Earles Paint - Filling/painting render - 1930s Solid Walled Property

[EBudd]

Hello,

I'm looking to fill a few cracks in the first floor render of my 1930s, solid walled property.

I've been led to believe that by the 30s, due to the development of building methods and materials, the bricks of 1930s solid walled properties were often harder, and the mortar and render mix different, than that used in older period properties. I.e. the mortar might be a lime/cement mix, as the bricks certainly seem hard, and the render might also contain a mix of lime and cement.

I'm unsure as to when it was last painted, but the render overall is in good condition. If like to fill the cracks and then repaint in those areas. Or repaint the whole front face maybe.

I've been looking at Earles Masonry Paint, which claims to be suitable for heritage properties, solid walls, lime render etc. does anyone have any experience of using it?

Any recommendations for suitable filler would be appreciated too? It's hard to find solid, reliable info on properties of this period. Advice is either biased towards proper heritage properties or more modern cavity wall properties, whereas 30s solid walled properties seem to be somewhere in between in terms of suitable materials.

Have also attached an image of the house for reference.

Thanks in advance

Earles Masonry Paint Tubs - Super White - Earles Paint

A highly durable, breathable mineral paint suitable for a wide range of masonry surfaces. Contains no plastics, polymers or chemicals.

www.earlespaint.co.uk

 

[Robola]

When I was looking for exterior masonry paint I looked at Earles, it is a rebranded product that used to be called Snowcem - it is cement based. I was suspicious of the breathability claims so I decided against it.

If the render has been previously painted with modern plastic masonry paint there isn't much point in using a breathable paint.

 

[EBudd]

When I was looking for exterior masonry paint I looked at Earles, it is a rebranded product that used to be called Snowcem - it is cement based. I was suspicious of the breathability claims so I decided against it.

If the render has been previously painted with modern plastic masonry paint there isn't much point in using a breathable paint.

Thanks for your reply. It was suggested on another forum, by someone very knowledgeable on heritage properties and materials, as suitable for 30s render as it still maintains breathability whilst generally performing better than a lot of modern paints. With it being 30s he advised the bricks will be harder and moisture movement less of an issue (although still important enough that it should not be completely restricted) than it is in older heritage properties.

What paint did you go for in the end?

I'm also unsure as to the composition of the current paint. To me it looks less modern than something like sandtex, but I couldn't really say with any certainty. The render is generally in good condition and not got any damp issues, so I'm very wary of using something inappropriate and causing a load of problems.

 

[Robola]

Maybe they are right and it is fine, but as I said the whole rebranding to target the heritage market, containing cement and a lack of transparency on data sheets put me off.

I used Keim silicate paint. It is expensive, but we are in an extremely exposed coastal location and I had seen it used elsewhere locally.

By far the worst bit of the job (not finished) is removing the plastic paint and getting back to bare render. If you have any flaked off bits you could heat it up, plastic paint goes rubbery when warm.

 

[EBudd]

Maybe they are right and it is fine, but as I said the whole rebranding to target the heritage market, containing cement and a lack of transparency on data sheets put me off.

I used Keim silicate paint. It is expensive, but we are in an extremely exposed coastal location and I had seen it used elsewhere locally.

By far the worst bit of the job (not finished) is removing the plastic paint and getting back to bare render. If you have any flaked off bits you could heat it up, plastic paint goes rubbery when warm.

I don't have any problems currently, so whatever is on there currently is doing the job well so I'd look to paint over it.

None of it has flaked so it seems fairly well adhered. Will keep that in mind though thank you

What is the age of your house?

 

[Robola]

I'm not sure, it has been heavily modified over the years. Certainly pre 1900.

 

[EBudd]

I've been doing some further research and could perhaps use a silicate paint like SecilTek Isovit Silicate Paint (linked below) which seems similar to what you linked.

SecilTek Isovit Silicate Paint

SecilTek Isovit Silicate Paint is a highly vapour-permeable (breathable) and exceptionally durable paint system. Available in over 2,000 colours

mikewye.co.uk

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