Limewash in Exeter

Limewash in Exeter is real slaked lime thinned with water and brushed onto the wall. It is not paint. It suits the older Devon buildings in and around the city, because lime lets a solid wall breathe where a sealed modern paint holds moisture behind a film. Zavoré is based in Birmingham, where the Academy is, and we sell genuine lime paint with tracked UK delivery or send our own team to brush it on. Start with a sample board and judge it dry.

Cob, stone and old plaster around Exeter

Devon is cob country, and some of the older villages the city has grown around, such as Alphington and Pinhoe, still have cob and stone cottages. Cob is earth and straw, and it wants a wall that moves moisture in and out. Cement paint and vinyl emulsion do the opposite, and the damp then has nowhere to go but the wall.

In the city itself, the old centre has timber framed and stone buildings, and Georgian and Victorian houses with lime plaster behind later paint. Topsham, down on the estuary, has older brick houses that suit limewash too.

The common problem is paint already on the wall. Lime cannot grip a vinyl or oil film and dusts off it. If a wall has been painted in the last twenty years, assume it needs stripping or a mineral primer first. Wet a patch and see whether it drinks the water or beads.

Limewash does not cure damp. A cold wall that stays wet needs its cause found first, and cold damp rooms slow the drying.

Inside and outside an Exeter house

Our limewash suits these surfaces.

• Bare lime plaster and unsealed old walls in cottages and Georgian houses.
• Brick and render outside, where limewash weathers and renews rather than peeling.
• Stone and cob walls in older houses and outbuildings.
• Bedrooms, landings and stairs that want texture rather than sheen.

It is the wrong answer on a kitchen splashback, in a shower or on a wall handled every day, because it marks and is not washable.

How a limewash job in Exeter runs

We survey first. That covers what is on the wall, any damp, access and how the room is used, and we say plainly if the walls need stripping or priming. The sample board comes next. Judge it dry, because limewash dries lighter than it looks wet and keeps changing for a few weeks as it carbonates. Exeter is some way from Birmingham, so the work is planned in blocks of days, with our team staying on the job so each coat goes on in order. Dates are agreed once the sample and price are signed off. See the limewash installation page.

Brushing it on yourself

Limewash is the one finish we will happily tell you to do yourself. It is forgiving, and a patchy first coat is mended by a second. The shop sells lime paint. Lime is caustic while wet, so wear gloves and goggles. We would take on height, exteriors and whole houses, where keeping a wet edge matters. Decorators can ask about a trade account, and the limewash course runs at our centres.

More finishes in Exeter

Limewash sits well beside clay plaster in Exeter, which has more body, and marmorino in Exeter, which is harder wearing. For shine see polished plaster in Exeter or liquid metal in Exeter. Wet rooms need tadelakt in Exeter or microcement in Exeter, and flat modern walls suit concrete effect plaster in Exeter. Also read Venetian plastering in Exeter and decorative finishes specialist in Exeter.

Questions about limewash in Exeter

Can I limewash a cob cottage wall near Exeter?

Yes, and it is the right sort of finish, because lime lets cob breathe. The wall must be clear of paint films and sound. We look at it on a survey before saying.

Will limewash go over emulsion in my Victorian terrace?

Not directly. Lime needs an absorbent mineral surface. Strip back to bare plaster or use a mineral primer first.

Can I limewash outside brick on a house in Topsham?

Yes. On brick or render it weathers and wants redoing every few years rather than stripping. Apply it in suitable weather, because cold damp days slow drying.

Is limewash washable in a hallway?

No. It marks and is not scrubbable, so it suits quiet walls better than a busy hall.

Tell us what is on the wall and we will say whether it needs stripping first. Call 07592 929191 (Monday to Saturday, 9am to 6pm) or email sales@zavore.co.uk with photos, rough measurements and the postcode. You can also order a sample board and start from there.