Due to the conditions frequently found in all churches (solid walls, no DPC and poor intermittent heating) modern paint coatings have difficulty coping as they are less permeable and therefore restrict the passage of moisture vapour which is constantly present in the solid walls. The result is commonly found to be premature blistering and flaking. The old lime washes &dDistempers used in the past were very effective at releasing moisture from the stone but they were constantly needing re-coating, were extremely powdery, and were disfigured by a high incidence of staining.