guardapolvo

12:10 Feb 24, 2021 

Thanks Toni for that last ref - very useful (also I know that gallery!)
Going to close the question and accept that there is no specific term for this in English. There are examples that use stone or tiles that are also called guardapolvos and intended to prevent damp entering the base of the wall. So the best way to explain it I think would be something like a 'painted exterior wainscotting'.

20:58 Feb 23, 2021 

If this type of external wall skirting is in a specific area in Mexico only we could come up with a new term connected to that area something like "{area name} external skirting" or "Mexican external wall protection" , "guardapolvo skirting" , . This is my last try hope it is usefull .

08:25 Feb 23, 2021 

Fionn, colleagues, yes, definitely it is a painted strip on the facade of Mexican houses. Here is an example:
https://pinupmagazine.org/articles/oscar-hagerman-chairs-at-...
Alluding to the “guardapolvo” originally conceived in adobe, a third of the wall was painted in an earth-like color, while the chairs are placed in a U shape on three petate strips.

Technical term in English? Probably it does not exist.

08:16 Feb 23, 2021 

Hi folks thanks for discussion so far - difficulty is that 'guardapolvo' does have other meanings, such as the moulding around a wall opening (i.e. chambranle/chambrana) or the canopy over a retablo.
But this seems to be a development of the term specific to Mexico where a darker colour of paint is used for the lower strip of the wall presumably to conceal the fact it gets dirty faster from dust/passersby. So yes, a kind of 'skirting' or rather 'wainscotting' but simply of paint.
It may be that there is NO name for this in English, of course! Any further ideas please chip in, thank you.

07:59 Feb 23, 2021 

... for "exterior skirting" shows the kind of outdoor feature on houses which seems to fit the context. I always think of "skirting board" as an indoor feature too, but the root meaning of "skirt" is to go round, so basically it can refer it anything kind of similar surrounding feature.

01:45 Feb 23, 2021 

However skirting does not fit exactly unless we mention something like skirting with insulating paint only without boards (so lengthy lol) try to find a short term.
When we mention skirting it does mean skirting boards but in this context we dont have skirting boards instead it is only insulating paint works as skirting boards.

01:30 Feb 23, 2021 

On the other hand, and why I hesitate is because of this:
Chambrana - Wikipedia, la enciclopedia librehttps://es.wikipedia.org › wiki › Cha...
https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chambrana
Una chambrana es una moldura que se pone alrededor de las puertas, ventanas, etc. Puede ... A veces en los textos se le llama también «guardapolvo» aunque por lo general este vocablo se emplea más para los ... Multimedia: Chambranles ...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chambranle (which comes back to the term the asker has already rejected!!!!).

01:13 Feb 23, 2021 

# Taña
You said that in your reference , please add it to your answer.
at the top of wall is called cornice, at the bottom of wall is called skirting (of any types even if paint only)
https://neufert-cdn.archdaily.net/uploads/product_file/file/...

00:30 Feb 23, 2021 

https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/DownloadFile/450416
Salinas Pueblo Missions NM: Architectural History - NPS ...https://irma.nps.gov › DataStore › DownloadFilePDF
27 Jun 2012 — stones for the structure of colonial New Mexican history and culture, ... and adobe buildings with gabled tile roofs in places with moderate rain ... A **guardapolvo was a canopy or little roof-like projection at the top of the retablo.**