A paint consisting of a suspension of lime in water that covers the surface with a thin membrane. Always use on lime plastered walls, over cob and wattle and daub, or adobe walls that need to breathe in order to function as they should. Like with like, the materials meld and strengthen as coats build up over years.
Whitewashing walls was once an annual event in rural European communities, both to freshen them up, but much more importantly to renew lime’s protective qualities. .Insects and bugs hate lime and will not attempt to penetrate the crevices and cracks that inevitably appear in old walls if they are well coated with lime].
Equally, in hot countries the lower portion of tree trunks is often lime-washed to prevent insect attack–and as a side benefit they look particularly stunning at night, reflecting moonlight against a dark sky.
Liming or whitewashing new oak makes it look a little aged–this works best darkened with a touch of raw umber or soot.