Troubleshooting Issues with your Limewash Surface

It is completely natural for lime paints to look much darker when in solution. As the paint dries, you will find that the paint will become much lighter and will dry to the desired colour. We always recommend the use of sample pots for an accurate colour representation on your particular surface and light conditions.

Our paints are thinner it makes them easier to apply, they are not made out of plastics like conventional paints, ours work best thin, as they are absorbed into the wall.

This is due to overpainting, i.e. applying the paint too thickly, our paint must be applied by spreading the paint as far as it will go without overworking it, if the paint is not applied in this manner, the lime part of the paint sits on the surface and appears as white patches.
* UV stable – Ultra Violet rays from the sun, these are what causes paints to fade, because our paints are coloured with natural pigments they are not affected by the sun and are fully tested in the extreme temperatures of Australia.

Powdering usually occurs when paint is too thickly applied. The best results are being achieved by thin applications rather than thick coats. BAUWERK Limewash Paints cure by taking carbon dioxide from the air, a truly wonderful and natural occurring process. The thin coats allows the right amount of curing, if the paint is too thick, then the paint cannot cure correctly and it leaves white patches and makes it powdery to the touch. This can be easily fixed by waiting 24 hours then applying another thin coat, we have helpful videos on our YouTube Channel BAUWERK Colour.

Once you have finished a wall, don't be tempted to try and patch any sections or areas you feel you missed, get it with the next full coat to avoid patching. If you have done that, you will need to re limewash the wall. The only time you can patch is if you are using one fo our whites as they are fully patchable and are great to touch up.

When storing leftover paint, the paint should be stored in an airtight container. We do not recommend that you adjust the consistency of BAUWERK Paint in any way. If your paint is still easily stirred and has a film of water on the top once you reopen it should be fine to use, send us a quick pic to get advice anytime.

Colour variations on an additional surface can have different causes:

The type of surface you painted has a different texture or absorbency.
You're extra surface is exposed to a different light level. Lime wash paints do react very dynamically to chan ging light conditions.
Another cause can also be the application. The more brush strokes are applied the lighter some colours can become.
Lastly, a different batch may also have some colour variation, after all it is a natural paint made entirely from natural materials. Although we follow the same recipes each time, there is to same degree a variation in colour possible. This may be eliminated by mixing two batches together and by ensuring that the paint is regular stirred whilst being applied.

There are numerous possible underlying causes for mould in bathrooms.

Mould will primarily develop when a cold surface is saturated with moisture and the excess damp is not dealt with. The moisture can come from both internal and external sources.

If your affected bathroom wall is an external wall in the building it is worth checking that all gutters and downpipes are in good order. In cold and damp climates walls without sunshine may over time  become quite saturated.

However, the most likely source of excess humidity in a bathroom is the steam from showers, bath or even drying clothing. Here it is needed to have proper fans taking care of the steam when showering. There are fans with an inbuilt moisture sensor that will keep ventilating until the moisture levels in the air are again down to a normal level.

It may sound counter productive, but even in a cold climate opening the windows to let cold air into the bath room will help to lower the humidity when releasing the hot steamy air. The reason is that cold air cannot hold much moisture and therefore aid in the lowering of the relative humidity.

With pre-existing mould returning there is also the possibility to apply a fungicide to kill it off and then re-decorating the affected surfaces. Most building merchants will sell you such products. If you don’t want to spread poison in your home then as a lasting resolve of the issue a general renovation would need to be done and the affected surfaces removed. They should be replaced with breathable masonry products. Lime based plasters are especially recommended, as their high ph level (like lime wash paint) with a thickness of around 15mm or more will not allow fungal growth.