Limewash Paint
What is limewash paint?
Francesca’s Limewash is a traditional paint finish, pre-mixed in all our colours.
Limewash is the earliest known form of paint. It is part of our past, stretching back to ancient Egypt and Greece.
Derived from limestone and made from slaked lime, it is the oldest and most natural paint form. Unlike plastic paints, limewash is a breathable paint for walls, preventing mould growth and allowing the passage of moisture vapour through walls.
Francesca’s Limewash stands out for its beautiful finish: soft, matte, velvety with a unique, mottled and slightly textured effect, adding character and depth to your walls. It absorbs the light and changes its appearance throughout the day, creating a unique softness.
Limewash is especially well-suited for historical buildings.
Our limewash paint is ideal for:
Bedrooms
Drawing rooms
Bathrooms
Kitchens
Studies
Alcoves
Barns
Cellars
External walls
What are the cons of using limewash paint?
Limewash is not a delicate paint at all, considering that it is also an external paint. Yet its powdery and velvety quality means it is not ideal to use in areas with high traffic, as it can brush off and it is not scrubbable. Limewash cannot be touched up, but for sheer beauty, its imperfections add to the look that makes these breathable paints so desirable.
It is the healthy choice for you and your home.
Ordering Paint
Our Limewash Paint is available in 1 litre, 2.5 litre or 5 litre buckets. To place an order for paint please call the office on 020 7228 7694 or email us.
Orders below 50 litres, which are ordered before noon, will be sent out the same day for next day delivery using FedEx Priority Service. For larger orders please allow a little extra time.
Click here for the price list.
Suitable Surfaces
Do not apply on wood, glazed bricks and tiles, paved floors and on any porous surface
Francesca’s Limewash relies on being absorbed by the surface it is applied to and can be used on exterior and interior walls.
The best surfaces are:
Lime plaster
Limed-skimmed walls
Absorbent, rendered surfaces
Stucco
Roughcast
Cement
Masonry
Blocks
Porous Bricks
SURFACE PREPARATION
Before application, surfaces must be cleared of loose material, grease, and oil.
Surface Type 1:
Lime plaster, lime plaster skimmed walls, stone and porous brick walls with NO filling
These are the perfect surfaces for the limewash because they are porous and the limewash penetrates and bonds with the wall.
Apply the limewash directly to the above surfaces by brush.
Surface Type 2:
Gypsum plaster, gypsum plaster boards, skimmed walls, cement render, and previously painted surfaces that require filling or that may have been filled previously, and lining paper.
For the above surfaces we created our unique Limewash Primer to help apply the limewash on surfaces where normally it would not be possible. Our Limewash Primer is made with quartz and sand to give you a breathable base coat. It acts as a support between the limewash and surfaces. Our primer allows the limewash to properly bond, carbonate (harden naturally), and achieve the beautiful, natural finish it would on a naturally breathable surface, it can be used for both interior and exterior applications
Abrade the surface slightly if the paint on the wall is glossy and shiny.
Apply one coat of Limewash Primer all over the surface by roller or brush.
Allow to dry for 24 hours before applying the limewash. This is essential, as it needs to harden. (PLEASE READ THE LIMEWASH PRIMER PREPARATION AND APPLICATION by clicking here)
How to prepare our limewash paint
Our limewash paint is fully mixed but needs to be diluted with water for interior and exterior application, please follow the dilution below.
| Colour | How much water? | By the litre |
|---|---|---|
| Light/medium | 20 – 25% | 1 litre: 200-250 mls water |
| Dark | 5 – 10% | 1 litre: 50 – 100 mls water |
Dilute the second coat with slightly less water.
The reason why our paints, including our Limewash, needs to be diluted with water is to preserve the life of the materials to an unlimited period. Once water is added to a product, the stock life is substantially reduced, max 3 months and the water can make the paint contaminated with bacteria which is going to make the product unusable.
We give guidelines of how to dilute the products, but they are only guidelines. The product might need more or less water than what we say, the reason being that they might have been stored for a while or because they might have just been made, so it is important to understand what consistency our paints should be and add the water according to that.
Francesca’s Limewash should create a continuous flow when pulled from the tub by brush or dip stick. There should not be any blobs of paint falling from the brush or too much running.
VERY IMPORTANT:
Apply Limewash over a dampened surface.
Francesca’s Limewash only needs 2 coats, it covers 4-6 sqm per litre, depending on the porosity of the surface.
Stir the limewash before and during the application to prevent the lime from settling at the bottom.
Francesca’s Limewash can not be applied by roller, it needs to be brushed on, for best result get our Omega Limewash Brush
APPLICATION
Using a mist sprayer, dampen the wall down with water. Do the same if you have primed the wall with the limewash primer.
Step 1:
Apply one coat of Francesca’s Limewash with a limewash brush in a criss-cross technique.
Start from the top corner of the wall, using your arm length going down the wall.
You’ll need to work fast – spread the paint well, without leaving blotches
Take care to maintain a wet edge.
Do not interrupt application in the middle of the wall, or a dry-edge mark will appear on the finished wall.
Paint edges and architraves only as you reach them.
Step 2:
Allow light/medium colours to dry for a minimum six hours. For darker colours allow 24 hours. Francesca’s Limewash dries 70% lighter than when wet.
Step 3:
Before applying the second coat, dampen the wall down with a mist sprayer. This will help you to spread the paint better and allows the carbonation of the lime to take action.
Apply the second coat in the same manner as the first.
Avoid retouching the final coat.
Application for Exteriors:
When the air temperature is below 14°Celsius avoid applying the limewash.
It must not rain on the painted area for at least five days, otherwise, the limewash will not be able to carbonate and will lose its colour. If possible, cover the painted area.
After the application of the final coat, let the surface dry completely and then mist spray the wall at least 6 times to help the lime to carbonate.
Please keep in mind that the limewash painted in strong colours in external applications discolours fast especially if the exterior is exposed to harsh elements and it will need to be repainted every two to three years.
The exterior application of the limewash is designed to slowly weather and age, it develops a soft patina on exterior walls. Once the carbonation process starts, natural patchiness, uneven colouring, and streakiness may appear.
Expect beautiful variations in colour and texture. The curing process of Francesca’s Limewash will continue for approximately 12 months. This does not happen with internal applications as there is no weather that interferes and the limewash does not discolour at all but stays vibrant and mottled as when first applied.
If you decide the limewash look is not for you, you can paint over it, by removing as much paint as possible with a dampened sponge and then you can paint on top.
General Information
Limewash is a breathable paint. Colour variation may occur between batches due to the natural pigments used. We recommend you purchase all limewash required at the same time.
As an undiluted product, it lasts forever. Just make sure the lid is on tightly and that it is stored in a protected and safe place.
We recommend wearing gloves during the application as the limewash contains lime and once diluted with water becomes slightly caustic.
Rinse the brush with water. Keep out of reach of children. Do not swallow and avoid eye contact. If accidental contact occurs, rinse eyes with copious amounts of water.
Do not empty the product into drains or watercourses.
Breathable interior limewash paint prevents issues such as condensation, mould, and mildew.
For preserving the integrity of building materials – such as lime plaster – always use breathable paint.
Limewash FAQ’s
Can limewash paint be used in high-humidity areas?
Limewash is perfect for high-humidity rooms such as bathrooms and cellars. Its breathability allows the passage of moisture which means it can absorb it without trapping it, ready to release it again once the room dries out. Remember that limewash is also an external paint, meaning it is a sturdy paint.
Always ensure the wall has no deep embedded moisture before the application of the limewash, limewash needs dry walls which can then be dampened on the surface before applying each coat. Regardless of the limewash’s capabilities in humid spaces, deep routed moisture will show through. The initial wall should fully dry out before starting the process of applying limewash.
Is limewash hard to do?
Limewash is brush applied, it is not hard to do but requires a little sensitivity towards the wall. It is very different from the application of most modern paints.
Painters need to work in imaginary vertical columns, from ceiling to floor, if you are right-handed, start on the left-hand side of the wall, if you are left-handed start on the right. Remember to keep the so-called ‘wet edge’ meaning that the paint at the edge of the column must always be workable. If it dries, a line will appear.
Never apply limewash in vertical or horizontal brushstrokes, the limewash needs to be brush applied in a criss-cross fashion.
Can I apply limewash myself?
Limewash can be applied either by a professional or an amateur. The most important thing is to pay close attention to the instructions by reading them first and then following them. Remember to brush the paint on, keep a wet edge and work in a criss-cross fashion.
How durable is limewash paint?
Limewash is a sturdy paint, it is one of the few paints which can be used both internally and externally. For external use, the limewash creates a mottled effect which slowly fades over time. It will require a recoat every 3 years or so. Darker colours will discolour faster. If you are looking for a steadfast solid colour, the limewash is perhaps not best suited, however, the discolouration and imperfections are what makes the limewash so beautiful.
Internally the limewash will hold its colour indefinitely. Due to its nature, limewash slightly powders off to the touch, so is not best suited for high-traffic areas. Limewash cannot be wiped or touched up so bear in mind that redoing limewash will mean redoing the entire wall.
