Keimfarben

Keimfarben is a German building-materials company best known for mineral paints, especially silicate paint systems. Based in Diedorf near Augsburg, the company traces its origins to Adolf Wilhelm Keim's late-nineteenth-century work on combining liquid water glass, or potassium silicate, with mineral pigments. This technology created a coating capable of chemically bonding with a mineral substrate through silicification, providing durability and strong color performance in the colder and wetter climate north of the Alps. Keim received a patent for the mineral-paint process in 1878, an event regarded as the foundation of the present company. The company's origins are connected with the artistic and technical interests of King Ludwig I of Bavaria. Ludwig admired the vivid lime frescoes of northern Italy and sought a comparable decorative effect in Bavaria, but traditional Italian lime-paint techniques were not sufficiently resistant to the German climate. Research into water glass and mineral pigments eventually enabled Keim to develop a more climate-resistant alternative. The first production site was established near the limestone quarries at Offenstetten in Lower Bavaria, now part of Abensberg. Keimfarben's product development has followed the evolution of silicate-paint technology. KEIM Purkristalat, a two-component pure silicate paint, represents the foundational system associated with the company's early success. In 1962, Keim introduced KEIM Granital, described as the first silicate emulsion paint and designed as a one-component product that simplified application. In 2002, KEIM Soldalit extended the technology through a sol-silicate formulation using colloidal silica and water glass, making silicate coatings easier to apply across a wider range of substrates and uses. The company's portfolio extends beyond decorative wall paint. It includes exterior and interior mineral coatings, mineral renders and fillers, natural-stone repair systems, thermal-insulation composite systems, concrete repair products, and surface-protection systems. The range also includes silicate paints for wooden substrates. This makes Keimfarben a specialist supplier for new construction as well as building maintenance, renovation, restoration, and conservation, including historically significant buildings. Keimfarben has two production sites in Germany, in Diedorf and in Alteno near Luckau, and maintains foreign subsidiaries in Europe and the United States. In other markets it uses authorized dealers, including in Australia, Canada, China, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Russia. The company belongs to the Leonhard Moll AG Group. Its paints have been used on or associated with prominent buildings such as the White House, Mariinskyi Palace, Buckingham Palace, the Sydney Opera House, and the Bolshoi Theatre, but the company positions itself primarily as a professional coatings manufacturer rather than a mass-consumer brand. On 6 September 2012, KEIMFARBEN GMBH & Co KG began operating under the name Keimfarben GmbH.

Keimfarben emerged from nineteenth-century Bavarian research into water glass, a potassium-silicate binding medium. King Ludwig I of Bavaria admired the bright lime-fresco traditions of northern Italy and wanted similarly vivid architectural decoration in Bavaria. Traditional lime-paint methods, however, were poorly suited to the harsher climate north of the Alps. The technical challenge was to create a mineral coating that could deliver strong color while resisting weathering. Adolf Wilhelm Keim, described as a skilled craftsman and researcher, developed a process that combined liquid water glass with mineral color pigments. Unlike a coating that merely sits on the surface, the resulting paint could form a chemical bond with a suitable mineral substrate. This process, known as silicification, became the technical foundation of Keim's mineral-paint technology. Keim obtained a patent in 1878, establishing the historical basis of the company and helping to transform the use of mineral coatings in the building and decorating trades. The first production facility was located near the limestone quarry at Offenstetten in Lower Bavaria, an area now incorporated into Abensberg. The location connected production with an important mineral raw-material source. From this base, the company developed a specialist identity centered on silicate paints and their use in durable architectural finishes. The product range later developed through several generations of silicate technology. KEIM Purkristalat became the company's foundational two-component pure-silicate paint. In 1962, KEIM Granital introduced a one-component silicate emulsion paint, reducing the complexity of application. In 2002, KEIM Soldalit added a sol-silicate approach using colloidal silica and water glass. This formulation was intended to make silicate coatings easier to apply and suitable for a broader range of uses. Keimfarben's activities expanded beyond paint into a wider collection of mineral-building systems. These include interior and exterior coatings, mineral renders and fillers, natural-stone repair products, thermal-insulation composite systems, concrete repair, and surface protection. The company also developed silicate paint for wooden substrates, extending its mineral-coating expertise beyond conventional masonry surfaces. The modern company is headquartered in Diedorf near Augsburg and maintains a second German site in Alteno near Luckau. It has foreign subsidiaries in European markets and the United States, while authorized dealers cover additional countries. Keimfarben belongs to the Leonhard Moll AG Group. Its materials have been used on or associated with notable buildings including the White House, Mariinskyi Palace, Buckingham Palace, the Sydney Opera House, and the Bolshoi Theatre. The company's historical significance rests principally on the development and continued refinement of durable silicate paints for construction, restoration, and architectural conservation. On 6 September 2012, KEIMFARBEN GMBH & Co KG began operating as Keimfarben GmbH.

• 2012

  Legal-form change

  [1]Keimfarbenen.wikipedia.org

  The company changed its legal form on 6 September 2012 and adopted the name Keimfarben GmbH.

• 2002

  Introduction of KEIM Soldalit

  [1]Keimfarbenen.wikipedia.org

  KEIM Soldalit brought a sol-silicate formulation based on colloidal silica and water glass to the range.

• 1962

  Introduction of KEIM Granital

  [1]Keimfarbenen.wikipedia.org

  KEIM Granital was introduced as a one-component silicate emulsion paint, making application simpler than with the earlier two-component system.

• 1878

  Patent for mineral paints

  [1]Keimfarbenen.wikipedia.org

  Adolf Wilhelm Keim obtained a patent for mineral paints made from liquid water glass and mineral pigments, establishing the technical and historical foundation of Keimfarben.

• 1878

  First production site established near Offenstetten

  [1]Keimfarbenen.wikipedia.org

  The first production site was established near the limestone quarry at Offenstetten in Lower Bavaria, now part of Abensberg.

A specialist, technology-led manufacturer of durable mineral and silicate coating systems for professional construction, renovation, restoration, and architectural conservation.

• Pure silicate paint · 1878

  KEIM Purkristalat

  KEIM Purkristalat is the foundational Keim system associated with the company's original mineral-paint technology. It is a two-component pure silicate paint in which the components are combined for application. The product exemplifies the company's emphasis on mineral binders, inorganic pigments, and chemical bonding with mineral substrates. It is historically important within the Keim range because it established the product platform from which later, easier-to-apply silicate formulations developed.

• Silicate emulsion paint · 1962

  KEIM Granital

  Introduced in 1962, KEIM Granital was developed as a one-component silicate emulsion paint. Its single-component format simplified handling and application compared with the earlier two-component pure-silicate approach. The product represents a significant second generation in Keim's silicate-paint development and helped make mineral coating technology more practical for broader professional use.

• Sol-silicate paint · 2002

  KEIM Soldalit

  KEIM Soldalit is a sol-silicate, or colloidal-silicate, paint using colloidal silica and water glass as binding components. Introduced in 2002, it was intended to make silicate coatings easier to apply and usable across a wider range of substrates. It is one of the company's representative modern mineral-coating systems.

• Building-surface materials

  Mineral renders and fillers

  Keimfarben produces mineral renders and fillers that complement its coating systems. These materials support preparation, leveling, and finishing of building surfaces in construction, renovation, and restoration contexts.

• Restoration materials

  Natural-stone repair systems

  The natural-stone repair range is intended for the maintenance and conservation of stone elements. It extends Keimfarben's role from surface decoration into specialized repair and architectural-restoration work.

• Facade insulation systems

  Thermal-insulation composite systems

  Keimfarben's thermal-insulation composite systems form part of its broader building-envelope portfolio. They address facade insulation in combination with compatible render and coating solutions.

• Concrete and infrastructure protection

  Concrete repair and surface-protection systems

  These systems serve the repair and protection of concrete surfaces. Their inclusion broadens the company's mineral-material expertise into maintenance and preservation of concrete building components.

• 2012

  Change of legal formOther

  Background

  The company reorganized its legal form within its continuing business structure.

  Action taken

  On 6 September 2012, KEIMFARBEN GMBH & Co KG began operating as Keimfarben GmbH.

  Aftermath

  The company continued as part of the Leonhard Moll AG Group under the new legal form.

  Source

• 2002

  Launch of KEIM SoldalitProduct launch

  Background

  Keimfarben sought to make silicate paints easier to apply and suitable for more universal use.

  Action taken

  The company launched KEIM Soldalit, a sol-silicate paint using colloidal silica and water glass.

  Aftermath

  The product expanded the company's silicate-paint technology toward broader substrate and application use.

  Source

• 1962

  Launch of KEIM GranitalProduct launch

  Background

  The earlier KEIM Purkristalat system used two components, which made preparation and application more involved.

  Action taken

  Keim introduced KEIM Granital as a one-component silicate emulsion paint.

  Aftermath

  The launch represented a simpler application format and a new generation of the company's silicate-paint technology.

  Source

1. 1Keimfarbenen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Keim official websitekeim.com