As a blend of natural glues, calcium carbonate (chalk), and pigments distemper an excellent choice for interior lime plastered walls. Distemper is also authentic and appropriate when decorating a home in a style, sympathetic to certain periods, such as Georgian and Victorian. 

Unlike limewash which is high in alkalinity and traditionally caused certain colours, such as blue to fade reasonably quickly, there is a wonderful range of distemper colours available.

For more information on distemper click here.

First used in the 1800's, lead paint the availability of lead based paint started to be restricted commencing in the 1960's and was finally banned for sale to the general public across Europe in 1992, due to health issues relating to it's manufacture and use. It is still available for specialist applications and on occasion, approved for use in category A listed buildings.

In the 1930's - 1950's it was common for gloss paints to contain up to 50% of their volume in lead, therefore extreme care must be taken when sanding, as inhalation of the dust is harmful.

In general, substitutes to lead paint are both available and acceptable.

Traditionally limewash was the principal protective and decorative finish used both for interior and exterior surfaces. This is important to note, that limewash - and all paint products for that matter - have the primary purpose to protect whatever is is applied to.

Although often thought of as a decorative coating, the limewash was first of all a protective layer to the lime coatings and masonry substrate. On new lime renders and plasters it unifies and protects the surface particularly while strength is developing within the new plaster.

As with all lime products in general, limewash is a natural product providing a breathable coating. This allows the evaporation of moisture and water vapour.

Limewash is a very useful for repairing surfaces. The fine material serves to fill small shrinkage cracks on lime materials, plasters, renders and existing limewashes. Highly versatile, limewash may be painted onto most porous 
surfaces, such as stone, brick, mortar, harling, plaster, render, earth and timber.

limewash provides a 'sacrificial' protective coating. That is to say the elements take their toll on the limewash, which in turn protects the underlying lime based render, harling or mortar.

Due to it's watery quality, limewash may be mixed with fine aggregates to make a shelter coat, especially useful for protecting friable surfaces.

The high alkalinity of lime restricted the range of colours, or at least reduced the life of certain colours, such as blue. Distempers overcame this problem to a certain extent.

Limewash is well known to be tolerant of damp substrates and was frequently applied to carbonating - not completely dry - plaster and harl.

For more information on limewash click here.