Painting your walls without poisoning the planet?

Honestly, I feel your pain—old plaster and mineral paints are a wild combo. I’ve had better luck just skipping primer altogether and misting the wall before painting, especially with limewash. It’s more forgiving than people think, and the walls still breathe. The “universal” primers always felt like a marketing gimmick to me... sometimes less is more, especially with these old beauties.

I’ve been reading a lot about the “breathability” thing, and I get why folks skip primer on old plaster, but I’m still a bit nervous about adhesion. Did you ever have issues with paint flaking or patchiness after misting and going straight to limewash? I’m tempted to try it, but part of me wonders if there’s a trick to prepping the surface just right—like, is there a sweet spot for how damp the wall should be?

Never had major flaking, but I’ve definitely seen patchiness if the wall’s too dry or too wet. For me, the sweet spot is when the plaster feels cool and just barely damp—almost like a wrung-out sponge.

“is there a sweet spot for how damp the wall should be?”

- I’ve read about the vinegar wash but honestly, I’m not convinced it’s necessary for every wall.
- Did a test patch with and without it—didn’t notice much difference in adhesion, just took longer to dry.
- If your plaster’s prepped right (dust-free, no greasy spots), limewash seems to stick fine.
- Maybe it helps on really old or glossy surfaces? Not sure it’s worth the extra step for most cases.

If your plaster’s prepped right (dust-free, no greasy spots), limewash seems to stick fine.

Couldn’t agree more with this. I’ve flipped a few old houses and honestly, unless you’re dealing with some ancient kitchen walls coated in decades of who-knows-what, the vinegar step feels like overkill. I tried it once—just made the room smell like a salad bar and didn’t see much difference. Good prep is king. If it’s clean and not shiny, you’re golden.