What does calcimining mean?
Calcimining refers to the process of applying calcimine — a cheap, water-based coating made of whiting (finely powdered chalk) mixed with glue — to interior walls and ceilings. Popular in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries as an economical alternative to wallpaper or oil paint, calcimine produced a soft, matte, chalky finish that could be washed off and renewed easily, which made it especially common in rented housing, schools, and other buildings repainted on a budget. Its practical drawback was poor durability: it rubbed off on clothing, could not be scrubbed, and resisted later oil-based paints unless thoroughly removed. Today the word survives mostly in historical, architectural, and conservation contexts, evoking an era when a fresh coat of calcimine was the standard way to brighten a room for pennies.
A coating of calcimine applied to an interior wall or ceiling.
"Under three layers of wallpaper they found remnants of the original calcimining."
Usually used in the singular when referring to a layer of coating.
The action of covering a surface with calcimine.
"Calcimining was cheaper than painting and could be done by anyone with a brush and bucket."
Before modern emulsion paints took over, generations of tenants kept their rented rooms bright by simply washing off last year's calcimine and rolling on a new coat.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of calcimining
The word derives from 'calcimine', formed from the Latin root calx (genitive calcis), meaning limestone or chalk — the same root that gives us calcium and calcareous — combined with an element related to colouring or coating agents. The practice itself long predates the word, but the term became current in the United States during the nineteenth century, when prepared calcimine powders were sold commercially for household use.
Related word forms
How calcimining is actually used
Somewhat dated and technical, associated chiefly with late 19th- and early 20th-century interior decorating practice; today encountered mainly in historical writing, building conservation, and trade literature.
Easily confused with calcimining
Whitewashing uses slaked lime in water, while calcimining uses whiting (ground chalk) bound with glue, giving a different finish and durability.