Wondering whether to use our Silicate Masonry Paint for your exterior walls? It’s a popular choice for many reasons.
Our Silicate Masonry Paint’s a breathable masonry paint suitable for lime, concrete, brick, stone and pebbledash. It provides a durable, long-lasting, weather resistant, classic matt finish.
But is it right for your building?
You may have realised that non-breathable masonry paint is causing issues for your home. That could include damp patches on the walls, blistering or peeling paint, or cracked brickwork.
It could be that your older, period property or listed building needs to be handled with care. Standard masonry paints just aren’t up to the job.
Here, you’ll find answers to the most common questions about our Silicate Masonry Paint to help you make an informed decision about the right exterior paint for your home.
What is breathable masonry paint?
Breathability relates to how easily water vapour can pass through a building material like brick, stone or render. Breathable paint allows moisture to pass through walls, helping to prevent damp, mould and potential structural issues.
Standard masonry paints and sealers create a plastic film on your exterior surface. That means that moisture gets trapped and can’t escape… but moisture needs an escape route. As a result, you can get damp patches, blown render and mould growth on your exterior and interior walls.
Is Earthborn’s Silicate Masonry Paint breathable?
Yes, it absolutely is. When you use our Silicate Masonry Paint, together with Earthborn Silicate Primer, they have a breathability level similar to that of traditional limewash. That makes it ideal for older properties, conservation projects and lime render in particular.
If you’re interested in the specific details, here’s the scientific bit. Our Silicate Masonry Paint has:
Moisture Vapour Diffusion (V): 1515 g/m² per day
Water Vapour Resistance (Sd-Value): 0.01m
Vapour Permeability Class: Class 1 (Highly vapour permeable)
VOC Content: Less than 0.1% (trace only) < 0.5g/l (0.15g/l)
In other words, it’s highly breathable with virtually no nasties in it. That makes it a great choice for you, your property and the environment.
How can I tell if masonry paint is breathable?
Check the Sd value that should be listed on the paint details. The Sd value is a standard measure of a paint’s breathability. Basically, it measures how much of a barrier the paint is to water vapour. For a paint to be classed as breathable, it should have an Sd value of 1 or less. The lower it is, the more breathable the paint. Look at this alongside the Moisture Vapour Diffusion (V) value, which measures how much water can pass through a surface in 24 hours. Here, the higher the value, the better.
Can I use Earthborn Silicate Masonry Paint over limewash?
Yes, you can use our Silicate Masonry Paint and Silicate Primer over existing limewash. But you need to make sure it’s completely sound and stable.
Limewash is not always a stable surface and prone to flaking off over time. If this is the case for your property, remove as much as possible before applying our Silicate Primer and Silicate Masonry Paint. If it isn’t fully bonded to the wall itself, it could risk coming off as the limewash flakes away. If you’re unsure, get in touch, send photos to our team and we’ll do our best to help.
Is masonry paint weatherproof?
A key feature of masonry paint is to provide weather protection for your exterior walls. Our Silicate Masonry Paint is weather resistant and built to last.
When rain absorbs into exterior walls in a process known as water ingress, moisture can build up in the fabric of your building. With no way to escape, it can lead to problems like penetrating damp, mould growth and damage to paintwork and masonry. Condensation can also contribute to excess moisture. That’s why it’s important to look for masonry paint that’s not only water-resistant, but also breathable, allowing water vapour to escape while helping keep rainwater out.
Many masonry paints are acrylic-based. You’ll see them described as weatherproof or waterproof. However, these tend not to be breathable masonry paints and aren’t suitable for older properties.
I have cob walls. Is Silicate Masonry paint suitable?
If your cob walls have been coated with lime render, then Silicate Masonry Paint is an ideal finish due to its high breathability.
It isn’t suitable for applying directly to uncoated cob walls though, as the paint won’t be able to bond correctly.
Do I have to remove every bit of paintwork before applying Silicate Masonry Paint?
No. If you use our water-based Bonding Primer, you can paint over previously painted sound surfaces with Silicate Masonry Paint.
This is ideal for painting exterior surfaces where you don’t know what paint has been used previously and you’re not concerned with breathability. Or if there are areas still painted with non-breathable paint that you’re struggling to remove.
Use Bonding Primer on both the painted and bare areas for consistent absorbency and appearance, followed by Silicate Masonry Paint.
If the remaining paint is mineral paint (old silicate paint, for example), you can use Silicate Primer on both the painted and unpainted areas, before using Silicate Masonry Paint. And if the paint used previously was our Silicate Masonry Paint, you don’t need to remove it as long as the walls are in a sound, stable condition.
Can I apply using an airless paint sprayer?
Silicate Masonry Paint is suitable for spray application, see our datasheet for guidance.
We don’t recommend spraying Silicate Primer. This would result in the primer becoming airborne and potentially etching into any metal or glass in the vicinity, causing irreversible damage.
Bonding Primer is suitable for spray application, see our datasheet for guidance.
Can masonry paint be used indoors?
Yes, you can. Our Silicate Masonry Paint provides a highly breathable finish. It’s suitable for lime render as well as many interior and exterior surfaces like brick, stone, cement, concrete, pebble dash and plaster. It can be used on mineral and sound silicate-based paint surfaces. Alternatively, our breathable Claypaint may be better for your interior projects and comes in a beautiful selection of colours.
Is it suitable for internal brick walls?
Yes, our Silicate Masonry Paint can be used on internal or external brick walls.
Most people use it on exterior walls because it’s very durable, which makes it ideal for changes in temperature and weather conditions.
If you have interior brick walls that require a breathable paint, you might prefer to use our Claypaint. Claypaint is also highly breathable and easy to apply.
I have tried to remove previous paint so the wall can breathe but there are patches that I cannot remove
If you've removed as much of the previous coating as possible but some patches remain, the best approach depends on the type of paint that's still on the wall.
If the remaining paint is a mineral coating, such as an old silicate paint, and the exposed areas are also mineral surfaces, you can apply Silicate Primer evenly across both the painted and bare sections.
However, if you're unsure what type of paint remains, it's safer to use Bonding Primer over the entire surface. Applying it to both the painted patches and the bare masonry will help create a more uniform surface, improving absorbency and ensuring a more consistent finish when you apply your topcoat.
Do you match to bespoke colours?
We get lots of requests for colour matching across all our paint ranges. Our Silicate Masonry Paint is formulated differently to other paints, so bespoke colours aren’t always possible.
For example, dark colours including black are difficult to achieve. This is because adding too much pigment can change the chemical make up of the paint. This can stop it from bonding correctly or inhibit its breathability.
You’ve got 48 shades to choose from in our exterior paint range. Not found the colour you’re after? You can always ask us and we’ll let you know what’s possible.
