dogs though?

[bigcat]

I was thinking of lanolised water paint, which is water and fat based.

compared to emulsion are:

chalk matt finish breathable hot water removes it from the wall very cheap can make it yourself if you want. a bit more care needed when painting to avoid streaks and drips.

I found it to be fine durability wise, and ok for cleanability as long as you dont use hot water.

NT

[Mary Fisher]

At breakfast I was looking at Hartley's Food in Britain and found how to make two kindsof limewsh AND how to construct an outdoor privy in great detail.

Didn't tell me what I wanted to know about though!

Mary

[conkersack]

What did you want to know about? Frankly, if limewash and privvies aren't what you wanted to know about, well...

;-)

[conkersack]

What did you want to know about? Frankly, if limewash and privvies aren't what you wanted to know about, well...

;-)

[conkersack]

Cheers, I'll have a look at that too.