[Cob] whitewash

[Simon Matthews]

Thanks for the reply

On Fri, 2009-03-06 at 11:40 -0500, theist at bellsouth.net wrote:

> I have had cellars,  milkhouses and (dairy) barns that were whitewashed, 
> and the whitewash did wear off after awhile. But its staying ability 
> seemed okay in areas that were not subject to so much damp as those 
> (unheated) areas were.
>  
> So it was with great interest that I read- just the day before 
> yesterday!- some excellent information on whitewashing by Juliette de 
> Bairacli Levy in her book Traveler's Joy, pages 71-73  especially.  She 
> cautions against using modern 'plastic' whitewash, whatever that is. She 
> gives a recipe, and info about the disinfect properties,etc,  of real 
> whitewash.
The simple recipes i have come across are for 1 part hydrated lime to
4-6 parts water. Some have extra additives like salt, casein, and
linseed or tung oil

>  But she does not say whether she had to reapply after a 
> couple of years! She does, however, say she applies it very thickly, 
> so perhaps it did not require so much 'renewal'?

That is interesting. Most sources i have come across say to apply lots
of thin coats to stop peeling and cracking.

> 
> The book is overall a great read, and has much fine info in it- it not 
> really a 'travel' book!, at least not in the usual sense. If you are 
> unable to get a copy, I could send you a link for it, and/or type out 
> for you the part about whitewashes, if you need and want that.
I have found that our state library here has a copy. I might have a look
at that.

Thanks
Simon