Distemper

Hia

Kind of carrying on from my last post about cracking paint.....

What exactly is distemper, what was it used for? Also from peoples past experiences is is quite likely that if we have it in one room it will be in the others too? (just want to make sure I am fully prepared when we start the next room)

Thanks

Lucy

Theres a very good chance it will turn up again unfortunatly.

The purists love it in there homes..me..I cant see the point.

Distemper, or to use the term the trade use, 'oh no not that'...together with limewash were the forerunners of what is now known as emulsion.

Theres were a few different types ordinary powder and water then that evolved into Casein bound oil bound distemper.

Casein is the solid part of milk and acts as a binder for the pigment, that will give it spreadablity and a more even sheen level.

They also used to use 'glue' which was from boiled animal bones etc, as a additive to the binder.

The old painters would buy a bag of pigment in its powder form and mix the paint themselves.

Limewash (commonly know as whitewash) was the forerunner of masonry paint allthough it can also be used indoors (same as masonry paint, except in a place where steam is likely) and was basically what it said on the tin...lime..and white chalk, used mostly on outsides for its ability to keep down mould becasue of the lime content.

Tallow was and still is added to distempers to give them a litle bit of durablilty and wipeability...ive seen it used on an outside 8 COATS LATER" it covered!

Having washed, scraped and scrubbed more than enough of the stuff all i'll say is.............

Thank god for progress!

Went to Wickes to try to get some alkali resistant primer, was basically laughed at when we mentioned distemper, they had never heard of it.

Anyway they sold us some primer seal stain block. I am not convinced reading the tin that this is really what we want. Does anyone know exactly what we should buy and where they might sell it?

Thanks again for all your help!

Lucy

You need a 25 litre drum of "Elbow Grease" and a lot of hot water.