Technical Advice on Painting

Painting Listed Buildings & Conservation AreasFor more information write to:

Planning ServicesTendring District CouncilCouncil OfficesWeeleyClacton-On-SeaEssex CO16 9AJ

Conservation in Tendring

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IntroductionWhen considering the external decoration of an historicbuilding the following should be considered:

Should the building/surfaces be painted at all?

Which type of product should be used? Should it be oil paint, a limewash or distemper?

What colour is the most appropriate?

Is permission needed?

Historic buildings, whether formally listed or not, wereconstructed with very different materials and technology tomodern buildings and therefore they need a completelydifferent approach to their maintenance.

Solid wall construction works by using the mass of the wallsto control the movement of moisture, in the form of waterand water vapour, into and away from the building tomaintain a comfortable living environment. Traditional, solidwalled buildings were constructed with porous materialswhich absorb moisture during damp conditions and releaseit by evaporation on dry days, allowing the building tobreathe.

Since the 1950’s, owners acting on the advice of builders,architects and paint manufacturers well versed in modernconstruction but with little understanding of historicbuildings have tried to keep out the weather by usingbranded synthetic alkyd masonry paints, cement paints andhard gloss paints. Sealing a porous fabric in an attempt torepel water does not take into account how much moistureis also generated inside a building. This moisture needs tobe able to escape. Preventing the building from breathingincreases the build up of moisture in the walls and is one ofthe main causes of damp found in older houses, particularlytimber framed houses, today.

It cannot be stressed too much that the most importantquality of traditional or natural decorative finishes isthat they breathe whilst at the same time protecting theoutside surface from rain.

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This advice is provided to guide the owners of ListedBuildings and buildings in Conservation Areas whenconsidering painting their properties. Further advice isavailable on Listed Buildings & Conservation Areas in theother booklets in this series.

Electric Palace Cinema, Harwich

Manningtree High Street

The Old House, St. Osyth

Paint manufacture inthe past was not anexact science, and themixture of ingredients -oil, binders and waxes- changed little throughthe centuries. Thesegenerally provideflexibility and let thebuilding ‘breathe’,while natural pigmentsproduce rich, yetsubtle, colours.

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Painting - General Considerations

Paints and how they were made have changed significantlyover time and some of the modern paints and dyes nowuse chemicals to produce colours which would not havebeen available historically. Even if a product is labelled as “Heritage Paint” this does not guarantee its acceptability asan exterior paint, indeed many of the colours in theseranges have been copied from internal walls.The traditional way of colouring the exterior of the housewas by mixing natural dyes, such as bulls blood, with limewash or lime render, this tended to produce a slightly moremuted colour rather than the brighter more strident coloursavailable today. See further details - What colour should I use?

The painting of any previously unpainted exterior surfaces,brick or stone work for example, is not normallyencouraged. Not only could this result in an inappropriatevisual change it could also lead to damage to wallingmaterials.

The type of paint used on external surfaces is alsoimportant to consider. Most modern external paints providea water tight barrier which can have the same effect asusing concrete render trapping water in walls which relyupon evaporation to prevent long term damp problemsoccurring. Traditionally lime wash was used for externalpainting and is still the best option when repainting historiclime render and other historic materials. This can becoloured by the addition of pigment to the top few layers,but it is important to be beware that limewash lightens as itdries leaving a much more subtle colour than originallymixed. There are modern “breathable” paints available butcheck carefully with the suppliers regarding their suitabilityfor your particular building. See also the booklet in thisseries on Plaster work and Renders. (Section 10)

To Paint or Not Paint

Historic surfaces which do not look like they have beenpainted before, whether brick, plaster or wood, should beleft unpainted. Sometimes experts who know where to lookcan find fragments of paint which can be analysed. Seriousconsideration can be given to reinstating colour washes withthe appropriate materials. Otherwise, you should not paint

2 the surface. Apart from damage which can be caused bynon-breathable masonry paint, the character andappearance of the building will be completely changed, oftenirreversibly.

Sometimes exposed external timber frames of medievaltown houses were limewashed when the walls weredecorated at a later date possibly to look more like aplastered surface. There is, however, no conclusiveevidence that this was a widespread traditional practice. It isbetter not to limewash over frames which have not beenpreviously limewashed. If a wall has limited areas oflimewash this is of historic interest, and if practical, shouldbe left alone.

When repainting a building with flying freeholds or areas ofoverlapping ownership, you may be tempted to follow theline of the boundary in the paintwork. However, this can bedetrimental to the appearance of both the building and thewider area. It is essential to co-ordinate with other owners;making every effort to repaint the building as a whole.

Which Product should I use?

LimewashPure limewash is the simplest and cheapest paint available.It is also the most “Breathable”.It is made by mixing mature lime putty with water. Basiclimewash is white, but a beautiful range of colours can bemade by adding pigments such as ochre and raw sienna.

Before applying limewash the wall should be sprayed withwater so that it is damp when the paint is applied.Limewash hardens in the same way as lime mortar - byabsorption of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, whichcombines with the lime ( calcium hydroxide) to form calciumcarbonate, binding the lime wash to the substrate.Limewash must dry out very slowly to ensure that it has fullycarbonated. It should be applied in several thin coats -usually 3 or 4 coats are needed on bare stone or new limeplaster. If it is applied thinly and allowed to dry out slowly itwill form a durable paint, which will not come off ontoclothing unless it is excessively rubbed.

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Kings Head Street, Harwich

Manningtree

Victoria Street, Dovercourt

Ardleigh village

High Street, Manningtree

High Street, Manningtree

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Coloured limewash can be affected by variations in thesubstrate resulting in subtle variations in tone that is part ofits charm. It is most suitable for the interior of barnconversions, where it can be painted directly ontostonework or for decorating lime plaster in cottage interiors.It is highly permeable, copes well with condensation, inhibitsmould growth and is suitable for walls subject to low levelsof rising damp as it can allow water to evaporate harmlessly.Lime washed surfaces have a soft chalky appearance thatrefracts light and gives a real depth of colour not found inother paint types.

DistemperTraditional red and yellow ochre only had size as a binderand did not include chalk. Black, used in the 17th century,could be mixed with chalk to give shades of grey. Chalk andsize used together made whitening suitable for use on thepanels between the timber frame and ceilings.

Again, you should make enough for a whole wall or room toget a matching colour. If the distemper is made to thecorrect strength it will not come off onto your clothes orhands.

There are a variety of commercial distempers available forinternal use, based on products derived from starch andcellulose or natural oils and resins. These is also at leastone, traditionally called ‘walop’, which is suitable for exterioruse. Distemper has a very similar appearance to limewashwhen it is used on external walls and will also stick tocement renders.

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Lead PaintsLead Paints were historically used for decorating windows,doors and other timber features. The use of lead paints wasbanned in 1992 except for use on Grade I and II* listedbuildings, when they can still only be used under licence.Lead paints are very durable and should be painted overrather than removed, for both historical and health reasons.

Linseed Oil PaintLinseed Oil Paint is an excellent and safe natural alternativeto lead paints. It is a high quality environmentally-friendlyproduct which has unbeatable wood caring properties whenused directly on bare wood. It also adheres well to mostsynthetic paints. When it is applied correctly, linseed oil painthas a longer life than modern synthetic alkyd paints. It alsohas the advantage of a one-pot system for primer,undercoat and topcoat.

Lime PaintLime Paint is made from pure, high calcium, hydrated limewith 5% acrylic. Mineral or earth oxides added for colour.Lime paint is only suitable for external walls, with theexception of churches. It is supplied as a powder in tubsand can be mixed with water on site.

PozilimePozilime is made from a hydrated lime with PVA and linseedoil. It is suitable for use on cement renders and previouslypainted surfaces.

Modern Natural PaintsA range of modern natural paints is now available. Thesepaints have been produced as much for the benefit of theenvironment and health of the painter as for historicbuildings. They are based on various ingredients, such ascitrus oils, plant extracts, natural clays and casein, whichare mixed in various combinations. These paints are easy touse, allow surfaces to breathe and can provide analternative to limewash and distemper.

Synthetic Alkyd Resins and Cement PaintThese are the paints which are usually available at the localstore. They give a flat, bright colour lacking in the variationand subtlety of traditional colourwashes and are unsuitable fortraditional historic fabrics which need a breathable finish. Theydo not adhere successfully to natural decorative finishes,which can prompt some manufacturers to recommend all

High Street, Manningtree

Old Harwich

Castlegate Street, Harwich

Eastgate Street, Harwich

Church Street, Harwich

The Medieval colour range was short of good bright yellowsand blues cheap enough to use in quantity. Prussian bluewhen discovered became the most popular blue during the18th century until a cheap method of making azure orultramarine became available in 1800. During the 19th centurythe various colours based on chrome became available:chrome yellow and Brunswick green replacing orpiment andverdigris; the coal tar colours, such as alizarin, were cheaperalternatives to traditional colours like madder. During the 20thcentury many new colours have been developed.

The development of colours was paralleled by a similardevelopment in paint manufacture. All paints consistbasically of a base material mixed with a binder. To this canbe added a pigment for colour, a solvent to make the paintspread easily and a drier to make it dry quickly. Until the20th century painters ground and mixed their paints,changing formula to suit different conditions. For instance,the south side of a house would be given more oil to stopthe paint drying out too much in the sun, while the northside would have more body to protect it against frosts.

Colours popular at the end of the 18th century were grey,lead, ash, stone, buff, sage green, pea green, light willowgreen, grass green, apricot, peach, orange, fine yellow, fawn,olive green, light timber and brick. The increasing use of coalduring the early 19th century polluted the atmosphere somuch that it was impractical to use white outside. At first itwas tinted with ochre or black, and later towards the middleof the century, windows were painted a practical chocolatebrown and front doors a dark Brunswick green, blue or black.

Stucco Roman Cement was originally either integrallycoloured or lime washed to imitate stone, but theincreasingly, dirty atmosphere led to a change to oil paint.When the much stronger stucco cements were inventedaround 1800 colour was introduced. Cement based paintshave been used since 1830, when they were first introducedby Parker for painting timber to prevent dry rot. They havegradually replaced lime washes, since they last much longer,and the more sophisticated versions are used as alternatives

previous coatings are removed. Synthetic paints have theadded disadvantage that they are not biodegradable.

SealersSealers should never be used on historic surfaces. They aredesigned to stop moisture entering the walls by providing anon-permeable coating. They provide a dry, sound, surfacefor new work if they are used before decorating and are onlyeffective in modern buildings with cavity walls which aredesigned to block out moisture. However, the fabric ofhistoric buildings works completely differently. It does so bymanaging the movement of moisture, including the escapeof any moisture generated within the building. This is donethrough the use of permeable materials which allow thefabric to ‘breathe’ (holding water vapour on damp and wetdays and drying out through evaporation on dry days).Sealers prevent the fabric from breathing and will trap anymoisture already present in the walls. This will make thewalls damp, causing the structure to decay. The moisturemay be drawn to the surface in warm conditions, causingthe finished surfaces to bubble or peal off. The fundamentalprinciple when caring for an historic building is to maintainthe breathability of the fabric at all times by using vapour-permeable products.

Colour History & Colour Choice

The earliest colours were ones which did not need elaborateprocessing. Bullocks’ blood, also used for making mudfloors dust-proof, was still being used in the latter half of the19th century and the other colours, soot, charcoal and theearth colours, including ochres are still some of the best andmost permanent pigments known today. As a group, thesecolours have a disadvantage since they are all dull red,brown or yellow.

Weavers were able to use much brighter colours made fromboiling plants with wool in water but this method was hardlysuitable for house decoration.

A second generation of cheap pigments was evolved byapplying heat to various common substances to make burntumber and sienna. More complicated and expensivechemical processes gave the Middle Ages red, white andyellow from lead, green from copper, vermillion from sulphurand quicksilver, blue from cobalt, and many others.

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Range of traditional colours used inManningtree

Old Swan House, Harwich. White paintedplastered façade

Church Street, Harwich

Church Street, Harwich

Church Street, Harwich

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Range of colours used on unlisted historicbuildings in Dovercourt

sometimes blues, greys or black will be just as suitable ifnot better than white providing a more harmonious colour. Ifyou wish to repaint external joinery in a different colour tothe existing, listed building consent may be required.

European hardwoods such as oak and elm have also beenused historically for doors and for early mullioned windows,normally left unfinished to weather naturally to a silver grey.Timber stains and varnishes along with tropical hardwoodssuch as mahogany and teak are a modern introduction,they should be avoided in listed buildings except in veryparticular circumstances.

Historic Painted Brickwork

There are examples, many of which are just traced, ofpainting brickwork dating from the 16th and 17th centuries.Uneven red bricks were laid in a thick lime mortar bed andcovered with a liberal coat of ruddle, a mixture of red ochrepigment and binder, usually size (a thin, gluey substance). Athin white (or occasionally black) line was often, but notalways, carefully painted along an indented line between thebricks to give an appearance similar to the use of expensiverubbed brickwork. You should always seek expert advicebefore restoring this type of brickwork.

Decoration or Paint on Internal Woodwork

During the 16th and 17th centuries, farmhouses and smalltownhouses belonging to aspiring gentry often has a panelledchamber, typically in oak (usually the parlour). In biggerhouses, more than one room is treated in this way. Many ofthese rooms were never painted, but others were. Sometimesa simple yellow ochre background was picked out withimitation graining or in a ‘stone’ colour. Panelled doors werealso treated this way, or they might have a geometric patternwhich match a paint scheme on the adjacent walls.

Panelling and doors from the late 17th century onwardswere often made with softwood. These should be paintedwith a flat colour but not with gloss paint.

to oil paint for walls. Fine textured resin-based masonrypaints, unlike cement paints, can be made in strong brightcolours and are now used widely for first class work.

In the past the colours applied to painted surfaces werelimited by the availability of pigments and by cost. Thedevelopment of synthetic paint colours and the increasedavailability of paints over the last hundred years have allowedan unrestrained use of colour to develop which does notalways relate to the intrinsic character of its location.

The use of colour on a single building, particularly in anurban setting as indeed in a village conservation area canbe discordant if it is not considered in relation to itsneighbours and the street scene as a whole.

Within Tendring District there is no “preferred colour range” forthe external painting of historic buildings. However, whenconsidering the choice of colours the owners of suchproperties need to bear in mind the general advice given inthis booklet and may also wish to refer to the more specialistguidance documents mentioned at the end of this publication.

Some Planning Authorities can be very prescriptive in thechoice of colours on the exterior of historic buildings in theirarea. Indeed some councils set out the exact BritishStandard colours which must be adhered to. Within Tendringthe Council wishes to see owners make informed choices oncolours based on the age and type of the property and theoverall colour range of buildings evident within the Districtand especially where they are located in a group of historicbuildings and specifically in a Conservation Area.

The “Conservation in Tendring” series of booklets all containphotographs of various individual buildings and groups ofhistoric buildings which give a guide to the traditional andhistoric colours chosen in this area. Of particular note arethe classic Essex weather boarded properties, some listed,some unlisted which can be painted or stained in white asreferred to in the Essex Design Guide.

Painting Joinery

Paint is the traditional finish to external joinery. In terms ofthe colour joinery does not necessarily need to be white,

Non-traditional colours, Harwich

Recently repainted house, Harwich

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Manningtree High Street. Recently repainted restaurant

Use of traditional colours. The Green, Mistley

Bold but traditional colour scheme usedin Walton Conservation Area

An historic painted façade. Grapevine Cottages, Mistley

Attractive historic colour scheme used at thePier Hotel, Harwich

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There are several ways of removing paint. The mostappropriate method will depend upon the type of productyou are removing and the surface you are stripping it from.

Steam stripping, sandpaper and washing with water are thesafest methods.

PoulticesPoultices are applied to painted surfaces and left for aperiod of time. When they are removed they draw the paintaway or loosen it sufficiently so it can be easily taken off.Poultices are useful for removing paint from decorativework, such as cornices, as well as plain timbers. They arealso useful for removing 19th and 20th century stains andvarnishes from timber beams. You will need to use apoultice if you are reintroducing a traditional distemperscheme. This is because distemper, which is a water-boundglue paint, will not adhere to the timber surface if there is abarrier of stain or varnish left.

Chemical SolventsChemical Solvents can be very effective in removing oil basedpaints but over zealous scraping and repeated washing downcan cause damage. Most paint removers are very toxic.

Burning OffBurning off with a blowtorch should be avoided. It isextremely dangerous in an old building and poses a seriousrisk of fire. Hot air strippers do not carry the same risk buthave been known to ignite flammable materials in sashboxes and thatch.

Pressure BlastingPressure Blasting will remove paint but can also damage thesurface of the material being cleaned. There are lots ofvariations blasting available which use various abrasives, butthey can all potentially cause irreversible damage to thesurface of fabric if too much pressure is used. If you thinkthis method is appropriate for your building, always makesure that you employ a qualified and experience contractorand carry out a test patch on a small, inconspicuous area.The test patch results must be approved by the DistrictCouncils conservation officer before a large area is cleaned.On listed buildings, you may need listed building consent tocarry out such work.

Wall PaintingsIt is rare to find a wall painting dated from before 1560. Therare examples from the first half of the 16th century comefrom houses with a priestly connection or those whichbelonged to people very high up the social scale. Bothfragments and complete schemes of wall paintings from thelate 16th and early 17th centuries are frequently found. If youdo find any, it is best to consult a specialist conservatorthrough your conservation officer. You will not be forced tospend vast sums of money but you will be advised on thebest way to proceed without destroying the historic painting.

Shop Fronts

Shop fronts dating from before 1950 were traditionally a singledark colour with lettering on the window or a hand painted signabove. Standard corporate shop front colour schemes are oftennot appropriate for an historic shop front. A well maintainedshop front with traditional choice of colour and a hand paintedsign makes a distinctive statement which is very different to thecorporate branding in many shopping centres. A commercialbuilding provides an opportunity to relate the external decorationto the function and style of the historic building.

The Council has already published specific guidance ontraditional shop fronts in the Frinton and WaltonConservation Areas and plans to produce similar guidancefor other shopping centres located within or adjoiningConservation Areas.

Removing Paint from Historic Buildings

You should always be cautious if you are planning toremove any paint. In many buildings, later layers of paintwork may be hiding painted scenes, text or patterns fromthe post-medieval period through to 19th stencils. If theseare visible, they should be conserved. Otherwise, unlessthere are good reasons, old paint work on the interior ofbuildings is best left undisturbed and simply painted over.If multiple layers of paint are stopping windows fromfunctioning properly, or are obscuring architectural details or,alternatively if an inappropriate paint has been used, youshould always test a small trial area in an inconspicuousplace before carrying out widespread removal.

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Traditional shop front at Frinton

Traditional shop front, Harwich

Former Barclays Bank (now WaltonCommunity Project) before and after paintwas removed

29 The Parade, Walton (before andafter restoration)

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Building currently undergoing paintremoval

a listed building can leave the owner and person carryingout the work liable to prosecution.

Article 4 DirectionsSome unlisted properties in conservation areas are covered byArticle 4 Directions, which help to prevent unsympathicalterations to traditional buildings in order to protect thecharacter and appearance of the area. You will needpermission to paint surfaces for the first time or to significantlychange the colour of painted surfaces. Permission is notrequired where unlisted buildings are not covered by Article 4Directions. Again, you should check if permission is needed inplenty of time as it can take 6-8 weeks to be granted.

Applications for Listed Building Consent do not attract a feewhich is a recognition that there is a cost incurred inpreparing the necessary quality of plans required toaccompany such applications. The Council strongly advisesthe owners of Listed Buildings to employ properly qualifiedand experienced professionals to prepare such applications.

Such professionals can also provide advice on methods ofdecoration, maintenance and repair. Wherever possible theCouncil expects owners of Listed Buildings to explore repair ofhistoric fabric rather than seek to replace it with modern materials.

The advice in this series of booklets draws on a variety ofspecialist publications prepared by other organisationsincluding Essex County Council, English Heritage, S.P.A.B.Links to these publications and/or the organisations’ websitesare given at the end of each booklet.

Further information

PPS 5 Planning For The Historic Environment - March 2010Historic Environment Planning Practice Guide - March 2010The Georgian Group Guides No. 4 Paint ColourThe Georgian Group Book of the Georgian House - Steven Parissien 1995 SPAB - Removing Paint from Old Buildings 1994 Holkham Linseed Paints - www.holkhamlinseedpaints.co.ukSPAB - Technical Q & A - 18 LimewashStrippers Paint Removers - enquiries@stripperspaintremovers.comwww.naturalpaintsonline.co.uk/historicpaint.htmlwww.traditionalpaintforum.org.ukEarth and Reed Ltd - Sustainable Building and Eco-Decorating Materials www.earth-and-reed.co.uk

Other usefulsources ofinformation?There are various nationalorganisations providing designadvice and guidance in relationto Painting and Surfaces Details.These include the following:

English Heritagewww.english-heritage.org.uk

Historic Environment LocalManagement - HELMwww.helm.org.uk

Society for the Protection ofAncient Buildings - SPABwww.spab.org.uk

The Victorian Societywww.victorian-society.org.uk

The Georgian Groupwww.georgiangroup.org.uk

The Twentieth Century Societywww.c20society.demon.co.uk

Institute of Historic Building Conservationwww.ihbc.org.uk

Historic Towns Forumwww.historictownsforum.org.uk

Essex County Councilwww.essex.gov.uk

Communities and Local Governmentwww.communities.gov.uk

Note; Tendring District Council is not responsible for the content ofany external websites.

Painted flank wall, Manningtree HighStreet

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Paint Faults and Cures

Is Permission needed?

Listed BuildingsYou will need consent if you are painting the external walls of alisted building for the first time. This is unlikely to be granted ifthe surface is of historic significance. You will also needconsent to change the colour by redecorating if it affects thecharacter of the building. You should always check whetheryou need to make an application with the District Council. As itcan take several weeks to grant consent, you should checkwell in advance of starting work.

If you use cement-based or other waterproof or hard glosspaints on a traditional lime or clay plaster you may be leftopen to enforcement action which would require you toremove the paint. This is especially the case if it is the firsttime such a finish has been used. Unauthorised painting of

Plasterwork detail from the ElectricPalace, Harwich

Royal Hotel, Clacton seafront

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Fault Cause Remedy

Failure of adhesion - Water behind paint film Strip, dry andblistering or flaking - Alkaline attack redecorate.

- Efflorescence- Repeated condensation

causing swelling andshrinking of binder indistemper.

Cracking - Ultimate normal failure As aboveof old paint

- Recoating too many times- Substrate ‘cubing’ due to

fungal attack.

Crazing - Ageing due to excessive As abovehardness

- Distemper over oil paint.

Wrinkling - Top film dry before As aboveundercoat cured

- Inadequate brushing-out.

Chalking - Ultimate failure of lead paint As above- Ultraviolet light attack on

plastic paint.

Soft sticky film, oily Alkaline attack on oil paints Strip, dry and apply runs and blisters (eg, from fresh lime plaster alkali-proof primer

of from residue of caustic before repainting.soda cleaning).

Exfoliation or Moisture migration and Not readily solved,‘onion peeling’ efflorescence in masonry unless source of

or plaster substrate. water (eg, rising damp)removed. Thereafterprime with aluminiumprimer and repaint.

Coloured spots Mould Investigate high surfacemoisture content andtreat with biocide.