Helping a Client Hypersensitive to VOCs with True Limewash and Lime Screed
Updated: Sep 30
This project dates back to March 2025. A client called in to tell us about her struggles with mold, explaining that she couldn't use standard anti-mold paints because of VOCs and other chemical sensitivities. She was stuck in a corner where only traditional, zero-VOC materials would do. She had been searching for years for someone who could work with natural lime until she finally found us. Needless to say, she got super excited when I started talking about lime soaps, Tadelakt, and traditional finishes.
I asked her if moving out temporarily during the renovation wasn't an option, but she explained that even high-end hotels make her sick because of residual VOCs lingering in the rooms.
Fast forward to March 10, 2025—the day I headed over to visit her home.
Stepping inside, the house didn’t even look like a home. I have never seen a place where every single door gap and window was sealed tight with duct tape, and the false ceiling completely stripped away. Suddenly, it stopped feeling like just another project and turned into a real responsibility. Knowing the properties of our lime, I was confident we could make a genuinely meaningful impact on her quality of life. Mind you, back then—and even now—true limewashes and authentic lime plaster applicators were practically nonexistent in Singapore.
Fast forward to Aug 2025,
We kicked off Phase 1, focusing strictly on the living room walls and ceiling, plus the toilet ceiling. Remember, the golden rule was absolute zero: no acrylics, and not a single drop of anything containing even the slightest trace of VOC.
First came removing the peeling milk paint and patching up the surfaces with a zero-VOC putty. Then, it was time for the limewash itself. We had actually done a ton of R&D back in our office just to get a truly VOC-free formula working. Truth be told, if it weren't for this client, we probably wouldn't have bothered developing it—it’s so much easier and more convenient to just grab a ready-made option off the shelf. But commercial ready-mades all carry some level of VOCs, which would never work for her. And we couldn't fake it, either; she would know instantly. Her body would react to it.
Patching and basecoat
We applied three basecoats to ensure the surface was properly prepared to act as an absorbent foundation for the subsequent limewash topcoats.
Topcoat
Here is how it looks right after applying the topcoat. It's going to look pretty patchy at this stage, but with lime, we know that about 80% of the color intensity fades as it cures and dries out.
The next video will show you how it transforms once everything is completely dried and settled.
Fast Forward to July 2026
Fast forward to July 2026. Time flies, and it was finally time for Phase 2: tackling the remaining two bedrooms (walls, ceilings, and floors), plus two green feature walls.
That was when the real challenge began—laying down a lime screed floor. The client had already ripped out her old parquet because it was rotting, and she refused to put down new tiles or wood due to the adhesives and VOCs involved during installation. While we were well-versed in walls and ceilings, we had never done a floor before. And a floor leaves zero room for mistakes; it has to be durable.
Working with lime on a floor comes with its own rules. It will age, wear, and stain over time. Because a lime floor is porous and breathable, it takes months—sometimes years—to reach its maximum hardness through the carbonation process. It’s a completely different beast compared to standard cement, which cures rapidly and builds high hardness fast.
Still, no excuses. Let's get to work.
We mixed a very straightforward lime mortar using a ratio of 1 part NHL5 to 4 parts sand. After misting the cement subfloor with water, we applied about 20 to 40mm of the lime screed over it, using an aluminum screeding bar to get it level. Because this was the heavy leveling coat, we used a coarser, big-grained sand.
The next step follows a similar process, but shifting to medium and fine sands. That next phase involves three distinct layers: two coats of lime screed using medium-sized sands, finished off with a final sealing coat of the exact same limewash we used on the walls to lock in the color.
Now that is a truly unique floor! In our modern day and age, you just don't see floors like this anymore.
Now, let's wait for the client to return, and I'll keep you updated on how she settles in. We truly believe that all the work we've put into this space will make a deeply positive impact on her daily life and health.
Fast Forward to September 2026
We recently had a meeting with the client at her home to take care of some minor touch-ups. When we asked how she was doing, she greeted us with a big smile and was super happy. Apparently, her health has been steadily improving because, practically speaking, her entire home is now coated in lime—authentic lime, to be precise. Let's hope her recovery continues and she is fully able to get back to living a normal, comfortable life.
Sharing some pictures with you guys below!
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