How do I decorate Breathaplasta?

This is one of the most common questions that we are asked on a weekly basis, so we thought we’d shine a light on it by answering your queries in a short blog post. Read on for paint-based enlightenment.

Smooth and textured Breathaplasta with natural paint finish.

What textured finishes can I achieve with Breathaplasta.

Breathaplasta is a lime plaster with super-fine hemp particles within the mix and this allows for a whole range of finishes to be achieved. It can be troweled to a smooth finish with standard plastering techniques (see our ‘how-to’ videos on YouTube by clicking here) or the fine flecks of hemp can be brought to the surface by using a sponge float and a range of attractive textured finishes can be achieved.  It is a versatile product that can be conventional or creative to suit your design needs.

How do I preserve the natural finish?

The natural finish of Breathaplasta is very attractive as it dries to a pale cream colour and one of our most frequent questions is whether the plaster can be left undecorated. The simple answer is yes and we’ve numerous projects where the natural finish was most desired and the plaster left untreated. This can additionally save on the costs on painting the surface and ensures that it remains ultra-breathable (vapour diffusion-open). However, an untreated surface that’s not been sealed is prone to ‘off-dusting’ – a harmless fine chalky dust that’s generated over time, especially if the finished plaster is in areas of high wear and tear. To prevent this, we recommend the use of a clear lacquer or varnish for a slightly more gloss appearance or a clear, diluted plaster primer solution for a more matte finish. These will best preserve the natural colour and finish of Breathaplasta whilst sealing the surface. Speak to one of the team for product recommendations that are natural, non-toxic and ultra-breathable.

Range of textured Breathaplasta finishes both untreated and sealed.

Can I paint the surface?

Absolutely, you can paint the surface. Breathaplasta is compatible with all mainstream brands of internal decorating paints and you can treat a wall plastered with Breathaplasta as you would any other internal wall plaster product. If you have any concerns or want guidance on application, consult the specific paint manufacturer or speak to one of our team.

Natural and organic paints are made from natural binders, pigments and solvents. They include clay paints, chalk paints and milk paints (casein).

Should I use special paints?

Breathaplasta is an ultra-breathable lime plaster that has a highly vapour diffusion-open structure – in simple terms this means that moisture can freely pass through the material. This is also important for another performance aspect to Breathaplasta, its condensation control; the ability of Breathaplasta to naturally regulate humidity within a room. This extends to the paints that you use to decorate. To maximise the performance of the ‘lungs’ within Breathaplasta it’s important to use paints that preserve this breathability and do not ‘clog up’ the surface. Most mainstream emulsion paints have a degree of breathability with vinyl paints being the least breathable choice. The major downside to mainstream paints is that their chemical formulation can lead to the off gassing of toxic compounds that can be bad for your health and the health of your family.

Natural paints are a better choice for improved indoor air quality and a healthier living environment.

Natural and organic paints use plant oils, tree resins, earths and minerals that have been in use for millennia.

Why should people choose to use natural paint?

There are many reasons why natural paints are a better option and why people should be choosing to decorate with them. Natural paint ingredients such as plant oils, tree resins, earths and minerals have been in use for millennia and their chemical make-up means that they are much less toxic to human health than modern synthetic chemical paints. This is important given we spend up to 90% of our time indoors.

Natural paints are highly-breathable and allow for the movement of moisture through them which in turn allow the walls to breathe and prevents moisture from getting trapped within the walls which can lead to mould and rot causing damage to the fabric of the building.

Some mainstream chemical paints are non-breathable and do not allow movement of moisture. Painting your wall with these is like applying a layer of plastic to your wall – imagine running a marathon with a plastic coat on, all the moisture from sweating would be trapped inside and would make you feel very uncomfortable, not to mention…damp! Now imagine running that marathon with a highly breathable material that allows the moisture to wick away from your body and evaporate – much more pleasant and much healthier. We all wear high performance, breathable sportswear, but we don’t apply the same logic to our family homes.

What’s wrong with mainstream paints?

Paints have been used for thousands of years and it is only in the last century that they have been supplied by chemical companies using the by-products of oil refining. We’ve moved away from plant oils, tree resins, earths and minerals to petrochemical based paints that have become the mainstream option most readily available in our shops.

But petrochemical paints have a lot of ‘nasties’ in them, including formaldehyde, ammonium, titanium dioxide and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Many of these can cause respiratory and neurological problems, skin irritation and have even been linked to causing cancer. The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies chemicals as carcinogenic, probably carcinogenic or possibly carcinogenic. VOCs appear in all three categories.

Even with limits in place on the level of harmful chemicals paints can contain, many mainstream formulations can aggravate allergies, trigger asthma and cause headaches and dizziness – and yet we still choose to paint our children’s bedrooms with these chemical paints.

Asthma UK, a leading research and education charity lists decorating paints as one of the leading asthma triggers in the home.

What are natural paints made from?

Natural paints are made from natural ingredients – it’s all in the name! The term covers paints made from natural binders, pigments and solvents and includes clay paints, chalk paints and milk paints (casein). Solvents can be derived from citrus fruits and pigments and binders can be clay, chalk, plant material and plant oils. Although terms like ‘natural’ and ‘organic’ are less regulated than the food industry, most natural paint companies take a more responsible approach to production and produce non-toxic paints in a significantly less harmful way than the mainstream chemical paint companies.

Natural and organic paints can contain solvents derived from citrus fruits.

What is the difference in cost?   

Natural paints tend to be the same price as premium paints and a little more expensive than mass market mainstream paints and own brand products. Coverage tends to be quite similar and they are usually just as easy to apply, however, drying times can take a little longer as natural paints tend to omit chemicals that speed up the drying process.

Summary

Breathaplasta is a very versatile product that offers a range of natural finishes from smooth to textured to super-textured applications for feature walls. The plaster dries to an attractive pale cream colour that’s highly desirable and can be left untreated. For a more complete look and to prevent off-dusting, seal the surface of the plaster with clear natural sealants. This best preserves the colour, texture and appearance of the natural plaster finish.

Painting Breathaplasta is the most common form of decoration and a whole world of paints awaits! You can paint Breathaplasta with any paint, but the use of many mainstream paints can lead to off gassing of toxic compounds that are unhealthy for you and your family and can contribute to poor indoor air quality with effects ranging from itchy or watery eyes, difficulty breathing, dizziness, itchy skin and a variety of other ailments as well as potential for serious health problems with prolonged exposure.

To get the best possible air quality in your home and to maximise breathability, use natural and organic paints. There are many good quality suppliers and their products offer superior breathability, are a much healthier and safer choice for you and your family and are often produced in a more environmentally conscious way.

To find out more you can visit the Ethical Consumer website by following this link.

Adaptavate were excited to collaborate with Natural Building UK (nbuk) to promote the use of natural building materials and techniques at one of the UK’s biggest construction industry events, ecobuild ExCeL London 06-08 March 2018.

Natural Building UK took over a whole café area at the show and Adaptavate were there alongside some of the brightest and best of the UK natural building industry to showcase Breathaplasta and the benefits of high performance natural materials.

You could sense a real buzz at the show with a genuine excitement and enthusiasm for all things natural and healthy as live demonstrations of lime and clay plastering, hempcrete, straw bale building and many more engaged the crowds over the course of the 3-day event.

Breathaplasta was displayed within the timber framed structure sitting pride of place at the nbuk café. Exhibitors from nbuk were on hand to help and guide visitors on getting the best for their individual projects. In particular, Breathaplasta proved popular for being both a natural, chemical free material and time and labour saving choice – something that’s rarely associated with natural building technologies.

The Natural Building Café  was a real hit and was busy throughout the show with a warm, welcoming and friendly atmosphere from the experts on stand. Huge thanks to everyone involved for making it such a success and we look forward to being back next year!

In addition to nbuk, Adaptavate were featured as part of the ‘buildings as material banks’ travelling show from Holland thanks to our friend across the water, Richard de la Roy of Dutch company Eco-Makelaar. Richard is opening up some exciting channels into the European market for Adaptavate’s innovative products. Watch this space!

We were excited to collaborate with our friends Eco-Renovation UK on an exhibition stand at The Listed Property Show at Olympia London over the weekend 24 & 25 February. The two-day event saw crowds of people flock in from all over the UK, especially from London’s surrounding counties.

Adam Illes, Founder of Eco-Renovation UK and a damp, insulation and renovation expert for older properties was on hand to guide people through the complexities of renovating and treating listed buildings. His display of Hempcrete blocks created quite a stir with many unaware of the extent of thematerial’s insulative properties, thermal mass and ability to regulate moisture and improve indoor air quality. It was great to see so many people engaged with natural materials and clued up on the need for traditional and breathable methods of renovation and restoration. However, it was even more pleasing to see such a positive reaction from newcomers to the highly breathable hemp and lime-based biomaterials we were promoting – from hempcrete to hemp insulation panels and of course, our own high performance hemp and lime plaster, Breathaplasta.

Other show highlights for the heritage enthusiast were practical demonstrations of lime plaster, lime mortar and lead work, window restoration, brickwork and paint and master carvers at work. In addition is was great to see ISO Energy’s informative talk on sensitively integrating modern renewable technologies into our older listed buildings.

A feature display of Buildings at Risk in association with Historic England and SAVE Britain’s Heritage capped off a great exhibition and highlighted the responsibility and commitment required of those who take on our heritage buildings to restore them and to preserve their legacy.

Thanks go to the organisers and we look forward to introducing our high performance lime plaster and lime-based biocomposites to new visitors in 2019.

If you missed us at The Listed Property Show you’ll be pleased to know that we’re also exhibiting at ecobuild 06-08 March 2018 /ExCeL, London.

We love what we’re doing at Adaptavate and we know the positive social and environmental impact we can have, but it’s still nice to be told so every once in a while. This month we’re chuffed to bits to feature in Fat Lama’s top 10 Green Business Ideas alongside great companies like Bio-Bean, Grow Bristol and Impossible Foods.

Who are Fat Lama? I hear you say. Well click here to find out more about their groovy online sharing platform dubbed the ‘AirBnB for stuff’. One of their many benefits is that by opting to borrow, not buy, we can put the brakes on unnecessary mass-manufacturing and carbon intensive distribution systems.

Like all these companies, Adaptavate is a business founded to do good in the knowledge that our industries can work in more efficient and more sustainable ways and it’s great to see some of the really interesting and exciting work being done in the fields of sustainability, health, wellbeing and empowerment. We were thrilled to feature alongside these international brands and will be watching them as they grow and flourish. You can click here to see the full list of Fat Lama’s top 10 Green Business Ideas.

1. OLIO

London based software company. OLIO connects neighbours and local shops so surplus food can be shared, not thrown away.

2. Good Guide

Good Guide is an app that rates products based on safety and health and empowers consumers to choose products based on their health and environmental credentials.

3. Conscious Step

New York based Conscious Step was created to bring more awareness to the problems faced by the world today and the organisations fighting these problems. Every pair of socks is partnered with a different non-profit so you can support the causes you love simply by purchasing these items of everyday wear.

4. Molekule

A San Francisco-based startup with a sleekly designed molecular air purifier that uses nanotechnology to break down pollutants – moulds, bacteria, viruses and chemicals.

5. Adaptavate

A biomaterials company based in Stroud, England that is re-thinking the material flows within the construction industry. Their products are designed to replace conventional materials but utilise crop waste making them renewable and compostable avoiding landfill. They are even high performance in use, leading to healthier and more energy efficient homes and buildings.

6. 31 Bits

Using jewellery and design to empower people to rise above poverty, 31 Bits is a fashion company with a difference. Every time you make a 31 bits purchase you have a direct impact on women’s lives in Uganda where their products are made.

7. Bio-Bean

A London based company founded in 2013, bio-bean is the first company in the world to industrialise the process of recycling waste coffee grounds into advanced bio fuels.

8. Grow Bristol

An innovative start-up based in, you guessed it, Bristol! Turning old shipping containers into agricultural sites, they use aquaponics to produce ultra-local leafy greens without the air miles. It also uses 80% less water making it a win-win!

9. Impossible Foods

Based in California, Impossible Foods Inc. is possibly the most ambitious environmental food company out there. They have a team of scientists and food experts working to develop plant-based meat and dairy products made without animals. The meatless Impossible Burger is ground-breaking and looks and tastes just like the real thing.

10. My Green World

A Melbourne-based social enterprise dedicated to addressing global wildlife and environmental challenges through innovative, youth-focussed education.