Lime plaster and lime render manage moisture by letting it pass through the wall. A modern vinyl emulsion or plastic-based masonry paint seals that movement, and the moisture then finds somewhere else to sit — usually behind the new coating.
Not effectively — the vinyl layer underneath will still block moisture movement. Where breathability genuinely matters, we discuss removing the impermeable coating first.
Generally yes, particularly externally, but that shorter cycle is part of how it protects the wall rather than a flaw in the product.
It has a different character — often softer and slightly variable — which many owners of period buildings prefer, but it is worth seeing a sample before committing.
Lime is porous by design, absorbing and releasing moisture with the seasons rather than resisting it. Coatings that were developed for dense modern plasterboard fight against that behaviour, and the mismatch is where damp patches and blistering usually start on period walls.
Limewash and mineral silicate emulsions allow vapour to pass freely, and clay or breathable distemper-based finishes offer similar performance internally. None of them behave quite like a modern vinyl emulsion to apply, and that needs setting expectations before work starts.
Many period properties have already had a vinyl emulsion or acrylic masonry paint applied at some point. Reverting to a breathable finish sometimes means stripping the impermeable layer first, which is a bigger job than simply repainting, and we say so up front.
Ask us for a sample panel of a breathable finish before deciding on a whole wall or elevation.
A breathable finish only performs properly on a genuinely lime substrate that has not already been sealed by something else.
Speak to a Hampshire commercial decorating contractor that turns up, communicates clearly and delivers a finish that lasts.
