Issue 39 Sept 23 - Journal - Page 51
Your responsibility
as custodian of a
heritage property
As custodians of an older building, there is a responsibility to protect the fabric of that building.
Whatever the scale of your current project - from full scale
renovation to regular maintenance - it makes sense to
fully consider the implications of your paint choices.
The experts at breathable paint company Earthborn,
often see older buildings suffering from damp, blown
bricks and bubbling or peeling paint. These common
problems in older properties can often be attributed to a
previously used incorrect paint or plaster.
Thankfully, identifying these problems are ideal opportunities to rectify and make a swap for sustainable and
breathable solutions such as Claypaint.
The benefits of a breathable paint choice can:
• Allow the walls the breathe as originally intended
• Prevent further moisture damage
• Reduce the need for remedial work in the future
• Look after the health of the building occupants and the
environment
We’ve probably all seen the damage caused when walls
are suffocated by petroleum derived paints: blown paint,
plaster and render, rotting timbers and condensation
problems. It’s a fact of nature: moisture cannot remain
trapped in a wall forever; it needs an escape route.
While many modern buildings have a cavity wall and
damp course system intended to keep damp at bay, most
older buildings were constructed of natural, breathable
materials such as timber frame or solid masonry walls.
This enabled moisture to permeate through them and
evaporate naturally.
Historically, tradesmen used locally available materials,
mixing them on site to create paints such as limewash,
casein paint or distemper. The materials, which included
limestone, milk, gelatine and chalk, were all breathable,
enabling moisture to pass through without causing
damage.
When specifying paint today, an increasing number of
owners and specifiers are turning to Earthborn and their
breathable Claypaint which blends the very best of old
and new. Their technologically advanced approach builds
on the wisdom of centuries’ old techniques to create high
performing paints that are sensitive to the fabric of historic
buildings, to the health of their occupants and to the
environment.
Their interior and exterior paints combine all-important
breathability with improved performance in terms of
durability, aesthetics and, in the case of exterior paints,
weather resistance.
Being water based, they do not give off toxic emissions
such as VOCs, which are harmful to the health of
building occupants and decorators. They are also very
environmentally friendly and positively contribute to a
project’s sustainability.
Claypaint, Casein Paint and Silicate Masonry Paint are
ideal for painting lime plaster, lime wash or lime rendered
walls. Earthborn have provided a few simple steps that
should be taken before painting onto a lime surface:
• It is important to choose a breathable finish so as not
to seal the surface.
• Lime render or plaster needs to be fully cured. The best
person to advise you is your lime provider, however as a
