How to dilute whitewash for the ceiling

Ceiling whitewash with lime or chalk refers to the traditional and well-proven ways to update them, allowing you to quickly organize redecorating of a room. In comparison with modern methods of decorating ceilings (arrangement of tension systems, for example), this method of finishing ceiling surfaces is the simplest and cheapest.

Before you begin redecorating, we advise you to carefully read the technique of preparing the working composition, that is, how to dilute the whitewash for the ceiling.

In preparation for the work you should decide on the source material on the basis of which you will prepare the finishing composition (lime or chalk).

Note! Experts advise to choose the material that was used in the previous repair. If you violate this rule, the appearance of divorces on the ceiling is possible.

And, of course, each of these materials has its own characteristics. Lime, for example, has the ability to tighten microscopic gaps, making the surface of the ceiling more even and smooth. In turn, the chalk solution allows to obtain a coating of perfect whiteness. Thus, when choosing a material, you should be guided, first of all, by your preferences.

In our article we will consider the technology of preparing whitewash based on both of these components.

Preparation of lime whitewash

To prepare the lime finishing composition you may need the following components:

• slaked lime;
• pure water;
• olifa;
• 50 grams of salt;
• A bag of blue or ultramarine.

Before breeding lime to whitewash the ceiling, you will need to prepare 2-3 kg of raw material and 5 liters of hot water. The required volume of the finished composition is usually determined from the calculation that for every 2.5 m? about half a kilogram of lime and 0.75 liters of pure water are consumed on the surface to be treated.

To obtain the optimal composition, we first dissolve slaked lime in the prepared water, and then successively add all auxiliary components there. To give the finished whitewashing additional plasticity and durability, you should add a little drying oil (one third of a tablespoon) and about 5 grams of salt to the mixture. After that, the prepared solution is well mixed, and then immediately filtered through a sieve, which allows you to remove large lumps of lime and other impurities from it.

Note! To give the ceiling whitewashing a light bluish tint, 20 grams of blue is added to it, which will provide the ceiling with additional attractiveness in natural light.

Chalk whitewash

Before you dissolve chalk for whitewashing, you should familiarize yourself with one of the options for its preparation, for the realization of which you will need:

• dry chalk;
• Sinx;
• container with warm water;
• plain gauze

The procedure for working with chalk whitewashing involves the following actions:

1. First of all, you need chalk, which is sold as a thick paste (dry powder) at any hardware store. You should not be embarrassed by the fact that the purchased chalky paste has a slightly grayish tint; some time after whitewashing the coating will necessarily acquire the characteristic whiteness of the chalk.
2. The amount of starting material required for the work depends on the size of the room being processed and the thickness (consistency) of the prepared solution. Try to buy chalky paste with a small margin; at the same time unused residues will always be useful to you in subsequent repairs.
3. Before whitewashing, it makes sense to try the technique of applying the finished composition on a small area of ​​the surface to be trimmed (to make a trial attempt). Thanks to this, you will be able to acquire at least some skill in working with whitewashing, as well as determine the approximate consumption of the solution.
4. Before preparing the whitewash, be sure to sift the acquired chalk powder, which will allow you to clean it from unwanted impurities and large fragments. Then take about 2 kilograms of chalk and dilute it in 2.5–3 liters of warm water. Stir the mixture thoroughly until it forms a uniform composition that does not contain lumps noticeable by eye.
5. Strain the finished compound through gauze, laid in two or three layers, periodically washing it with clean running water. As a result of the operations you have done, you should get a ready-to-use mass that resembles liquid sour cream in its consistency.

Video

Learn more about how to dilute lime, you can watch the following video: