Correct mix for lime mortar

[vikinglimey]

when I worked in Denmark, we had lime putty in a pit in the yard, and would take some, and mix it with water for lime wash for the cattle sheds (years ago, cows were all tied up in stalls, now the farm is milking 250 cows in cubicles, but then there were 55 or so, and I moved the clusters down the shed to milk).

That's really interesting ! They are still big users of lime for building in the Nordic countries as it tends to hold up better against the cold winters. They have far more practitioners used to working with it that we do here.

 

[renewablejohn]

Just had the stone work on the old house and barn blasted to remove many years of old paint. She defiantly could do with a pointing job.

We need lime based mortar apparently anyone know the correct mix for this I seem to get conflicting views on what exactly lime mortar mix is.

If you want a lesson in mixing and using lime mortar your welcome to come to our farm in Lancashire. Have been renovating our grade 2 listed for the last couple of years with Lime mortars and lime plasters. All the builders I asked where clueless using Lime so went on a course and learnt how to do it myself. Very easy once you have the knack and highly recommend the 2 day course I went on. Will soon be getting to cold for use this year as frost is your enemy when using Lime.

 

[Pond digger]

I wonder what all the builders did in winter ? Before the advent of cement, I mean.

 

[renewablejohn]

I wonder what all the builders did in winter ? Before the advent of cement, I mean.

Produce the dressed stone for the following years building season which was May to August or Dry stone walling.

 

[Pond digger]

Produce the dressed stone for the following years building season which was May to August or Dry stone walling.

Well, not much stone in my area, so unless they made their own bricks.....? In any case, you would think they might well of had cash-flow issues, unless there was other paid work for them.

 

[renewablejohn]

Well, not much stone in my area, so unless they made their own bricks.....? In any case, you would think they might well of had cash-flow issues, unless there was other paid work for them.

Do you have many really old houses. When I was in North Lincs the only really old houses where wattle and daub which obviously didnt use lime mortar.

 

[renewablejohn]

I wonder what all the builders did in winter ? Before the advent of cement, I mean.

Can use Hessian covers in a mild winter to protect against frost but its very high risk as it will not protect against a hard frost with a result that the walls will crumble.

 

[Pond digger]

Do you have many really old houses. When I was in North Lincs the only really old houses where wattle and daub which obviously didnt use lime mortar.

Not around here; ours is 200yrs. There's plenty in York mind you, but not sure about wattle and daub.

 

[Pond digger]

Can use Hessian covers in a mild winter to protect against frost but its very high risk as it will not protect against a hard frost with a result that the walls will crumble.

I suppose indoor work wouldn't be such an issue: a small fire would have kept things above freezing.

 

[steveR]

Just had the stone work on the old house and barn blasted to remove many years of old paint. She defiantly could do with a pointing job.

We need lime based mortar apparently anyone know the correct mix for this I seem to get conflicting views on what exactly lime mortar mix is.

I have lime mortar from http://www.lime-green.co.uk/ several times now. I colour matched the product first to that already on the farm building and had several bags for repointing. The 2nd batch I did, the original mortar was slightly darker, so I sprinkled some red brick dust into the mortar as it mixed to colour it up a bit. I am told it will not keep, but have had no apparent problems so far storing bags for up to 12 months. Not cheap compared to sand and cement!!

It needs a mixer, even for small quantities, but is a lovely material to use. I point with a large pointing tool (like a giant syringe!) after raking as deep as I can get with a disc cutter and trowel, then blast the dust out with a hosepipe which also moistens the brick work which stops the mortar drying out too quickly after applying. The mortar is fairly soft as it flows better through the gun, then I use a trowel to neaten the pointing after it has firmed up a bit, then a yard broom or similar later still to give a roughened finish to the pointing which I prefer. It blends in better that way, and also attracts lichens etc a little quicker, again which helps it blend in.

 

[Philip Watkins]

Treasures (who I linked to earlier) I believe salvage the old lime mortar when they do renovation work and mix it in with the new lime.

 

[johnflimston]

I had Ty Mawr to colour match the sand to mix with NHL3.5 to repair walls but it was hellish expensive for sand and not really a good colour match. Our original lime mortar is very white.
A local builder was doing a barn up using fine ground agricultural lime instead of sand.
Much cheaper, buy it by the lorry load and also much better colour match.Also when rendering internal walls mix in Aubiose (horse bedding) to get the U values up for insulation.

 

[username]

Without seeing a photo of the wall its hard to say but I would say 3 parts good local course sand to 1 part NHL 3.5 will do it. bucketed to keep an even mix

 

[SilliamWhale]

I had Ty Mawr to colour match the sand to mix with NHL3.5 to repair walls but it was hellish expensive for sand and not really a good colour match. Our original lime mortar is very white.
A local builder was doing a barn up using fine ground agricultural lime instead of sand.
Much cheaper, buy it by the lorry load and also much better colour match.Also when rendering internal walls mix in Aubiose (horse bedding) to get the U values up for insulation.

Thats an interesting approach! Both the horse bedding and the ag lime as sand! Mind sharp sand shouldn't be more than £30 a ton

 

[Mark Webb]

Thank you very much for writing such an interesting article on this topic. This has really made me think and I hope to read more.
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[Mark Webb]

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[vantage]

Thank you very much for writing such an interesting article on this topic. This has really made me think and I hope to read more.https://www.repointinglondon.co.uk/lime-mortar-pointing.html

More money in the capital than out in the sticks with poverty pleading farmers.

 

[renewablejohn]

Thank you very much for writing such an interesting article on this topic. This has really made me think and I hope to read more.https://www.repointinglondon.co.uk/lime-mortar-pointing.html

I would agree with the correct mixing.In reality it just means you have an excuse to do a brew in between the initial mix and the final mix.

 

[Pond digger]

What’s the difference between “pit sand” and “dredged sand” and why is the former better?

 

[robin banks]

What’s the difference between “pit sand” and “dredged sand” and why is the former better?

Salt. I don't know much about it but would imagine salt has to be an issue with the dredged stuff