Surface Design Awards – Complete

• INTERIOR SURFACE OF THE YEAR - NEW
  This is a new category that recognises wall, floor, ceiling and surface design products, including decorative, creative and inventive surfaces for the interior of buildings including both commercial and residential properties.

Armourcoat clay lime plasters have been responsibly developed to achieve beautiful matte stone surface finishes whilst minimising environmental impact. Formulated using clay, lime and recycled crushed marble, the plasters are naturally durable, breathable and VOC free.
Amourcoat’s development process of a clay plaster was guided by the following principals:
1) To use natural mineral raw materials that are readily available.
2) To create a surface that has visual depth but is not necessarily too thick. Less material is a good thing in terms of natural resources, transport of the materials and end of life waste.
2) Zero emission for good indoor air quality.
3) Longevity: For a material to be truly sustainable it must have longevity.

Combining the benefits of natural products with modern and artisan techniques, Armourcoat Clime offers a whole new experience in sustainable decoration for the business and the home. Clime is beautifully aesthetic, bringing the outside in through its earthy natural pigments and textures. By launching our clay lime plaster and gaining EPD classification and HPD classification we remain dedicated to our mission to improve the quality of living and working interiors whilst minimising the impact of wall finishing products on the environment.
Armourcoat Clime is available in two standard finishes: Clime Coarse and Clime Honed.
Clime Honed creates a finely textured, subtle finish which radiates the natural material used. Clime Coarse includes crushed marble to create a heavier texture, suitable for large areas where a more dramatic finish is desired. Both finishes are available in 15 colours and are suitable for internal areas. Custom colours and finishing techniques are also possible including banding, layering and pearlescent washes.

WHY CLAY AND LIME
Armourcoat incorporates natural hydraulic lime into its clay plaster as we consider plaster with clay
as the only binder is far too weak for most environments.

Clay plasters are generally only between one fifth and one quarter actual clay. The rest of the mix is made up of graded aggregates such as sand. When clay plasters are applied thickly or dry out too quickly, they have a significant tendency to mud crack because that is essentially what they are - mud. Clay plaster also softens immediately if it has contact with water. Sealers can be applied to clay plasters to stabilise the top surface and provide a little more resistance to abrasion, however
the application of any kind of surface binder based on synthetic resin will drastically reduce its
breathability and humidity control.

After extensive evaluation we concluded that the addition of natural hydraulic lime to the clay
plaster had significant benefits in terms of its strength and durability without affecting its
breathability or its ability to regulate humidity. The hydraulic lime not only stops it softening when
wet but also makes it possible to seal the surface with a natural olive oil-based soap. The soap sealer chemically reacts with the free calcium ions in the lime to impart a natural water resistance
to the surface without the need to resort to synthetic sealers.

Armourcoat’s primary focus in developing our clay lime plaster was to focus on sustainable
architecture. For a product to be truly sustainable it must also have longevity.

There has been a lot of interest focused on clay plasters as a sustainable option for wall finishes, however after extensive research and evaluation Armourcoat concluded that despite the wonderful qualities of clay, clay only plasters are unfortunately extremely fragile and soften almost immediately when exposed to water. By developing a natural binder made from roughly equal amounts of clay and hydraulic lime, Armourcoat believe they have achieved the optimum balance. Naturally sustainable, low in embodied carbon and retaining the raw aesthetic of clay only plasters, Clime is resilient enough to be used as a wall finish with true longevity.
Clime plasters create inclusive, healthy interiors, with beautiful finishes in tune with nature and engaging traditional decorative skills absorbing toxins reducing asthma and other respiratory diseases. Available in several finishes the natural clay lime plaster is 100% cement and VOC free, biodegradable and has achieved IAC Gold status and EPD classification. Due to the materials versatility, it can be used in both homes and commercial buildings, withstanding the demands of busy interiors.
- Independent tests were carried out in the UK for classification of reaction to fire performance in
accordance with EN13501-1: 2018. A1 / A1fl / A1L.
- From the life cycle assessment the total embodied carbon: EN15804 +A2: 0.24 kg CO2e.
- Natural breathable finish
- Absorbs toxins from the air
- Helps to regulate humidity
- UV resistant
- Seamless and durable
- Low embodied carbon
- Llow embodied energy
- Resistant to mould and mildew
- Wide range of finishes achievable
- Completely non combustible (A1 reaction to fire classification, according to EN 13501-1:
2018)
- Promotes good health and well being for occupants
- Can be recycled
- Developed and manufactured by Armourcoat in the UK

Clime is blended in Armourcoat’s factory in the UK and is a natural clay lime plaster supplied in a powdered form and mixed on site with clean water. Clime is designed to create an elegant natural plaster surface with low embodied carbon and a long-lasting durable finish. Clime has been thoughtfully formulated to minimise impact on the environment and offer a truly ecological decorative alternative to paint or other wallcoverings. Naturally sustainable, Clime finishes incorporate abundant raw earth materials such as crushed stone, unfired clay, natural hydraulic lime, limestone or recycled marble powder and natural pozzolanic additives. The ingredients are carefully weighed and sieved. They are then blended in a U trough ribbon blender in our factory in the UK. The material is filled into paper sacks to 18kg +/-100g. Every batch is subject to a complete Quality control check and residual samples retained for a minimum of 2 years from date of manufacture. The product is then stored in our warehouse ready for transportation to site. Clime contains small amounts of natural plant-based additives to control the working characteristics. Clime contains no pollutants, VOCs or Formaldehyde and when mixed and applied provides a thin durable stone surface that can be applied onto a wide range of substrates. Clime is an inert mineral coating that will last for years and is a significantly more environmental choice for interior walls that paints or other synthetic wall coverings due to its composition and longevity.

The other significant benefit of using some lime in the formulation is that it enabled Armourcoat to use a natural olive oil-based soap sealer to seal and protect the surface.

Whilst the addition of hydraulic lime slightly increases the GWP of the product is stronger leading to greater longevity and can be applied thinner thereby using less resources and lower transport emissions.

Therefore, we believe that Clime is the right choice for architects and designers seeking an environmentally sustainable and durable wall finish without losing the aesthetic qualities of clay only plasters. This balance is unique to Armourcoat.