A QUICK LOOK AT DISTEMPER

Historically, Distemper paint has been used from way back in ancient times for covering large areas such as walls and ceilings, and noticeably used in the UK since the C15th. it was generally used more in rural areas than in towns due to  its low cost to produce, the availability of it's constituents, and ease of application  It was very easy and cheap to produce; consisting, in its basic form, of water, chalk, and an animal based glue as a binding agent.

However, It is not weather resistant,  neither is it a hardwearing coating, so it was only applied to internal surfaces, and this is where limewash should be used for exterior areas.

Due to its lack of durability distemper was commonly used in areas of "low contact" such as the interiors of churches and theatres.

The Interiors of churches were a very  common place to find distemper, alongside interior walls in  theatres.

Interior areas prone to high moisture content, such as kitchens and bathrooms, are not advised for the use of distemper because it is neither "water resistant" nor "wipeable/scrubbable" so thought must always be given first, over cost.

Distemper was often coloured with varying chalks to create warm whites, soft creams, and soft greys.

Modern day, pre mixed distemper paints are readily available today, but given the demands with modern day living, and the major advances in water based interior emulsion paints, in our opinion distemper paints are really not necessary in domestic areas as they were, but very useful if you are carrying out specific restoration works where historical importance is necessary.