Why were medieval cottages and castle white?

Most Medieval cottages and castles had a whitewash coating on their outer surface and in this video I explain why.
Why are medieval buildings made of squares and rectangles: • Why are medieval build...
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[@z3122]

They were painted white because they were to cheap to spring for the color pack dlc.

[@ohrats731]

Seeing white castles is so different! It reminds me of when I found out Roman statues were often painted bright colors, not just left as white marble

[@Goraka91]

Honestly unpainted marble looks much more classy than those garish abominations anyway.

[@duchessskye4072]

No, no they don't

[@ohrats731]

Goraka91 I wonder what ancient Greeks and Romans would think of our strong preference for bare marble lol

[@NoahWeisbrod]

Goraka91 In the ancient world, dyes could be expensive, so colorful things were more valued. Today, since we can cheaply make whatever synthetic pigment we want, a sense of restraint is appreciated.

[@darymetal]

Fun fact, Romans were actually *disgusted* by bare marble statues

[@shanerooney7288]

0:22 "... I've made a whole video on the subject." I bloody knew it!

[@adambielen8996]

Finally some good historical whitewashing.

[@Sabersonic]

*ba-dam tish*

[@Areanyusernamesleft]

I see what you did there.

[@AwwesomeVal]

Perfect 👌🏻

[@Wolvenworks]

hogwash

[@Chaps_Jr]

Highly underrated comment

[@GentlemanBones]

Whoa, Shad. You can't just ask why a castle is white.

[@BradKarmour]

Came here just to make that joke.

[@LurkerDaBerzerker]

It's okay to be a white castle..... *Braces for impact*

[@LB-vf2hm]

It's because they're European.

[@flipthecoin888]

Omg. Literally Hitler!

[@Sabersonic]

*Nickolas Homes* For some reason, I feel like getting some sliders....

[@KristoffDoe]

What you mention about adding fat to quicklime and "bonding" it - I think what may happen is that fat is decomposed by heat and alkaline conditions to produce glycerol and fatty acids, then fatty acids react further to produce "calcium soap". Calcium soaps are insoluble in water and were known to be used as waterproofing agents.

[@ZeroRoyale]

Oh my God Shad! You can’t just ask why cottages and castles were white!

[@cerebraldreams4738]

We must secure the existence of our cottages and a future for white castles.

[@Azguella]

I was about to make the same comment but I see that you did it first

[@weldonwin]

Stop this Historical Whitewashing of our castles!

[@jamessarvan7692]

Haha damn, you beat me to it!

[@valhar2000]

+CerebralDreams Kek bless you, my brother in Pepe.

[@ShermSpinner]

Fun Fact: The "Limestone Cycle" utilized in this method of whitewashing is essentially building the original limestone back up on the wall (just way more porous). It is also still utilized in modern cement. The waterproofing is a bit more complicated than just "smaller pores" though. A bit of chemical background: Essentially, fat in the hot and very alkaline circumstances created by reacting quicklime with water (wich creates Calcium Hydroxide, essentially strong, calcium-based lye), will decompose back into fatty acids. Fatty acids are what's called "surfactants", meaning the molecules have a water-soluable and a water-insoluable part. In water, these usually would clump together in little balls ("micelles") that are able to trap water-insoluable things within (This is how soap works!). At the surface however, they will lign up, sticking their water-insoluable part out into the air, effectively forming a hydrophobic (water-repellant) surface layer. Granted, the medival process is somewhat rudimentary and probably not always super effective, but most modern waterproofing actually still works on the same idea, just with more specialized and effective chemicals and processes.

[@michaelwoodhams7866]

Thanks a lot for that. With my high school chemistry, what I expected of mixing quicklime with fat and water is ... soap. Among many things for which soap is not famous, being waterproof is high on the list.

[@rickardspaghetti]

Wow, I didn't know you could make videos this short.

[@guestimator121]

rickardspaghetti Is it really a Shad video if it's only 5 minutes long?

[@rickardspaghetti]

It's fun, but hard. It's especially hard when you scrap everything you make because you're never happy with it.

[@rickardspaghetti]

I figured that's why you asked. Yeah, I'm him. Haven't been there in years, so I don't remember many usernames though.

[@Omni315]

It's almost strange not to hear a five minute qualifier on every point.

[@charongraves5932]

I'd add a tactical reason for the whitewash on castles. A smooth thick whitewash finish hides the joints between the stones. This serves to both make the walls harder to scale, and reduces susceptibility to certain types of siege assault by limiting visable weaknesses.

[@AlexS-uo7uk]

This does make sense, just wondering whether you KNOW this, or are you just postulating?

[@fsmoura]

A Church council in the 7th century discussed the matter. It was decided that shock purple and lime green were too showy.

[@Jinseual]

I think I learned stuff on this channel that I would not have learned anywhere else in the internet. Like who the hell would take his time studying and writing a book or whatever about why the buildings were painted white?

[@devincombs4509]

i mean, shad would if anybody would.

[@shawn6860]

He probably has a full video on medieval Toilet paper and How socks were made.

[@snakeoveer1046]

Lindybeige has a video about how viking socks were made.

[@darnokthemage170]

People who really care about history and are not just loer military historians

[@Cythil]

I actually find it pretty fascinating how our vision of the past is often wrong simply due to how thing decay. Like Castles often having been painted back in the day (whitewash is a form of painting just to be clear). And they where not always white painted to as even back then but also in other colors. As can bee seen in one of the medieval illustrations in the video. Same goes with a lot of Roman and Greek buildings to. What is left is just the marble structures and statues. But generally everything was painted. So the past was a lot more colorful that people assume. Not to mention how clothing is often depreciated as being dab and colorless. Everything being brown or black. (Or white togas when it comes to Romans). And well... If you when around with a muted colored robe you would likely be mistake for a monk back in the medieval era. And the clothing would be in general in pretty good shape to because you did not need a tailor back then to fix your clothing. Unlike today with people wearing there tattered jeans. Of course some colors where more common in the past then others. Purple was the colour of Emperors for a reason. And different shades of blue where hard to come by for example (but not all shade.) Edit: So yes. The original Yellow Castle made by Lego might not be as anachronistic as some people think! (Though I admit I am not sure I have seen any medieval castle with that sort of bright yellow coloring. But I have seen later period castles with that sort of bright yellow paint)

[@jessicadominguez1315]

Great video Shad. Why can't all historical castles have their whitewashing restored I wonder? It would help prevent the stone from eroding any more than it already has and it's historically accurate. Plus white washing is certainly cheaper than replacing stone.

[@davidweihe6052]

Money, interest, history (it has been in ruined condition since the English Civil War, why change it back?), aesthetics (Remember the bitching when cleaning the Sistine Chapel's ceiling revealed that the paintings were not all subtle browns but colorful as a cartoon?). Plus, restoration done "better" can make things worse.

[@G1NZOU]

Most castles are conserved as ruins and don't have any renovation (other than essential for safety and stability) done to them, some of the renovation done in the 19th century to some castles was inaccurate so they try and stay away from that kind of thing nowadays. Guédelon Castle in France is brand new though, they're building it completely from scratch using 13th century technology, horse drawn carts, manually carved stone, human powered cranes and lifting devices, everything measured with geometry instead of modern measuring tapes. They plan on whitewashing the outside when they're done so visitors can get a sense of what castles were really like when fully built and functional instead of the bare ruins we see today, they've already painted some inside rooms in the 13th century style and it looks amazing.

[@penzalo4119]

when my grandmother tells me "back in my day youngsters like you didn't waist their lifes playing video games, they went out and learned things about life" i turn the screen to her and show her that i was watching you :D

[@shadfacts6465]

Shad Fact: Shad holds the record for the most number of Dragons slain in a single day. 7,603,583, with a 3 dragon margin of error. This beat the previous record held by one L.R. Jenkins. At 5,043,692, with a 7 dragon margin of error.

[@DZ-1987]

too much numbers... TOO MUCH!! *Brain implodes*

[@Raresh789]

At least L.R. Jenkins had chicken...

[@Midknight0122]

However Jenkins was later struck from the record book since making dragon egg omlettes doesn't constitute slaying dragons as he previosly thought

[@SrLupinotuum]

So that's why is so hard to find dragons nowadays... filthy Shad, did Uncle Iroh didn't teach you to leave your pride behind when it comes to the last *dragons* ?!

[@Tenpi000]

Even the lawful good dragons. OH Nooo!

[@williamlazenby314]

Hey, Shad! Your channel has quickly become one of my favorite to watch. Your insight and historical knowledge combined with presentation and humor is fantastic. I feel smarter every time I see a video. Thanks for doing what you do!

[@NorthworthySagasStories]

Very cool video on lime washing. They would also use oyster shells for making lime but that was a rarer practice. I've limed washed a few old building some years ago. It's a very messy job and you also need to build up a few layers of lime on the walls to be effective. The longer you leave the lime to mix and settle in a tub the better it gets. A more modern practice with lime washing is to place salt into the mix which made it antibacterial and ideal for the inside of barns where animals were kept. Thanks for sharing this Shadiversity!

[@TheTerrainTutor]

Learnt something new today, patreon money well spent, thanks Shad!

[@santicheeks1106]

ok

[@daedalus5253]

Why are you higher in the comment section with 9 likes then a comment with nearly 800 likes?!

[@bluesrocker91]

Looking around Conwy Castle you can still find patches of whitewash on the outer walls.

[@frankieb9444]

Thanks to Kingdom Come Deliverance, I feel compelled to throw horse manure at all those houses.

[@daddyleon]

Haha, I find that that game is often on my mind! Especially when I walk through the local park/planted forrest with my son.

[@jackduffy1817]

Frankie Bruan, That's why they lym washed them, In case some one did through manuer at them.

[@Sofus.]

As one who has lived all my life in such buildings and is a painter. You have forgotten an important detail, white reflects the sunlight While dark absorbs heat. It is less important in castles since the walls are thicker, but in houses it can become unbearably hot in the summer. Bonus Info: it takes 5-6 months (2-3 people) to whitewash my hometown castles.

[@welfinspersonalentertainme1722]

Finally my 3 year question has been finally answered!!! thank you shad!!! thanks you soo much!!

[@turmunhkganba1705]

Could you make a video on medieval field medicine as I think it is relatively unknown and would be an interesting

[@cybervantyz]

Best historical video I've ever seen. Thank you!

[@denisrus2839]

In my country, Romania, we white wash the trunks of trees every spring for its antibacterial property and to protect them

[@davoocass]

awesome shad, your architecture vids are the best.

[@rorydonaldson2794]

I love how informative and interesting your videos are!! Thanks Shad! (Hope the baby watching is going well)

[@murdomaclachlan]

'Tis a little frustrating when I realise the castle whitewash doesn't appear in *any* films I've seen. And it's nice to have some chemistry bonded to my history. This channel just keeps covering more of my favourite topics.

[@dentistguba]

One time the disney castle got it right haha.

[@wolfy1987]

Dragonheart had a whitewashed castle in it I believe

[@Altrantis]

Several also had some sort of tint added and were colored pink, light yellow or light blue.

[@CandiRabbit]

Altrantis Maybe that's where the Idea of Pink Princess castles Came from.. >^> Barbie.. EXPLAIN

[@Sabersonic]

Though you gotta wonder what would the purpose for those non-white washes were for. Well, other than to show that you *CAN* afford it a.k.a. showing off.

[@WlLDEHlLDE]

Sabersonic Some people paint their houses green or yellow today as well, why wouldn't they in the past?

[@Sabersonic]

From a tactical/political standpoint?

[@WlLDEHlLDE]

Sabersonic Well, in the middle ages more colourful = more fancy = better. People wore many layers of colourful, expansive clothing just to show off. Having a house (or even castle) in an uncommon or expensive colour would absolutely fit.

[@ronalddavies1091]

Totally fascinating. Nice. 👍

[@GoblinKnightLeo]

I was just rewatching your video on the construction of w&d houses, and it reminded me of how the invention of plywood changed everything for the timber and construction industries.

[@SculptyWorks]

Thank you once again for the enlightening video, Shad!

[@martinnaranjo3185]

Now that's a good lenght! Almost 7 minutes, to the point yet very informative and fascinating!

[@d.mat.zero6525]

Hey Shad great video! N thank you for recommending Brandon Sanderson’s Stormlight Archives it’s been really fun!

[@DaBezzzz]

I love this whole going very in-depth on topics like this. Keep it up Shad!

[@behrangkhosravi3157]

I know that your main interest is medieval history but Im just going to point out that this practice was somewhat common and prolific all around the world. For example ancient Egyptian tombs, Mesopotamian forts and palaces and Mesoamerican temples all used some sort of paste, lime based or otherwise for this effect.

[@chouderr1089]

Behrang Khosravi he probably knows that but like you say his chanel is more themed around western Europe so people who watch this video care more about that. Also going over every application of medieval white wash would probably take hours.

[@timothymclean]

Now I know how to make whitewash. Into the trivia bin it goes! ...Say, can you add dyes of some kind to make bluewash or redwash or something? Asking for potential fantasy novel flavor.

[@shadiversity]

Yes, adding pig blood made it slightly pink!

[@roguegen5536]

Most dyes are easy to make, but blues and purples would've been crazy expensive to use in a temporary wash. In the Middle East however they did decorate some important buildings with tiles coated in a blue glaze which was much more permanent. Look up the Ishtar Gate for a good example, but it predates the Middle Ages by a very significant amount.

[@adambielen8996]

It depends on the shade, Indigo would be very expensive but other blues like Sky Blue could be cheap.

[@Altrantis]

They did make them pale blue, yellow or pink. In fact some of the illustrations Shad showed in this video shows it. 1:01

[@jessicalee333]

Really heavily pigmented vibrant colors would probably be 1) really really expensive, and 2) less functional as waterproofing. So... think light pastel colors.

[@kirbymarchbarcena]

Now I know what "White Castle" is all about.

[@chriscalvin5083]

Good video Shad

[@RoseMeowMeow]

Subbed and liked, I was recommended your channel after watching a couple of videos from the English Heritage. I didnt know there were free educational videos about medieval castles on youtube until I discovered your channel, imagine my surprise! Your contents are of great quality and I'm ready for more!

[@Lardian]

Medieval facts are so interesting.

[@bassemb]

I like how concise and to the point this video was. I find wattle and daub half-timber homes very pretty and I thank you for the earlier video explaining them and for this one! I love your content though usually the videos are too long to be conveniently watched, I imagine it's natural to expound with your wealth of knowledge and the amount of interlinked info to mention in historical topics.

[@markvt22]

Great video keep up the good work , we love you

[@drakkardragon384]

Very nice, thank you!

[@LuxiBelle]

Oh my God shad, you can't just ask buildings why they are white.

[@kleinjahr]

Aside from the bling factor, white walls tend to make it more difficult to infiltrate at night. Tends to backlight anyone sneaking about. Another advantage is the white wash will not show pigeon droppings quite so much.

[@AwwesomeVal]

I have literally been wondering about why these were white since seeing your video on those cottage houses in the first place!

[@janneaalto3956]

I love getting these answers to the questions I never thought to ask :)

[@habibainunsyifaf6463]

hey Shad, can you cover about oriental (the middle eastern oriental ofc) castle's anatomy?

[@Altrantis]

I don't know if near/middle eastern people built *castles* per se, same as they didn't have knights. Reason being the society was built in a different way, where the money wasn't mostly in the hands of warlords. They did have fortresses, however. I don't know many of them, however.

[@michaelwoodhams7866]

Japanese castles too please.

[@wolfy1987]

@@Altrantis They did actually. Many are still standing to this day

[@Altrantis]

@@wolfy1987 Are you sure they're castles though? By that I mean it's the fortified residence of a noble or king. As opposed to a palace, which is not fortified, or a fortress, which is a military structure without political residence functions.

[@mahelaniarektbb]

Love your videos always!

[@UCUCUC27]

who knew that building structures were so intricate and complex?O_o

[@test-mm7bv]

thanks. great series!

[@kvjqxzz5905]

another great vid to add to the masterly explanation of jetties...thanks Shad

[@Muca105]

Great video! A request: could you make a video about the types of roofings used in the Medieval period?

[@cookbeforewatching]

I recently came across some information you may be interested in looking into. I visited Norwich castle located in Norwich, England. While there I was told a little bit about Norman architecture and why it was the way it was. One of the details I got was that the Normans didn't only white wash the walls, they would also have colours between the bricks. For example I was told Norwich castle in particular had the colour of red between the bricks. Other castles might have had a different colour, and maybe others none (or most had none). This is something I think is specific for Norman castles, but it's interesting to look into.

[@SithLord2066]

Yes, those grey stone castles you see today were brilliant white back in their heyday. The brown jagged pyramids that we see in Egypt today were actually white and smooth as recently as 2000 years ago. They were covered entirely in limestone. Unfortunately the later inhabitants of the region stripped away the limestone as building material.

[@spoonsareoccasionallymadeo5728]

*The white castles have pretty good burgers...*

[@joooodah]

Thank you for doing all this research! I enjoy you videos very much :) :) God bless.

[@theskyrimplayer9854]

Shad deserves more subscribers.

[@bengosling4606]

Great video Shad, I guessed the reason of as a status symbol but not the water proofing. Learn something everyday so Cheers mate 👍

[@psykopanda11]

I would paint stuff on the White wash. Like latin text, crosses and heraldic symbols. Would this be historical? I cant see why not. Perhaps an idea for a video shad? ;)

[@purpleunicornmedia]

Great video, thank you! I vaguely remember attending a lecture that said that Swansea Castle was multicoloured on the outside?

[@dominicbannister9363]

Thank you, shad. Taught me something new again.

[@kellymccabe9154]

Hey Shad, excellent video as always. Question: would you consider a video that looks at why/how castles seem to have been magically built out of the faces of stone cliffs and the like? There seems to be some very impressive engineering going on there.

[@sam2920]

Thanks for a nice and informative video! I really enjoy your content.

[@sam2920]

magnetic weasel Thanks, he has all of his stuff on minds.com too, so you really don't have to worry about reuploading his videos

[@magneticweasel1960]

Mr. Him really? Thanks

[@sam2920]

magnetic weasel Yeah he has his most recent songs near the top. If you scroll all the way to the bottom he has a download for all of his old songs.

[@MontChevalier]

Glorious video!

[@GoodandBasic]

Good. The whitewash is also antibacterial. The horizontal layers are actually functional in castle construction. They are courses either of cut stone of the same sort of the rest of the wall, slate or some other flat stone to reset the horizontal line of the wall and increase strength. They are actually quite standard.

[@MeanOldLady]

Yep. It works a lot like Moroccan tadelakt for interiors. Basic limestone + pigment for the plaster coat, then several maintenance coatings of a special black olive oil soap for its water repellent properties. If doing limestone & cob walls/plasters, limestone first (sets harder, less cracking if first layer), then cob as it's more flexible. If it's done in reverse, the lime layers will crack constantly as the cob breathes & settles.

[@GhostCabinet]

I live in a town built around the Anglo saxon era called wareham in England and many of the buildings still have thatched roofs and have whitewash on the walls

[@MadNumForce]

One very important thing to mention is the different qualities of lime, especially the dichotomy between air lime, and hydraulic lime. Hydraulic lime is rather strong, and can be used almost like cement, except it breathe (unlike cement). You can make very serious mortar out of it, even concrete (the "Roman concrete" is precisely hydraulic lime based). But the vast majority of lime available during medieval times was air lime, which is not nearly as good mechanically. Air lime "sets" through carbonation, and basically comes back to it's original state: mineral lime/chalk. You talk about adding lard or tallow to the quicklime, so it produces a sort of soap-bonded air lime (alkali + fat = soap, in general), applied like a paint, but there was another way: a thick layer of air lime-based render, usually mixed with sand and earth (depending on the region as clay is often naturally present in the earth, every locality then having its own tradition, something that doesn't come out much in your videos). Where I live, in Auvergne, where "rammed earth" (which really doesn't make the technique justice, it's way more technical than just ramming earth, in French it's called "pisé") was very traditional for making buildings up to three or four floors height, and barrows, this mixture was widely used. Clay naturally present in the earth seconds the relatively poor properties of the air lime in the render (it may even replace it), and since it sticks quite well to the rammed earth wall, is was a cheap, yet sound alternative to a "lime intensive" finish such as whitewash. It would produce an earth-colored aspect, from dull yellow to light brown (when dry). But in regions where there was natural coloured earth (such as in the Vaucluse, especially in ROusillon, known for the variety and quality of its ochres), a final decorative layer could be applied, either as a simple water-based wash, lime-based wash, or with the fresco technique (the decorative layer applied before the render is dry).

[@00Trademark00]

Some stone medieval structures that survived until today lost their whitewash in the 19th century. The people of the day started being interested in history but sadly had many misconceptions and made a lot of mistakes (and in some cases they did not care). There's a medieval water tower close to the square of my town which is now bare stone but that wasn't until the mid 19th century when the people decided that the whitewash on the tower must have been a recent addition since "medieval castles have bare stones" (the same misconception people have today, but back then there were no archeologists and historians knowledgable enough to prevent that) and scraped it off. A lot of 19th century restorations are like that, sadly (not just from the Victorians, i.e. not just in Britain).

[@StuartChignell]

Yes but.......Lots of castles were not white. In some areas (like Scotland) many castles were pink. White was a very easy colour but they did other colours as well. I think in England during one period it was a requirement for Catholic castles to be pink. But I'm not sure about that and can't find a reference off hand.

[@fa5382]

Great video, as always. Could you maybe make a video about the different styles of timber framing and when they were used? The English and French style were different than the German style for example, and within the German style you had northern and southern (Alemannisches Fachwerk). Maybe show how they evolved from the early medieval period (really simple) to the renaissance when they were beautifully decorated. Might be a bit too specific but it's just a suggestion!

[@johnmichaelfabian878]

😮 Mind blown!!

[@haleffect9011]

Hey Shad, My friends and I are going to start a DnD game and we're just creating the setting right now, but could you make a video on how medieval cities were laid out? Like what's the logic behind that crazy road system, and where would the markets and the baracks and all were located? It would help a lot, thanks!

[@yuripantyhose4973]

very interesting, thanks!

[@charlethemagne5466]

Still got a lot of these houses in the UK, there are certain historical taverns, though they usually just serve normal alcoholo

[@Eddrian32]

Would you ever consider doing a video on the logistics of an underground castle, such as those found in the underdark of DND?

[@Allocated_Brain]

Wow Lindy posting an hour long video the same day shad posts a five minute video. No complaints.

[@AdredenGaming]

Thanks Shad :)

[@brianyoutube3803]

We use lime white wash on our roofs in Bermuda that also collects rain water and stores it in an underground tank.

[@miguelluis483]

Hey, Shad! I really appreciate your content and I wanted to ask you a question: In mediaeval buildings (like churches, or palaces, or castles) there are towers inserted in the middle of a horizontal body of said building. I can think of, per example, the early Palace of Ribeira, the primary residence of the kings of Portugal during the renaissance. Although it is not from the medieval period, it is very illustrative of what I am talking about. My question is: how are/were these type of structure architecturally supported? And how was the look of it from the inside?

[@nathanaelsallhageriksson1719]

I've heard that it was also used in regions where wood was very hard to get hold of, so they just built the frames in wood and used other materials for the rest. (Maby not always expensive lime though, IDK.)

[@ABaumstumpf]

Lime is a great material - and still wildly used in farms across europe as it is cheap, easy to use, last longer than most other paints and non toxic.

[@bumtisch]

Even grown up in a half timbered House, I have learnded something. Thanx for the Video

[@massaweed420]

But is it fire proof though? Specifically *dragon* fire proof?

[@medieverse]

I'm sure this will surprise a lot of people. I'd love to see a video on Scottish harling aka roughcast, which was another way castles were coated.

[@jay15951]

I was watching this while doing dishes and got my phone wet. the irony of getting somethign modern wet while watching a video about ancient waterproofing.

[@AlwaysTimo]

very insteresting man wow !!! thanks!!

[@nealsterling8151]

Brilliant Video!

[@JittoRalo]

I am from the U.S.A - I mean, terrible at history. Same thing. So I realized that it becomes fascinating when you get involved with hand-making things as well as reading military strategy and psychology. I started categorizing history in two parts: 1) diy 2) people If it is about bows/arrows, boots, housing, I am interested because I am involved. If it is about people: What do people do? Why do they do it that way? Now the past is very relatable! This was fascinating.

[@johnyricco1220]

Using lime wash on the bottom half of trees is still common as a form of pesticide. During the 19th century lime wash is used to coat door ways in times of disease outbreaks to kill germs. So perhaps unknownly, it was a disinfectant during the Middle Ages

[@KodakYarr]

I feel like I inspired you to create this video with my comment on your previous medieval buildings video. 😁 Thanks, and you're welcome! 😍❤😁

[@redpanda7967]

Yes another shad vid to inform the public! I actually lover the whitewashed castles because it looks good

[@antcommander1367]

Here in finland and sweden houses was usually either falun red or falun yellow. Those who had yellow for their house were usually wealthy. Only chuch and few castle's had white wall's before 1800.

[@TheHarleyEvans]

could you do a video on the costs and process of building a castle (back in the day)? and then translate that to a modern day equivalent?

[@captainjacobkeyes7804]

He Shad any chance you could do a video on 17th/18th style forts and castles and their deffensive capabilities? (Vauban style fortications etc.)

[@williampaige8716]

thank you!

[@ladyofthemasque]

Additionally, slaked lime whitewash (waterproof or otherwise) is extremely hygienic. It is antibacterial, resists mold, doesn't give off much in the way of toxic volatiles (bad smells/toxic vapors), and discourages insects from laying eggs on or near whitewashed surfaces. It is also safe for your domesticated animals to be around--they could literally lick the walls and not have any problems, unlike most commercially made paints or stains. The high alkaline levels of the lime are what help resist bacteria and mold, and thwart insects, etc. If you're going to have a dairy (whether that's the place where butter was churned, or the barn where the cows were milked) or a coop, then you definitely wanted to have the walls and fences, etc, whitewashed. On top of all of that, white is a highly reflective color, absorbing very little light and reflecting most of it. Whitewashing interior walls maximizes illumination. In an era without cheap electricity or mass-produced cheap candles or kerosene lamps, etc, burning oil all the way to midnight got expensive quickly (either in terms of the coins to buy what was needed, or the time & energy to process it at home, such as rendering fats for burning in a fat lamp). With whitewashed walls, not only did you get a cleaner environment, you got one that was much easier to see your way around in when lighting levels were low, such as firelight, candlelight, sunlight, moonlight, dawn, dusk, whatever the light source might be. The walls and ceilings, floors, and furnishings of of movie theaters are purposefully made dark so that we will not be easily distracted from the moviegoing experience by seeing lots of pale/bright objects in our peripheral vision. Next time you're in a crowded theater and the lights are dim but it's just the opening teaser trailers, look around you at the other audience members. Anyone in light-colored clothes will stand out and be all the more visible than those in dark clothes because of this reflectivity. Same with trying to find your way through your darkened home during a power outage; any room with pale walls, carpeting, or furniture will be easier to see in via the light coming from a flashlight, candle, or cellphone than the darker areas of your home. Since candles, rushlights, firewood, and so forth were expensive to procure, most people would do whatever they could to maximize the amount of light they'd get from the fuel source for that light. All of these things, waterproofing, light-enhancement, antibacterial properties, insect repellant, no toxic aerosols/volatiles, etc, etc, etc, made whitewashing incredibly efficient, with so many useful, helpful properties combined into one super-handy substance. Plus, if you used a natural pigment (finely powder-ground stone) as a colorant, you could have colored whitewash to decorate your walls. Red ocre and yellow ocre were two such pigment possibiliities, as were colored clay dusts, and more. Other pigments could be imported (at great expense), and there were attempts at using inks and dyes, though those were not always successful. (Guedelon Castle, the experimental archaeology project in France, makes excellent use of the various local rocks for pigment hues for painting its walls after they have been plastered with a high slaked-lime content mortar and then whitewashed further to brighten and protect the walls.)

[@Ohne_Silikone]

In the Netherlands also a blue wash was used for cottages/hovels to repel mosquitos. I have seen an example of this in the dutch Openluchtmuseum in Arnhem. Do you know whether this was common practice for some buildings?