Emperor Stories: Painting a Home in a World Heritage Site

Projects like painting the outside of your house never come without some small challenges – particularly when that project sits high on the clifftops of the Cornish coast.

That’s exactly what Lucy faced when they set out to renovate the outside of a coastal property that was exposed to the full force of the elements. We caught up with Lucy to hear how the transformation went and to gather some top tips for anyone tackling a similar project.

The Goal Of the Project

Due to the extreme weather that Lucy’s home endures on the coastline, the process of ensuring the walls were protected took extra importance.

‘The goal was to make this place both sustainable and economical, in a wild and remote West Cornwall setting.’ The property was an old forge built at the end of the tin mining era in West Cornwall, and sits within a World Heritage site of astounding natural beauty, making the preservation of the structure crucially important.

Prep is Key

The amount of moisture the walls had endured since it was last painted, using a standard masonry paint, had left the property further exposed to the elements with a large amount of peeling paint across the walls.

The project began in July 2024, with the preparation of the exterior starting with the old coatings being removed to create a sound surface to repaint.

Lucy said, ‘We’ve been busy pressure washing and surprised by how much of the old paint has come off around the oldest walls.’

With the standard masonry paint removed, with much of it having poor adhesion to the walls due to moisture, another layer of coating was revealed beneath. This bitumen coating had been applied pre-1970’s and had further impacted the breathability of the walls.

Bitumen was commonly used in coastal or industrial areas in the 20th century, but over time it becomes brittle, traps moisture and prevents walls from naturally breathing due to a high level of water vapour resistance.

The combination of extreme weather conditions leading to water ingress and the low breathability of the previous paints used has led to moisture becoming trapped within the walls, eventually leading to these coatings lifting away from the walls.

Once the peeling paint had been removed, Lucy had widespread repairs to make to cracks and holes across the walls. The cracks can often be a sign of damage caused by a high level of moisture.

The walls were treated with a fungicidal wash and the bare, unpainted areas were primed using Emperor Exterior Primer. Priming these bare surfaces not only allows the paint to strongly adhere to masonry, but it also prevents the paint from soaking into the walls, creating a strong, solid paint film on the surface.

The project didn’t go without its challenges along the way. Lucy told us ‘we had to abseil down a cliff to recover scaffold boards that got blown off in Storm Darragh’. Now that is what we call commitment to the cause!

The Main Event

With ‘White’ selected as the colour due to the local building regulations in the area, Lucy with help from Graham and Robin began the painting process in August 2024.

August often presents the ideal time of year to paint older properties as it provides not only the driest time of year to paint (helping you avoid those dreaded rain showers), but also means the walls have had a number of warm months to help dry them out before painting. Lucy emphasised this, ‘allow much more time than you think to allow walls to dry if you’ve pressure washed them to get flaking paint off’.

The key before starting your decorating project is to ensure you have allowed the walls to become touch dry with no visible moisture on the surface. This means that when you come to apply Emperor Masonry Paint, the paint can stick to the surface and dry as designed.

Now painted and protected, Lucy’s clifftop home stands proud against the stunning Cornish coastline.

The transformation not only restored The Forge’s visual impact, but it has also brought peace of mind. When asked how Lucy feels following the project; ‘Relieved… it’s warm and dry indoors!’

‘The paint has a thick consistency. It was extremely good when applying with a roller, going on quickly and with a great dense coverage.’

Lucy added that it can be ‘much harder with a paint brush’ because of the nooks and crannies on old stone walls that are much easier to paint using a long-pile masonry roller.

‘We really like the finish of the paint – it has a lovely matte finish which we like a lot more than the previous (acrylic based) paint.’

Lucy’s project is a perfect example of how careful prep, the right products and a little bit of determination can completely transform even the most challenging property.

Lucy’s advice to other homeowners, ‘See painting your home as a nice chance to have a chat with your neighbours, build up your shoulder muscles and your tan, and acquire a few skills along the way!’

As The Forge stands proudly against the Cornish coastline, we can safely say we’re truly inspired.

Ready to start your own transformation? Order your sample or explore our colour inspiration gallery to find the perfect colour for your home.