Exterior paint for old cottage

gunnerfitzy

Hi all,


I'm painting my recently renovated cottage this year. However despite hours of paint scraping there were parts of the layers of old paints that just wouldn't come off. The result is an uneven surface on the walls.

Is there any specific paint that you guys would recommend to give an even, smooth finish?

bbam

gunnerfitzy wrote: »

Hi all,


I'm painting my recently renovated cottage this year. However despite hours of paint scraping there were parts of the layers of old paints that just wouldn't come off. The result is an uneven surface on the walls.

Is there any specific paint that you guys would recommend to give an even, smooth finish?

How about working with what you have..
Whitewash would be the traditional finish and would mask the problems of the uneven finish.. Cheaper too

paddy147

bbam wrote: »

How about working with what you have..
Whitewash would be the traditional finish and would mask the problems of the uneven finish.. Cheaper too

What exactly is whitewash?

What or how is it made of?

Thanks.:)

hiromoto

Whitewash is mature lime putty mixed with water to a milky consistancy, needs a few coats to bring out the colour.

paddy147

hiromoto wrote: »

Whitewash is mature lime putty mixed with water to a milky consistancy, needs a few coats to bring out the colour.

"You learn something new every day".

Thanks,:)

maddragon

And make sure you wear gloves or you will get dermatitis from the lime.

gunnerfitzy

Thanks the responses guys.

I'm not too keen on whitewashing the cottage. I would prefer some colour on the walls. Is there any paint out there that would be particularly good with these walls?

bozd

you can buy colour pigments - huge range. did white wash with white cement and lime - cheaper then any paint you can buy. however if you have a lime rendering dont use this - only the putty or hydraulic stuff so that the wall can breathe.

gunnerfitzy

bozd wrote: »

you can buy colour pigments - huge range. did white wash with white cement and lime - cheaper then any paint you can buy. however if you have a lime rendering dont use this - only the putty or hydraulic stuff so that the wall can breathe.

Is there anyway to tell if I have lime rendering? A few plasters have been up and said that it is likely but none was able to tell me conclusively! The inside of the cottage has been completely dry-lined so I'm concerned about what the consequences are if I use a particular type of paint/finish on the external walls.

gunnerfitzy

I'm trying to find an 'old plasterer' to confirm if I have lime render or not. If its confirmed would I be right in saying that I should completely strip the old paint down to the render and apply a breathable paint? As mentioned I have drylined the interior with 3inch insulated slabs and am concerned that mould/rot would set in after time.

Is it ok to use Nitromors if I have lime render?

Any advice very much appreciated guys.

TopTec

Gunner,

I am in the same boat as you, Old cottage, 4 inch internal insulation, possible lime render, bugger to remove old paint and then what to re-cover it with?

One of the local boys, who was a block layer, told me that if the render was very hard then it would be cement based. If it easily took a scratch with a nail then it was likely lime.

If cement based then Colourtrend or Dulux weathershield are about the best propietry exterior paints.

I would personally avoid chemical paint removers. I am using a cheap heat gun for the really difficult spots - works a treat.

Good Luck with it.

TT

gunnerfitzy

TopTec wrote: »

Gunner,

I am in the same boat as you, Old cottage, 4 inch internal insulation, possible lime render, bugger to remove old paint and then what to re-cover it with?

One of the local boys, who was a block layer, told me that if the render was very hard then it would be cement based. If it easily took a scratch with a nail then it was likely lime.

If cement based then Colourtrend or Dulux weathershield are about the best propietry exterior paints.

I would personally avoid chemical paint removers. I am using a cheap heat gun for the really difficult spots - works a treat.

Good Luck with it.

TT

Hi TT,

I tried the nail test as you described and it was the results were the same from the old original cottage and from the newer extension which is certainly cement based. Perhaps it is cement render all round and no lime render at all.

I tried the heat gun and had limited success. Decades of paint

isaos

All in the same boat!
We are trying to go with one rule: dampness will always find a way in the old stones, and subsequently will need to find a way out.

I have been reading posts and posts and listening to every possible advice, so our solution is: either you insulate the inside wall, and you need to leave dampness go out = breathable exterior paint, no oil, lime render etc.., or you insulate outside and dampness will find its way in.

That of course after having dealt with all known causes of dampness: eaves and gutters, chimneys, and drainage.

We have banned Weathershield from the stone walls, only using it on the modern walls of the extension. We are now trying to find a breathable exterior paint that would not be Whitewash as we know we won't be able to cope with a yearly maintenance.
The only problem is to find such a paint, and at an affordable price... trip to Northern Ireland?

isaos

TopTec wrote: »

Gunner,

I am in the same boat as you, Old cottage, 4 inch internal insulation, possible lime render, bugger to remove old paint and then what to re-cover it with?

One of the local boys, who was a block layer, told me that if the render was very hard then it would be cement based. If it easily took a scratch with a nail then it was likely lime.

If cement based then Colourtrend or Dulux weathershield are about the best propietry exterior paints.

I would personally avoid chemical paint removers. I am using a cheap heat gun for the really difficult spots - works a treat.

Good Luck with it.

TT

Hair dryer works well too....

TopTec

To be honest I dont think there is ever one constant for these old places. Mine had cheap layers of gloss, emulsion and a black oily paint on the inside in different places and on the outside layers and layers of cheap exterior coats. None of the walls had ever been insulated.

When I had the roof off for rebuilding I found that the inner core of the walls were bone dry apart from around leaky windows and a collapsed valley. It was clearly a lime based mortar used as a binder for the stone, quite hairy.

I have stripped one exterior wall on the inside to prep for a door and although the stonework is crap there is no moisture at all.

I have test used a stabilising solution on the exterior out the back and will try different paints to compare results. (The back bit cant be seen).

I know there was a lime kiln just down the lane in the 1790's and expected the outside render here to be lime. I don't think my place was rendered until the 1900's when a newer extension was built. Probably 1930.

A lot of this is trial and error I think. It can't be that hard to do as the place has been standing since 1810 ish!!

TT

isaos

Totally agree... it is probably more about good sense.

bazmak

hi can you upload pics of what its like?
normally a mid neutral colour hides such imperfections ,unless up close, if not then sanding the edges can hide them ,is it latex or limewash ? post pics and i can help

gunnerfitzy

Hi all,

Apologies for not getting back to everyone sooner.

Here are some pics of areas where I have managed to scrape back to what to me is the render (pics 28 & 29). It appears to me to be a sand/cement render but I am in no way an expert.

Is it possble that there was lime render, that I scraped that off and what I am looking at is the mass concrete wall of the house??

I'm actually not pushed at all about getting a perfectly smooth finish on the walls. It's an old cottage and I dont mind it looking its age to point.

My main concern is the very front of the house. I raised the height of the windows by 2/3 blocks and these were then rendered with sand/cement (This can be seen in pics no 26 & 27). My concern here is that if I simply paint 'as is' this will be obvious to the passing eye.

A second concern on the front of the house is a crack running from the window to the ground and along the base of the house. My engineer says that it doesn't appear to be structural but I would like to deal with it to prevent any possibility of moisture getting in.

To address my two concerns about the front of the house I was thinking of getting the front only 're-rendered' or some kind of skim coat put on top of the existing render. Can anyone advise on this?

Thanks for all you help.

PureBred

I had mass concrete walls in the cottage i renovated. I replastered outside walls and drylined inside with insulated plasterboard. Next step to install vents in the rooms now to stop condensation.

gunnerfitzy

ricfeen wrote: »

I had mass concrete walls in the cottage i renovated. I replastered outside walls and drylined inside with insulated plasterboard. Next step to install vents in the rooms now to stop condensation.

Hi ricfeen,

How did you replaster? Did you remove the existing plaster? Was it a big job?

PureBred

The plasterer just scored the old plaster with a con saw to give the new plaster grip. Not that big of a job really. At least the house is 100% watertight now.

zulutango

hi guys, sorry for dragging up an old thread, but some people here seem to know what they're talking about!

I have two stone sheds. A section of the stone on one of them seems to have been whitewashed at some point and I want to do that again. Where can one buy suitable whitewash? Is it stuff that DIY stores have?

The second shed has a lime render, but I'm thinking of scraping it off and whitewashing that one too. Both sheds have exposed stone walls on the inside and I have no intention of doing anything with them.

Any thoughts on the above approach?

TopTec

The secret of white wash is not too strong a mix and several coats. I use white rhino from the builders merchants, mix it up with water until a good runny mix and leave it to 'cook' for 24 hours.

I would do what you intend but leave on the lime render if it is in good nick Make sure all the stone is well pointed before coverage, a period of good weather is helpful as the wash needs time to dry off before any rain on it.

Wash away.

TT

isaos

zulutango wrote: »

hi guys, sorry for dragging up an old thread, but some people here seem to know what they're talking about!

I have two stone sheds. A section of the stone on one of them seems to have been whitewashed at some point and I want to do that again. Where can one buy suitable whitewash? Is it stuff that DIY stores have?

The second shed has a lime render, but I'm thinking of scraping it off and whitewashing that one too. Both sheds have exposed stone walls on the inside and I have no intention of doing anything with them.

Any thoughts on the above approach?

I would definitely keep the lime render, it probably needs repointing and re rendering but this lime render not only keeps your stones together, it also helps to keep dampness at bay.
I found this link on youtube on how to make whitewash: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vl7hdqEeFs and a very good paper (probably better actually: http://www.resilience.org/stories/2014-04-29/use-whitewash-instead-of-paint-for-traditional-look-and-no-toxins

Good luck!