is it worth replacing paint on brick walls with lime wash?

donmaico

I think `I have read enough about applying the likes of  Sandtex Weathershield or some other plastic paint to realise it is bad mistake to paint over what is in fact a finished product - brick, as it doesn't allow it to breathe properly water, gets trapped under the surface which causes the paint to flake and the bricks to spall over time. One wall, in particular, gets the brunt of the weather as it faces the south-west and I have to repaint it at least every 4 years or so which is a pain in the neck as the preparation ie scraping the loose paint some of which forms like a bridge over a brick, takes a long time. I don't much like climbing ladders either. I was therefore wondering whether to have all existing paint removed by a brick paint removal specialist who use one of these machines  https://stonehealth.com/products/doff/ . I would  then apply limewash which allows the bricks to breathe and would not experience the problems I have now . The reason being  is that I have two entirely different coloured walls under the paint one red for the original party of the house  and the other yellow for the extension

FreeBear

Lime wash will still need to be reapplied every five years or so. So in that respect, you are not saving anything. On the plus side, it is cheap and easy to make your own from a tub of lime putty - Water the putty down to the consistency of single cream, add your own pigments, slap on the walls. As long as you keep a lid on the tub and store it in a frost free location, it will remain usable for ever (mild exaggeration).

Mickey666

If the brickwork is in good condition after the 'plastic paint' is removed would it be feasible to just leave it as plain brickwork? Any form of painting is going to significantly  increase maintenance requirements.

Limewash will certainly allow the wall to breathe and is cheap as chips (can even make it yourself - dusbin full of water and bag of hydrated lime for around £10).  It won't flake off but it will gradually weather away, albeit more 'gracefully' than most paints, though it should last longer than 4 years.  My house is limewashed and I have some walls that could do with re-coating after 7 years, but will be probably be ok for another couple of years if I'm not too fussy.

Be wary of coloured limewash though.  nothing wrong with it as such but the colours are difficult to match so you need to buy enough for the whole job and it's not so simple to patch it up unless you have some of the original batch (it does last ages as long as it's stored frost-free and not allowed to dry out).  I've used plain limewash which is equivalent to a brilliant white and can be easily patched if necessary.  It's funny stuff if you've never used it before - goes on like milk and mustn't be allowed to dry out too quickly as it relies on being damp to 'carbonate' (react with atmospheric CO2), but not frosty.  Spring and autumn is best time but it can be sprayed with water if the weather is too hot and/or protected with hessian (also sprayed with water if necessary).  It will likely need 3-4 coats over new substrate but thereafter can be 'freshened up' with a single coat.

Lots of good info here: https://www.spab.org.uk/advice/limewash

donmaico

Mickey666 said:

If the brickwork is in good condition after the 'plastic paint' is removed would it be feasible to just leave it as plain brickwork? Any form of painting is going to significantly  increase maintenance requirements.

Limewash will certainly allow the wall to breathe and is cheap as chips (can even make it yourself - dusbin full of water and bag of hydrated lime for around £10).  It won't flake off but it will gradually weather away, albeit more 'gracefully' than most paints, though it should last longer than 4 years.  My house is limewashed and I have some walls that could do with re-coating after 7 years, but will be probably be ok for another couple of years if I'm not too fussy.

Be wary of coloured limewash though.  nothing wrong with it as such but the colours are difficult to match so you need to buy enough for the whole job and it's not so simple to patch it up unless you have some of the original batch (it does last ages as long as it's stored frost-free and not allowed to dry out).  I've used plain limewash which is equivalent to a brilliant white and can be easily patched if necessary.  It's funny stuff if you've never used it before - goes on like milk and mustn't be allowed to dry out too quickly as it relies on being damp to 'carbonate' (react with atmospheric CO2), but not frosty.  Spring and autumn is best time but it can be sprayed with water if the weather is too hot and/or protected with hessian (also sprayed with water if necessary).  It will likely need 3-4 coats over new substrate but thereafter can be 'freshened up' with a single coat.

Lots of good info here: https://www.spab.org.uk/advice/limewash

leaving the wall un-whitewashed would be the easier option. I guess I would need to see what the house looked like with two contrasting  coloured  sections to it, the front being red and rear, including garage, would be yellow, before deciding. Do you have any idea if those stripping machines work well?

Mickey666

donmaico said:

Mickey666 said:

If the brickwork is in good condition after the 'plastic paint' is removed would it be feasible to just leave it as plain brickwork? Any form of painting is going to significantly  increase maintenance requirements.

Limewash will certainly allow the wall to breathe and is cheap as chips (can even make it yourself - dusbin full of water and bag of hydrated lime for around £10).  It won't flake off but it will gradually weather away, albeit more 'gracefully' than most paints, though it should last longer than 4 years.  My house is limewashed and I have some walls that could do with re-coating after 7 years, but will be probably be ok for another couple of years if I'm not too fussy.

Be wary of coloured limewash though.  nothing wrong with it as such but the colours are difficult to match so you need to buy enough for the whole job and it's not so simple to patch it up unless you have some of the original batch (it does last ages as long as it's stored frost-free and not allowed to dry out).  I've used plain limewash which is equivalent to a brilliant white and can be easily patched if necessary.  It's funny stuff if you've never used it before - goes on like milk and mustn't be allowed to dry out too quickly as it relies on being damp to 'carbonate' (react with atmospheric CO2), but not frosty.  Spring and autumn is best time but it can be sprayed with water if the weather is too hot and/or protected with hessian (also sprayed with water if necessary).  It will likely need 3-4 coats over new substrate but thereafter can be 'freshened up' with a single coat.

Lots of good info here: https://www.spab.org.uk/advice/limewash

leaving the wall un-whitewashed would be the easier option. I guess I would need to see what the house looked like with two contrasting  coloured  sections to it, the front being red and rear, including garage, would be yellow, before deciding. Do you have any idea if those stripping machines work well?

Sorry, no.  I've no experience of them - they sound good though.  The usual advice with any form of paint stripping is to test first on a small, inconspicuous area, checking for effectiveness of the paint removal but also that the brick surface is not being damaged.

donmaico

Mickey666 said:

donmaico said:

Mickey666 said:

If the brickwork is in good condition after the 'plastic paint' is removed would it be feasible to just leave it as plain brickwork? Any form of painting is going to significantly  increase maintenance requirements.

Limewash will certainly allow the wall to breathe and is cheap as chips (can even make it yourself - dusbin full of water and bag of hydrated lime for around £10).  It won't flake off but it will gradually weather away, albeit more 'gracefully' than most paints, though it should last longer than 4 years.  My house is limewashed and I have some walls that could do with re-coating after 7 years, but will be probably be ok for another couple of years if I'm not too fussy.

Be wary of coloured limewash though.  nothing wrong with it as such but the colours are difficult to match so you need to buy enough for the whole job and it's not so simple to patch it up unless you have some of the original batch (it does last ages as long as it's stored frost-free and not allowed to dry out).  I've used plain limewash which is equivalent to a brilliant white and can be easily patched if necessary.  It's funny stuff if you've never used it before - goes on like milk and mustn't be allowed to dry out too quickly as it relies on being damp to 'carbonate' (react with atmospheric CO2), but not frosty.  Spring and autumn is best time but it can be sprayed with water if the weather is too hot and/or protected with hessian (also sprayed with water if necessary).  It will likely need 3-4 coats over new substrate but thereafter can be 'freshened up' with a single coat.

Lots of good info here: https://www.spab.org.uk/advice/limewash

leaving the wall un-whitewashed would be the easier option. I guess I would need to see what the house looked like with two contrasting  coloured  sections to it, the front being red and rear, including garage, would be yellow, before deciding. Do you have any idea if those stripping machines work well?

Sorry, no.  I've no experience of them - they sound good though.  The usual advice with any form of paint stripping is to test first on a small, inconspicuous area, checking for effectiveness of the paint removal but also that the brick surface is not being damaged.

yes thanks , there are some chemicals one can buy as well