Back in 1994, Limebase was founded, and from the start, we specialised in the production and supply of a variety of lime-based products. Lime based products are typically used on traditional and historic buildings. This blog post will discuss lime mortar products as well as why and how it can be used.
Background
As mentioned, traditional brick and stone buildings were built and are now repointed using lime mortar. Lime mortar goes back to the pyramids of Ancient Egypt, where the huge blocks of limestone were bound together with gypsum and lime mortars. Lime mortars have played a huge role in construction since the Ancient Egyptians first used it up until around the 1850’s where they slowly declined for use in new buildings. Recently lime mortars are becoming more popular again due to their environmentally friendly nature.
Lime mortar itself is made from slaking quicklime (sometimes called burnt lime) with water resulting in a lime putty which is then matured. Once mature, this lime putty is mixed with a variety of sands and stonedusts to produce the desired look.
Lime mortar qualities
Lime mortar has soft and permeable attributes, which allows for natural building movement. Some other characteristics of lime mortar include its breathability by taking on and releasing moisture, this profoundly reduces the risk of damp and water ingress issues that can be a problem for cement based mortars. Lime based mortars are far more environmentally friendly, they only use a small amount of energy to produce when compared to cement and are almost carbon neutral.
How lime mortar is used for repairs
Due to its properties, lime mortar is typically used in restoration and the reconstruction of old buildings. Strong cement can cause damage as it is too hard for older buildings and most types of masonry; lime mortar, on the other hand, allows the wall to breathe.
What we offer
Regardless of the age or appearance of your building or project, we have a variety of different lime mortars for you to use. We also offer sample packs of our standard range for you to try; this will allow you to see which lime mortar matches your current masonry. We have thousands of variations if our standard range isn’t sufficient so please call us for further information.
We also suggest that you keep an eye on our special offer page as we are always providing you with the latest special offers we have available.
Contact us
If you have any questions on the products or points mentioned in this blog post, you can reach out and contact us through our online contact form. You can also contact us by phoning 01460 281921 or by visiting us at Isle Brewer Taunton. Our technical department is always happy to help you, please call to arrange a convenient time if you require technical help.