Drywall + Plasterboard
the 3P Rule explained: how to easily lime wash drywall and plaster board panels
What if my internal wall is already painted ?
It is very important that your walls are correctly primed, as Limewash and Prep Coat will not mask what is on your wall, for example, inconsistent materials like the join lines, may ghost through the final finish. The primer/sealer should have good masking capacity.
Step 1. We recommend 2 coats of a good quality undercoat/sealer primer -not a mist coat and non diluted
Step 2. Apply 1 of BAUWERK PREP COAT
Step 3. Apply 2 coats BAUWERK LIMEWASH
Note- You can skip Step 1. If your walls are already correctly primed and without patches and repairs
See our full plaster guide here
How do I prepare a new or repaired or old Plaster Wall ?
If your wall is already painted or plaster. It is very important that your walls are correctly primed, as Limewash and Prep Coat will not mask what is on your wall, for example, inconsistent materials, may ghost through the final finish
Newly plastered walls can be very absorbent. That can make it a little tricky if you want to achieve a consistent appearance.
To achieve a uniform finish on raw plaster we recommend sealing the surface to ensure a consistent finish (stop the ghosting of micro cracks and to help minimise the absorbency)
Step 1. We recommend 2 coats of a good quality undercoat/sealer primer -not a mist coat and non diluted
Step 2. Apply 1 of BAUWERK PREP COAT
Step 3. Apply 2 coats BAUWERK LIMEWASH
Note- You can skip Step 1. If your walls are already correctly primed and without patches and repairs
Do I need BAUWERK Prep Coat on my plaster wall ?
We have especially developed our Prep Coat as a bridge coat between standard paint and primers to make limewash more durable,
and easy to apply. BAUWERK Prep Coat is not a primer. It is important to understand that BAUWERK Limewash and Prep Coat have no
capacity to mask what is on your wall, it allows all the history and the materials of the wall to come through.
See our full plaster guide here
How do I prepare a Lime Plaster Wall? Or I want my plaster walls to breathe ?
You can follow the same instructions as above for a standard gypsum plaster wall, however if you have lime plaster in an historic setting or a new build, and you wish your walls to remain breathable you may like to consider,
That in some cases it is possible to paint directly onto unprimed plaster walls, this depends on the quality and type of plaster.
We have had customers that have applied direct to lime plaster, with great success.
This works better with lime plaster than gypsum plaster, as gypsum plaster, can be very absorbent -making application direct to the wall a little more difficult-which is why a primer is usually applied.
It is possible to paint directly into lime plaster, by using water or Bauwerk Colour Transparent White Limewash to take up the suction of the plaster to help workability.
How to decide if this is for your wall ?
Do a small water test in an unobtrusive area, if your wall shows many hair line cracks- or severe patchiness, then you may need to seal your plaster to stop these cracks coming through when you use limewash.
If your walls are extremely thirsty, you can use water and apply with the limewash brush in conjunction with the limewash on the first coat.
You can also use our Transparent white as natural primer coat to help minimise cracking and to take up some of the natural suction of the wall.
For old plaster walls, that are damaged, and or repaired you also have the 2 options
1. Following the above instructions for a perfect lime-washed wall.
2. Paint direct over, allowing a perfect imperfect limewash wall with the history of the wall showing through
We always recommend testing this option to make sure it suits you and your walls
You can also consider swapping plaster for render, as that is the perfect finish for limewash, it requires no primer, prep coat and can applied direct as soon a the wall is touch dry.
For walls that must breathe or heritage homes this is an option worth exploring, we also have a technical team with heritage and building experience to answer any questions. Feel free to book an appointment anytime with our sales-team via E-Mail.
How do I prepare to fresh or raw unpainted internal render or masonry surfaces ?
Step 1 Brush down the wall.
Step 2 Dampen walls with clean water using a brush or light mist spray, to ensure easy application of limewash.
Step 3 Apply 2 coats of Bauwerk Limewash using a Bauwerk natural fibre brush.
Dip the brush into the bucket and flick off excess paint. The brush can hold a lot of paint, but should not be dripping.
Using loose, free strokes, stretch the paint as far as possible in all directions.
Maintain a wet edge at all times to prevent colour overlays.
Do not leave drips or runs. Continue to stir paint regularly while painting.
Allow 1–2 hours between coats.
When wet, the colour will appear darker and transparent.
As the paint dries the colour will lighten and become opaque.
See our full render guide here
How do I prepare to any already painted internal render or masonry surfaces ?
Step 1 Make necessary repairs and remove dust and loose particles.
Step 2 On previously painted interior rendered surfaces, we recommend applying a coat of thin acrylic render before applying limewash.
Or if your internal walls have an inconsistent finish or are patched and repaired, we recommend sealing the wall with 2 coats of a waterbased undercoat-sealer/primer, before applying 1 coat of Bauwerk Prep Coat for a uniform finish.
Step 3 Apply 1 coat of Bauwerk Prep Coat.
Step 4 Apply 2 coats of Bauwerk Limewash using a Bauwerk natural fibre brush. Dip the brush into the bucket and flick off excess paint.
The brush can hold a lot of paint, but should not be dripping. Apply 2 coats of limewash paint using a Bauwerk natural fibre brush. Dip the brush into the bucket and flick off excess paint. The brush can hold a lot of paint, but should not be dripping.
Using loose, free strokes, stretch the paint as far as possible in all directions. Maintain a wet edge at all times to prevent colour overlays.
Do not leave drips or runs. Continue to stir paint regularly while painting.
Allow 1–2 hours between coats. When wet, the colour will appear darker and transparent. As the paint dries the colour will lighten and become opaque.
See our full render guide here
How long does it take to Limewash to dry ?
A coat of paint should be touch dry in a short period of time and dry within one-two hours. However in cold weather we recommend leaving a longer period between coats.
While the paint will be touch-dry in a short period, it will continue to cure for about two weeks. Avoid rubbing the walls during this time to prevent marking.
Although Limewash dries very quickly, it will continue to cure for up to 2 weeks and longer, as it takes carbon dioxide from the air in the curing process, this natural reaction allows us to create a paint that doesn't require the use of lots of petro-chemicals, as conventional water based paints do, these standard paints use plastics as the means to make the paints adhere to the wall, while Limewash uses air.
What is the ideal Temperature to Limewash ?
The ideal temperature for applying Bauwerk Limewash is 8°–30°C (46°F–86°F).
Do not paint if the surface and/or air temperature falls below 5°C (41°F) during application or curing.
High quality, natural limewash needs adequate curing time. This will be longer in colder weather and in humid conditions.
Where exterior surfaces are exposed to rain, make sure the weather is going to be clear for three days following application.