[1] Lime paints (aside of Fresco-technique) are only moderately weather resistant, so people apply them primarily in monument preservation.
The city hall in Schwyz and "Gasthaus Weißer Adler" in Stein am Rhein (both in Switzerland) received their coats of mineral paint in 1891, and facades in Oslo from 1895 or in Traunstein, Germany from 1891.
Alchemists in their pursuit of the philosopher's stone (to manufacture gold) found glassy shimmering pearls in fireplaces.
Small round panes of water glass were first industrially manufactured for used as windows in the 19th century by Van Baerle in Gernsheim and Johann Gottfried Dingler in Augsburg.
The Silinwerk van Baerle in Gernsheim near the Rhine river and Keimfarben in Diedorf near Augsburg are well-known manufacturers.
The art-minded monarch was so impressed by the colorful lime frescoes in northern Italy that he desired to experience such artwork in his own kingdom Bavaria.
But the weather north of the alps - known to be significantly more harsh - destroyed the artful paintings within short time.
A coat with mineral colors does not form a layer but instead permanently bonds to the substrate material (silicification).
While dispersions based on acrylate or silicone resin over the years tend to grow brittle, chalky, and crack under UV, the inorganic binder water glass remains stable.
The chemical fusion with the substrate and the UV stability of the binder are the fundamental reasons for the extraordinarily high lifetime of silicate paints.
This addition helps avoid condensation of water on the surface of building materials, reducing the risk of infestation by algae and fungi.
The high alkalinity of the water glass binding agent adds to the inhibitory effect against infestation by microorganisms and eliminates the need for additional preservatives.