Most of our Singapore projects are HDB flats. 4-room BTOs in Tampines, resale 5-rooms in Bishan, older units in Queenstown being upgraded for the first time in 20 years. Mineral finishes work extremely well in HDB environments — but there are things worth knowing before you engage anyone.

HDB Renovation Rules — What's Relevant

For surface finishes specifically, HDB's renovation guidelines are relatively permissive. Painting, plastering, and coating work on walls and floors (excluding structural elements) generally does not require HDB approval. However:

  • Hacking of existing floor tiles requires an HDB-approved contractor
  • Waterproofing works in wet areas (bathrooms, kitchens) must comply with HDB standards
  • Any work affecting shared walls or structural elements needs prior approval

For Lime Paint applied over existing walls: no approval required. For microcement over screed or after tile hacking: contractor must be registered with HDB where hacking is involved.

The Real Challenge: Substrate Condition

HDB walls and floors vary enormously by age and construction era. Here's what we typically encounter:

BTO Units (Post-2010)

Generally clean substrates — skim-coated walls, level screed floors. Good candidates for both lime paint and microcement. Moisture content is usually within acceptable range if the unit has been occupied for at least 6 months.

Resale Units (1990s–2000s)

More variable. Previous renovation coatings, tile-on-tile layering, and unknown waterproofing history mean substrate assessment is essential. We've encountered units where four layers of paint sit over the original skim coat — all of which need to be assessed for adhesion before anything goes on top.

Older Resale (Pre-1990)

Require the most care. Older HDB construction used sand-and-cement render that can be soft, friable, or damp. A mineral finish is only as good as what it's bonded to. Full assessment — and sometimes substrate repair — is required before proceeding.

Which Mineral Finishes Work Best in HDBs?

✓ Recommended for HDB
  • Lime Paint — feature walls, bedrooms, living areas
  • Microcement — bathrooms, kitchen floors, living room floors
  • Lime Plaster — entrance walls, feature areas
⚠ Requires careful assessment
  • Liquid Metal — older HDB plaster may need reinforcement first
  • Microcement on damp substrates — waterproofing must be resolved first
  • Any finish over soft or friable plaster

Humidity in HDB Flats

Singapore's ambient humidity is typically 70–90%. In HDB flats — especially north-facing units with limited airflow — wall moisture content can be higher than expected even without visible dampness. This matters because:

  • High moisture content causes adhesion failure in cement-based systems like microcement
  • Lime Paint, being breathable, handles humid conditions significantly better than synthetic paints
  • Units near the ground floor or with known water seepage history require waterproofing assessment before any surface work

Good news for HDB homeowners: Lime Paint was literally designed for high-humidity environments. Before synthetic paints existed, lime was what kept walls dry. In a well-specified HDB application, Lime Paint will last longer and perform better than standard acrylic emulsion.

What a Good HDB Mineral Finish Project Looks Like

Based on our HDB projects, here's what a proper job involves:

  • Site visit and moisture assessment — before any quote is confirmed
  • Substrate preparation — dust, loose paint, grease, and efflorescence removed
  • Priming — appropriate mineral or mineral-compatible primer specified for the substrate
  • Application — minimum 2–3 coats for Lime Paint, 5+ for microcement
  • Protection — all furniture, floors, and carpentry masked and covered
  • Curing time — respected before furniture reinstallation (24–72 hours depending on system)

Planning a renovation in your HDB?

We'll assess the walls, check substrate condition, and tell you exactly what's viable — before you commit to anything.

Book a Site Visit