Bauwerk limepaint
Discover the beauty of lime wash paint
It’s easy, it’s affordable, it’s natural
What is BAUWERK Limewash paint?
Bauwerk's paint is manufactured by utilising a simple elemental cycle of earth, fire, water and air.
The paints work differently, they are made with clay, minerals and beautiful natural pigments. Limewash is a thin layer of limestone that dries on your wall by taking in carbondioxide from the air, just as plants do. Our limewash paint has zero V.O.C* and is made from natural renewable resources, with a PH level of 14 it is free from biocides, formaldehydes, preservatives with natural antibacterial qualities. Our paints are suitable for a high humidity environment.
Limewash is not film-forming and therefore not prone to blistering or peeling, even in high humidity environments such as bathrooms. BAUWERK Limewash paint is made from natural materials which is different from a conventional low or zero V.O.C.* You can even paint and sleep in the room the same day.
Limewash is made from calcium carbonate – a naturally occurring mineral found in limestone and sea shells, then made into a putty by slaking it in water over many monthsbefore being aged over years. Once properly aged, water is used to dilute the putty to create limewash. Natural earth pigments are later added to create an endless array of colours. Though seemingly simple – it requires a lot of knowledge, like wine making, it requires years of experience and an innate feeling for the process.
Not all limewash paints are created equal, we are passionate about what we make, we believe what we leave out of our limewash is important as what we put in.
*V.O.C Volatile Organic Compounds are solvents used in coatings, paints, and inks., they become gasses that are emitted into the room.
Colors
The complexity of color – why the colors look the way they do. BAUWERK colors are made using natural pigments, sourced from all over the world, to create a range of colors that celebrate the innate and natural beauty of pigments. Bauwerk doesn't use tinting machines or industrial processes to create their colors rather they draw on our years of experience and eye for colour creation. Bauwerk colors are especially inspired by what they see in nature, as everything they need to understand about color can be found there. Millions of micro-crystals are formed when our paint cures, creating a unique luminosity and depth of colour.
Limewash paints have been used for centuries to preserve our built environment. Especially interesting to understand for exterior application, that they will not alter the permeability of your wall surface – moisture can freely escape and your walls will keep ‘breathing’.
Preparation
BAUWERK Limewash paints are perfect for all masonry surfaces, like render, bricks, mud brick, strawbale that’s where it works best as it is absorbed into the wall leaving a breathable surface that is protected by the natural properties of the paint. However it’s also ok if your walls are already painted or are made of gyprock / drywall / plasterboard or plaster.
If your wall is already painted or are made of gyprock / drywall / plasterboard or plaster.
It is very important that your walls are correctly primed, as Limewash and Prep Coat will not mask what is on your wall, for example, inconsistent materials like the join lines of where the plasterboards meets, or any fillers or patches that are on the wall – to ensure that no ghosting of these inconsistencies comes through to your final finish.
Step 1. First apply 2 coats of a good quality water based drywall / plasterboard / gyprock primer, to ensure an even absorbency across the wall surface.
Step 2. Apply 1 coat of our BAUWERK Prep Coat by roller, especially formulated to make limewashing easier and more durable on previously painted walls.
Step 3. Apply Limewash by brush 2-3 coats, however you like it best. We find 2 coats is usually enough.
Do I need BAUWERK Prep Coat?
We have especially developed our Prep Coat as a bridge coat between standard paint and primers to make limewash more durable, and easy to apply. BAUWERK Prep Coat is not a primer! It is important to understand that BAUWERK Limewash and Prep Coat have no capacity to mask what is on your wall, it allows all the history and the materials of the wall to come through.
Natural walls such as unpainted render, brick, stone, masonry, mud brick, limewash. Do not require any undercoat or primer, limewash can be applied directly to the wall. Dampen walls sufficiently with water, prior to painting the first coat to ensure the paint is spread out thinly. First coat can be applied as soon as surface is ready – no curing time needed.
Previously painted render, brick, stone, masonry, mud brick. Carry out any surface repair and remove all dust and loose particles. No undercoat required. Sand well if previous paint has any gloss level. Previously painted masonry internal walls with an inconsistent wall finish or gloss finish – you can apply 1 coat of BAUWERK Prep Coat to create a more uniform finish.
Selecting the perfect colour for your project
BAUWERK Colour Cards are hand painted and come in a large format card 10.5 cm x 15 cm to make it easy to get a good feel for how your colours will look on your wall. Hold your colour card vertical up against the wall as this can also effect how you see the colour. It is a good idea to look at your colours in the location you expect to paint. Colours appear different in different light conditions interior or exterior. We also recommend that you test the selected colours with a sample pot. How we see colour is due to light refraction, our colours refract light differently to other paints, due to the crystalline nature of our base mineral, limestone which refracts light in crystals making it glow and look like no other paint.
Why we recommend our Limewash Brushes?
It is really important to use a BAUWERK Limewash Brush as they are perfectly made to apply Limewash correctly. Made from fibres specially sourced for lime paint application. The unique bristle structure retains the correct amount of paint and release it evenly across the surface during painting. They are available in a variety of sizes.
Use our short red handled brush for hard surfaces like brick and render. Use our wooden copper based long bristle brushes for plaster and plaster board/drywall. Always use a BAUWERK brush for applying samples.
Repainting with Bauwerk Limewash
If you wish to repaint your wall anytime using a different colour, you can apply the new colour directly onto the previous coat, unless you have patched or repaired it, see
Preparation Section. If you are painting a very light colour over a dark colour this may take more coats to cover, you have then the choice of painting more coats of limewash to cover the darker paint or by using our Prep Coat to make it white again.
Good to know
Limewash is completely inflammable making it a great choice in fire affected areas, and for use in and around chimneys. Made from minerals, is naturally antibacterial, making it great for use for those with allergies.
Frequently asked questions
Q. I have opened my paint tin, and have stirred my paint, it looks really thin not like other paint.
A . Our paints are thiner it makes them easier to apply, they are not made out of plastics like conventional paints, ours work best thin, as they are absorbed into the wall.
Q. I would like to use Limewash paints, but have found them chalky / powdery?
A. Powdering usually occurs when paint is too thickly applied. The best results are being achieved by thin applications rather than thick coats. BAUWERK Limewash Paints cure by taking carbon dioxide from the air, a truly wonderful and natural occurring process. The thin coats allows the right amount of curing, if the paint is too thick, then the paint cannot cure correctly and it leaves white patches and makes it powdery to the touch. This can be easily fixed by waiting 24 hours then applying another thin coat, we have helpful videos on our You Tube Channel BAUWERK Colour
Q. Can I paint over BAUWERK Limewash paint?
A. BAUWERK Paints need no stripping when redecorating an existing coat of BAUWERK Limewash Paint. It is a simple matter of applying 1 or 2 coats as a refresher or to change colours. In fact it is one of the easiest ways to give your house a makeover and with each application your walls become healthier and more beautiful. It is possible to paint over our Limewash paint with conventional paints – check paint manufacturers instructions.
Q. How long will BAUWERK Paints last in comparison to other paints?
A. You can expect a similar life expectancy to that of other quality brand paints provided that the paint is applied in the manner recommended by BAUWERK. The pigments used in BAUWERK Limewash paints are mineral based, colorfast and UV* stable.
Q. I have finished painting and I have white patches on my wall, whats wrong?
This is due to overpainting, i.e. applying the paint too thickly, our paint must be applied by spreading the paint as far as it will go without over working it, if the paint is not applied in this manner, the lime part of the paint sits on the surface and appears as white patches.
Q. I have tried to patch my wall on an area that I missed, and now I can see it as a big patch, how can I fix it?
A. Once you have finished a wall don’t be tempted to try and patch any sections or areas you feel you missed, get it with the next full coat of to avoid patching, but if you have done that, you will need to re-limewash the wall. The only time you can patch is if you are using one of our whites, whites are fully patchable and are great to touch up.
Q. Can I use BAUWERK Limewash Paint in my Kitchen
A. In a kitchen you can use BAUWERK Paint anywhere, except where it may come in contact with fat/oil/grease (behind the stove, for instance), as this may discolour the paint.
For that reason we do not recommend to use it on the kitchen cabinets either. A sheet of glass behind the stove, is a very unobtrusive way to protect that area and still allow in time
for easy re-decoration. A sealer will always introduce more chemicals into the home, plus will require a lot more prep-work when the time comes to re-paint.
Q. I have had some leftover BAUWERK Limewash Paint in the shed, and it looks thicker than when I used it last. Can I add water to it?
A. When storing leftover paint, the paint should stored in an airtight container. We do not recommend that you adjust the consistency of BAUWERK Paint in any way. If your paint is
still easily stirred and has a film of water on the top once you reopen it should be fine to use, send us a quick pic to get advice anytime.
Q. I have opened my paint tin, the colour of the paint does not match the colour of my colour chart?
A. It is completely natural for lime paints to look much darker when in solution. As the paint dries, you will find that the paint will become much lighter and will dry to the desired colour.
We always recommend the use of sample pots for an accurate colour representation on your particular surface and light conditions.
Q. Can I use Limewash on wood or metal
A. We don’t recommend BAUWERK Limewash for architectural wood such as doors and trims but it can be used on ply and pine wall panelling. For architectural wood such as doors and trims, we have developed BAUWERK Limewash for Wood – which is available in all colours. This is a decorative product only, for lovers of a flat chalky look. We do not recommend for use on metal.
Q. Can I use roller to apply Limewash?
A. We recommend the use of a Bauwerk Limewash Brush – see Details.
* UV stable – Ultra Violet rays from the sun, these are what causes paints to fade, because our paints are coloured with natural pigments they are not affected by the sun and are fully tested in the extreme temperatures of Australia.