Wood oil and wax, lime and natural wall primers at the Naturalpaint workshop

On 4 and 5 October 2019 a workshop was held in Gheorgheni on the theme "Finishing wood and walls with natural products Kreidezeit", organised by Naturalpaintthe distributor of these products in Romania. Special guest and coordinator of the activities was Martin Krampfer, specialist in paints and natural building materials and certified environmental adviser for crafts. Participants learned about the history of Kreidezeit, the raw materials used in the production of the products, environmentally friendly technologies and learned wood and wall finishing techniques. Oils, waxes, pigments, lime-based paints and special effect materials, all Kreidezeit branded, were used for practical applications.

About Kreidezeit

Martin's presentation also had a brief history of the company, from which we learned about Gert Ziesemann, the company's founder. It all started from his desire to paint the walls of his house with a healthy, basic product, different from the acidic ones commonly used. In the 1980s, acid waste spills in the North Sea were a major environmental problem. Gert made a paint from fresh cheese, borax and chalk to paint the walls of his house and was very pleased. So he thought he'd share the recipe with others. It was so well received that he started making the paint at home and selling it at weekend and organic food fairs. It was 1987.

In 1992, after appearing on a TV show to explain how to make paints from something other than oil and toxic chemicals, his small business took off. It began to grow, which led to the need for more production space. After moving into an animal barn in 2002, the small factory moved to an old gater in Sehlem, which Gert bought. This is where the factory still stands today. The factory's products have become known all over the world and are used in ordinary houses, but also in the restoration of castles in Japan and tourist attractions in the Netherlands and Germany.

The products are appreciated all over the world because they are made exclusively using natural raw materials and environmentally friendly technologies. In fact, the company's principle is: "What cannot be produced in an environmentally friendly way, is not manufactured". The materials have all the components declared by the manufacturer's will without this obligation and are totally harmless so any accidental leakage from the packaging does not need to be reported.

First day dedicated to wood finishing with natural products Kreidezeit

After telling us about the beginnings of Kreidezeit, Martin explained and demonstrated how ordinary materials around us can become binders for pigments. We saw him using beer and egg as a binder. Natural pigments mixed only with water and applied to wood to stain it, take on hand after drying. Mixed with beer or egg, on the other hand, they stick much better to the wood. Egg also works as an emulsifier, allowing the oil to mix with the water and pigments, turning them into paint. All this and more was discovered by studying the old recipes used by master painters of cathedrals and churches.

Kreidezeit oils, waxes, lacquers and paints used for various purposes were taken in turn. We have seen how to apply floor oil and wax, lacquers and paints for wood used outdoors, solvent-free oil, Marseille soap and other protection and maintenance products.

And after telling us all about the materials, he let us "play" with them by applying them to pieces of wood specially prepared by Naturalpaint. Martin was besieged with questions and so the practical part stretched well beyond the hour set as the end of the first day of the workshop. However, in order to manage to cover the whole of the proposed programme for the second day, we ended the day by applying the primer coat over the pieces of plasterboard that were to be coated with plaster and paint.

The second day - finishing the walls

The program started at 9am, an hour early so we could finish on time. We didn't make it this time either 😊 The day started with the theoretical presentation, which includedplasters and lime paints, casein-based primers and the health benefits of using these products to finish homes. We discussed Tadelakt - traditional Moroccan plaster - and we've seen how to "seal" walls with soap to make them damp-proof in areas such as bathrooms and showers.

The second part of the day was again dedicated to practical applications. Everybody could "get their hands dirty" practising application techniques with specific tools provided by the organisers. By far the most attractive and spectacular were the special effects, when red glass balls or crushed walnut shells were mixed into the paints before application. The participants were like children with new toys and seemed to be competing to see who could do it better and more beautifully. Socialising was another highlight of the meeting, with those who had used Kreidezeit products in the past sharing their experiences with others.

It was an event with lots of information and lots of hands-on activity, which seemed to be a win-win for participants. Despite the bad weather on the first day, with lots of rain and cold, they didn't regret their decision to come. In the workshop space it was warm and nice (with coffee and cronuts 😉 ) and they were able to learn a lot about Kreidezeit natural products, which are very appreciated by their users.

Participants appreciate such events, whether they have attended Naturalpaint workshops before or it was the first time, they were all excited to learn new things about natural, healthy materials. Some are even looking forward to the next workshop which will take place soon. We'll be back with details as soon as we know the date and venue. So stay tuned!