How Long Do Plaster Finishes Last?
Paint is measured in years; lime is measured in decades. What to expect from each finish family — and why plaster gets harder as it ages.
The chemistry of forever
Lime plaster cures by carbonation: it slowly reabsorbs carbon dioxide from your living room and converts back into calcium carbonate — limestone. A Venetian wall is literally turning to stone for the first several years of its life, gaining hardness the whole time.
That is why historic lime interiors from the eighteenth century are still walkable today, while their painted neighbors have been recoated forty times.
Realistic lifespans by finish
Venetian and polished plasters: 20–40 years with nothing but occasional re-waxing. Microcement: 15–25 years, with a sealer refresh in wet zones every 3–5. Lime wash: indefinite, refreshed with a fast new coat every 5–7 years. Artisan stucco exteriors: 30+ years, often far more.
Compare that with the 5–8 year repaint cycle of conventional walls and the premium starts to look like arithmetic rather than indulgence.
What actually ends a finish's life
Almost never wear — usually water intrusion from a failed roof or plumbing leak, structural movement that cracks the substrate, or a renovation that changes the room entirely.
Keep the building sound and the plaster will outlast your furniture, your appliances, and quite possibly your ownership of the house.