Getting Started

• Stir well -We recommend a machine stirrer, like a Bamix stick blender, or an egg whisk, not a stick. View more about tools
• Make sure all pigment is thoroughly mixed into the paint.
• Do not paint from a full bucket.
• Decant into a larger vessel and work with only around 8cm (3in) of paint in a bucket.
• Continue to stir paint regularly while painting.

Learn More about Tools and Preparation

Ensure your surface is correctly prepared based on your wall type, and whether it’s previously been painted.

Your walls may require an undercoat-sealer/primer as well as Bauwerk Prep Coat in order to create an ideal base for limewash paint.

You can find detailed instructions for your specific surface in our Surface Guide section

If your wall is already painted or made of gyprock, drywall, plasterboard, or plaster, it’s important to follow the 3xPs of Preparation: Prime, Prep, and Paint. Proper priming ensures even absorption of limewash paint.

Limewash and Prep Coat will not mask what is already on your wall, so your primer/sealer should have good masking capacity. Otherwise, inconsistencies like join lines may ghost through the final finish.

For new plasterboard walls, priming prevents the join compound from showing as visible lines. On old, previously painted, or repaired walls, it helps prevent patchy areas or material inconsistencies from affecting the final look.

Surface Preparation

Step 1 : Prime We recommend 2 coats of a water-based undercoat-sealer/primer –not a mist coat and non-diluted. You do not need to prime if your walls are already correctly primed and without patches and repairs.

Step 2: Prep Coat Apply 1 coat of Bauwerk Prep Coat.

Step 3: Paint Apply 2 Coats of Bauwerk Limewash Paint

We have specially developed our Prep Coat as a bridge coat between standard paint and primers to make limewash more durable, and easy to apply. BAUWERK Prep Coat is not a primer. It is important to understand that BAUWERK Limewash and Prep Coat have no capacity to mask what is on your wall, it allows all the history and the materials of the wall to come through.

See our full plasterboard guide here

No, Prep Coat is only for use on internal walls

No, we don't recommend the use of primers and Prep Coat on natural exterior walls, like brick or render or stone. This is because Limewash paint should be able to be absorbed into the natural materials, becoming part of the wall.

On previously painted exterior surfaces, we recommend applying a coat of a thin acrylic render product/Acratex Primer before applying Limewash. This will provide an absorbent layer for the Limewash to adhere to on the wall. If Limewash is painted over a sealed or non-absorbent exterior wall exposed to the elements, you can anticipate a shorter maintenance period.