Lime Paint over Brick or Block Work
How to paint clay or cement bricks, mud bricks or adobe with limewash paint
Step 1 Surface Preparation
remove all render, loose material and foreign objects not to be left on the wall
Step 2 Cleaning of Surface
- remove vegetation, moss algae,
- depending on location, power wash with high pressure water cleaner and
- finally brush down all loose particles and dust
- allow to dry
Step 3 (optional) Surface Repair before Limewash Application
- Carry out spot repair where needed. Use the same or very similar mortar that was used originally.
- Repair deeper holes and cracks. Where possible use similar brick material if bricks/blocks need replacing (hairline cracks can be left, cracks that need filling and are under 2mm please open up, remove dust, dampen and fill).
- Fill deep holes (>2cm) holes and crack in stages and allow to set in between. Finish slightly proud of the adjacent surface, allow to set to near-hard and scrape back to adjacent surface level (or recessed, depending on the overall finish) in a sympathetic manner to imitate the surface texture surrounding the repair. Allow to set.
- Brush off using a medium stiff brush
⚠️ Avoid commercially available crack fillers be used, as they will alter the surface absorbency and will show up on the final finish.
⚠️ Avoid to contaminate the surface that is to be painted with other materials (other paint, acrylic filler, glues... etc)
Step 1 Limewash Paint Preparation
Consumption of paint for limewash paint on clay or cement brick / block or adobe is approximately 0.15 liter per m2 / per coat. That is only a rough guide, as surface texture and structure of wall can lead to variation of consumption of paint.
😉 Please test on your wall to be sure. We offer Sample Pots in 250ml and 1 liter size for every colour.
For a full cover please allow two coats as a minimum.
1 remove all dust
2 slightly dampen surface with a mist spray to reduce absorption. Repeat until you can stretch out the paint easily
Step 2 Limewash Paint Application
😉 Do the painting as the last item. There will be no fumes or smells.
Follow our general guides for mixing, decanting and paint application.
For external application ensure three days of clear weather following the limewash paint application or protect the surface against rain.
- Choose the right limewash paint brush for your surface. Deeper recesses are easier to paint with shorter, stiffer bristles. Flat or moderately undulating surfaces are best painted with our 4x14 limewash block brush.
- Make sure surface is not too absorbent (see Step 1 above on limewash application). If needed dampen the surface, do not add water to the paint.
- Hold the brush at right angle to the surface but vary the direction constantly and let the bristle do the work. There is no need to apply too much pressure. It may be best to hold the brush on the brush body, rather than the handle for more control. To reach deeper recesses make smaller movements, either back and forth or in small circular motions.
- Ensure you get every part of the surface with the first coat. Do not apply too thickly, brush the paint out. Some colours may appear too transparent when first applied - do not compensate that by applying more paint.
- The full colour will develop as the paint dries out - Trust the process!
- Apply second coat (no need to dampen again). Paint the second coat faster wet in wet and a lot looser. It will not matter if you miss some spots, as the first coat should have already covered everything. Allow to dry.
- There is no need for a sealer or anything else, if you like you can apply a third coat, but that is optional.
All tools and containers wash easily out with water.
If you follow those steps you will have a great natural surface without dust or loose particles, fantastic texture and a very easily to re-paint and maintain surface.
Do the painting as the last item. There will be no fumes or smells.
If you are after a more transparent white finish:
Then you should use
TRANSPARENT WHITE
This is our non-pigmented lime wash when you want to see more of the background colour coming through. You can apply it in multiple layers, each layer crating a more opaque finish. It offers more control, but is also a little bit more time consuming if you want a near opaque white finish, as you may have to apply more than 3 coats to achieve that.
Additional information to get the distressed look:
Have a cotton cloth ready to rub off any excess paint you wish to remove again
- clean the surface you are about to paint
- brush on some clean water to make the bricks less absorbent
- dip the brush into the paint (only about 1 cm is enough) and shake all excess paint off
- hold the brush at right angle to the wall, but vary the direction constantly and let the bristle do the work. There is no need to apply too much pressure
- work light and fast - spreading the paint a s far as you can (if the brick are to dry make them damp again)
- make sure you do not deposit too much paint into any deeper holes or recesses, if you do, use the cloth to rub some paint off again immediately