Lime paint
Lime paint
Lime paint is a mineral paint, commonly used as exterior or interior wall paint. Made of slaked lime (calcium hydroxide) Sticks best on porous backgrounds such as plaster, cement or clay. Lime paint is rougher than chalk paint and is not uniform in color. Also called lime wash or white wash. White wash can give an aged look to wooden furniture. It doesn’t naturally stick very well to wood, unless the wood is roughened and porous. A binder such as cooked linseed oil or casein can help adhesion as well. ‘Lime paint is also highly alkaline and therefore naturally resistant to fungus and mold growth, making it ideal for bathrooms, kitchens, and children’s rooms’ (source: unearthed paints).
The life cycle |
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Low Energy Water based, mineral (clay, loam, lime) and flour paint, have the lowest embodied energy among paints. |
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Non toxic But don't eat it. Low cost Simple lime paints are very low cost. A 25 kg bag of lime makes around 100 kg of paint, and costs around £6 in the UK (2008) (1). |
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Lightweight Lime paint can be sold as a powder. This saves a lot of energy in transport since it is much lighter than paints that are pre-mixed with water or oil. |
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Non toxic It is safe once dried and hardened. |
Short lifespan Depending on type and application. It can have durability issues (1). Lime paint is not protective against wear, for this it would need an additional layer of wax, oil or varnish.
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Links
What
Great post about paints on GreenSpec includes a part about limewash.
What is lime actually? Essentials about chalk, hydrated lime and limestone
How to
How to whitewash oak furniture (video) with Todd Languell, master precision craftman.
Eco info
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Other Finishing
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Examples on Harvestmap.org