A while ago, I briefly mentioned a project Tom Williams is working on in Ballard using Intonachino Extra Fine and Medium. It’s worth taking another look. Click on the picture below to see more photos.

Of course, mold-resistance is great for optimal indoor air health as well, so intonachino and other lime plasters are also ideal for interiors. Quoting from this excellent article on lime plaster’s natural mold resistance; “the short answer as to why Venetian plaster is truly mold-resistant is that mold can only grow in an acidic and wet or damp environment. Venetian plasters breathe and do not retain moisture. Molds also require a food source and an acidic environment in which to multiply.”

For both health- and earth-conscious reasons, Venetian style Italian lime plasters are the way to go……

Not Fade Away: While synthetic Venetian plasters made by various paint manufacturers may look somewhat similar to the real thing at first, it’s been our experience that these synthetics will ultimately fade and become “tired” looking over time.  This is similar to the way painted walls will fade and lose their fresh look after a few years.  Synthetic Venetians are paint, not stone – they are “organic” in the sense they have not finished their life-cycle and will continue to change after application.   Authentic mineral plasters are made from stone – lime and marble – they are non-organic and will not change over time.

Linoleum versus stone: We liken it to the difference between putting linoleum on your floor versus stone.  Remember, real slaked lime and marble based Venetian plasters are actually composed of stone in the form of crushed limestone and marble. It’s “like applying liquid stone to your walls” we like to tell our customers (excellent selling point), and it makes sense these real Venetian plaster materials retain their luster and vibrancy for decades and longer.

Short term versus long term: True you may save some money in the short term using quote-unquote Venetian plaster.  But considering the labor and the time involved, I think the synthetics are generally going to be used by the uneducated applicator/consumer.  I say this because it is very rarely that we see anyone turned on to natural plasters go back to the synthetics.…