Cemetery Preservation Course - Limewash

Cemetery Preservation Course

Limewashes have long been used as surface finishes on buildings and other structures, on both the interior and the exterior. As limewash slowly dries, it reacts with the carbon dioxide in the air, carbonating and creating a tough finish. During the height of limewash’s popularity, prior to the industrial age, the knowledge and skills needed for effective application were passed on from craftsman to craftsman. The basic ingredients, lime and water, were readily available in every community. Additives used were commonly available and often varied from place to place.

As the popularity of limewash waned in the U.S. and modern paints began to be used widely, experience with limewash recipes and their application began to fade. Today, instead of every community having someone knowledgeable in limewash, experienced craftsmen are spread thinly across the country. The waning popularity of limewash did not result solely from the rise in popularity of modern paints; other factors were the increased cost of labor and creation of more durable, inexpensive materials that did not need a finish for protection.

Background

Historically, applying a sacrificial surface finish to buildings became more widespread in European countries after the seventeenth century as good hardwoods became scarce, necessitating the use of poorer quality building materials.³ In the United States, a much younger and less populated country, limewash came into widespread use during the nineteenth century. Limewash continued to be used on plaster and more informal areas even after the advent of oil-based paints.⁴

Traditionally limewash was prepared on-site by skilled craftsmen and applied in the spring or fall to take advantage of optimal temperatures. The basic ingredients in limewash are lime and water, although other ingredients were sometimes included to provide additional chemical or physical properties. The use of additives required careful consideration due to the possible adverse affects. For example, historic recipes often called for adding tallow during slaking in order to increase water-shedding capabilities. The tallow did increase water shedding, but it also decreased breathability and the ease of applying successive layers.

Pigments were often added to limewash to vary the color of the finish. Earth-based pigments were used historically to maintain consistent color and limit changes from the alkalinity of the limewash. It was necessary to add pigments in moderation to limit the weakening effect of excessive amounts of additives.

In order to maintain consistency sufficient limewash to complete the project was mixed and agitated throughout application.⁵ After the limewash was prepared, the surface to be treated was brushed down to remove loose dirt and then dampened to prevent the wash from drying too quickly. If the limewash dried too quickly, carbonation would be disrupted, resulting in a weak, cohesionless finish that tended to crack and powder.

Limewash was applied in thin layers, constantly maintaining a wet edge to create a more conformal coat. Multiple layers were applied, leaving sufficient time for drying between applications. Drying times were 24 hours or longer, depending on exterior conditions such as humidity and temperature. When first applied, the limewash appeared transparent, but as it carbonated and layers built up, it was transformed into a solid, permatte finish.⁶ Three or more applications were recommended for the initial limewashing. Annual reapplication was necessary to counter weathering from exposure. Successive limewashings required fewer layers.⁷

It was only after the Civil War that ready-made paint began to gain popularity in the U.S.8 Beginning in the 1900s limewash was used less often in urban areas, although its popularity continued in rural settings until as late as the mid-twentieth century. Urban areas were the first to be affected by an increase in the use of modern, long-lasting building materials and the rising cost of labor needed to apply limewash. The time needed to apply multiple thin layers and for carbonation may also have contributed to the waning popularity of limewash, as ready-made paint was less time- and labor-intensive.

Limewash is now beginning to see renewed interest, because its vapor permeability allows for greater water transfer than most modern finishes. This property is very important when considering finishes for historic structures where dampness is often a problem. The increased interest may also be attributed to historical accuracy, aesthetic qualities, and environmental concern (limewash produces very small quantities of volatile organic compounds).

3. Colin Mitchell Rose, Traditional Paints, available from http://www.buildingconservation.com/articles/paint/paint.htm.

4. Abbott Lowell Cummings and Richard M. Candee, “Colonial and Federal America: Accounts of Early Painting Practices” in Paint in America: The Colors of Historic Buildings 14 (New York: Wiley, 1994), 14.

5. Scottish Lime Centre, Technical Advice Note 15: External Lime Coatings on Traditional Buildings (Edinburgh: Historic Scotland, 2001).

6. Ibid.

7. John Ashurst and Nicola Ashurst, Mortars, Plasters, and Renders, vol. 3 of English Heritage Technical Handbook (Great Britain: Gower, 1995), 47.

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