Lime Putty | Quick Lime | Setting Stuff | Lime Wash
Lime Putty
Lime Putty is the traditional way of rending a façade and can be used as a filler for pre existing lime render. It can be used internally and externally.
Setting Stuff (Fine Finish)
Setting Stuff was the traditional way of finishing off a façade with a fine skim coat to give it a very smooth finish.
Lime Wash
Historically, plantation landscapes were limewashed or “whitewashed.” The reasons behind this centuries old practice are both aesthetic and practical. Limewashed structures brighten up the surroundings and look great because it glows due to innumerable small crystals. But did you know that limewash is a fire retardant, antiseptic, antifungal, odorless and non-allergic paint?
Traditionally lime was the main building material for a majority of construction in Ireland. When portland cement became mainstream, many builders started using it to repair buildings that had previously used lime. Unfortunately, a lot of people didn't know that portland cement is an unsuitable material for maintenance & restoration. Mortar and plaster repairs to traditional mass masonry buildings must use a material that is sympathetic (not stronger or more rigid) to the masonry itself and vapour permeable, allowing moisture travelling through the fabric to escape.
The past twenty years have seen the resurgence of lime producrs being used as a building material in Ireland, first limited to lime puttys then soon afterwards natural hydraulic limes (NHLs). Lime putty mortars set by carbonation only (the absorbtion of carbon dioxide from the air). They produce the softest, most flexible, finest of lime mortars, excellent for smooth finish plasters and sympathetic to the
softest, most friable building materials. NHL’s harden by both a hydraulic set (on the addition of water similar to cement) and carbonation. They are produced in a range of strengths; NHL2, slower setting and most flexible, NHL3.5 and NHL5, faster setting and stronger. NHL’s have the property of faster setting times than lime puttys and increased natural water repellency while remaining highly flexible and vapour permeable (breathable). The most appropriate lime binder must be determined by the fabric of the wall (ranging from cob to brick to granite) and the environment (how exposed the building is, the ambient climate etc.).
