For bare porous unpainted masonry substrates such as lime plaster, stone, pebbledash & concrete.
£5.00
£34.50
£60.00
For masonry substrates with previous masonry paint application.
£52.00
£86.00
Earthborn Multi Purpose Primer provides a perfect base coat on interior wood, melamine and MDF surfaces.
£61.00
£22.99
At the heart of the charming rural village of Dunton, Buckinghamshire stands the recently redecorated Grade II Listed St Martin’s Church.
Outside, weathered limestone and brick which date back as early as the 12th century, radiates a warmth that draws visitors in.
Project Manager Michael Simmonds of M Simmonds Decorating Contractors, explains; “The church has been constructed using the local materials that were available at the time of construction, mainly Limestone and lime, sand, straw, clay and oak.”
In keeping with its original construction, internal repairs were completed with lime plaster to preserve the building’s ability to allow moisture to pass through and allow the building to breathe.
Michael adds “The natural materials used in the church’s construction enable moisture to escape from both the surface and the underlying limestone and plaster. It is essential that a breathable paint was applied to allow the building to continue to breathe without locking in any moisture”.
The team at M Simmonds Decorating Contractors have first-hand experience with problems caused by not using breathable paints in older buildings like St Martin’s Church.
“As with all historic buildings, there are always challenges, especially when incorrect paint has been used. Flaking paint, damp, condensation, cold spots and cracks in lime plaster are all tell-tale signs there is a buildup of moisture and the building is not able to breathe”.
No stranger to Earthborn, Michael Simmonds has been using our products for over 15 years and was quickly able to identify that our highly breathable Claypaint was ideal for this project.
“We traditionally used whitewash or limewash for painting these historic buildings but found that Claypaint was a great alternative. It’s a natural and breathable product with great coverage that can be applied over lime plaster. It’s also competitively priced in comparison to other designer paint brands”.
Our Claypaint has a high clay content that absorbs excess moisture and releases it freely through the surface without impacting the fabric of the building.
This hygroscopic quality makes it different to many conventional emulsions, which tend to seal walls and trap moisture. “We only use the best and most suitable products for the project we are working on”, Michael adds.
The ease of using Claypaint meant that the biggest hurdle the team faced was access to the church’s high ceilings without damaging its history.
“The ceiling and the high level walls needed a full platform scaffold, with protection of the ancient pews, flagstone and clay tile floor underneath. Artifacts also had to be carefully protected, with lots of heavy scaffolding that needed to be skillfully, precisely and expertly erected between the unique pew cubicles”.
Our colour Posset was chosen to enhance the natural light in the church, Michael tells us “The client wanted an alternative to white which they were worried may appear too stark, Posset was the perfect choice as it’s not too bright but still offers plenty of light. The warm yellow tone of Posset also felt like a nice way to complement the Limestone externally”.
The skilful renovations of St Martin’s Church project have also been recognised by the PDA Professional Decorating Association awards, with the team at M Simmonds Decorating Contractors making the short list alongside other projects ranging from lighthouses to The Tower of London.
“Although there are some very prestigious projects the judges need to consider, I believe that our project in a small, ancient, local, rural village church, has a very good chance of making the finals, because of all the traditional skills that were involved in finishing such a sensitive and delicate project”.
Our Claypaint is an eco friendly, highly breathable clay based emulsion that is virtually VOC free, odour free, has no acrylics or oils making it ideal for historic properties and newer eco-builds.
