Lime mortars, plasters and renders can often be confused with cement alternatives. There are different types of lime and sometimes lime is even added to cement to help improve certain characteristics. So what are the main differences between lime and cement? The main differences are curing time, cost, convenience, compressive strength and ease of use. … Read more
Almost all modern buildings are constructed using sand and portland cement. Traditional lime building mortars are rarely used for new builds, mostly being utilised for repairing historic and listed buildings. So why is cement used instead of lime in today’s buildings? Generally, cement is used instead of lime due to its much faster set time. … Read more
The different terms used when describing lime building can be confusing. Some terms are often used interchangeably, but in this article, I’ll describe what exactly the differences are between lime mortar, lime plaster and lime render. So at a quick glance, what do these terms mean? As a general rule, lime mortar is a lime-based … Read more
Lime mortars are made by mixing together the binder, either lime putty or hydraulic lime and various sands and aggregates. It’s essential to use the correct sands and aggregates for lime mortars as they strongly affect the strength and durability of the finished mortar. So what sands should be used to make lime mortars? Lime … Read more
Gypsum is thought to be a relatively modern building material. It has in fact been used for thousands of years, alongside lime plaster. A type of Gypsum, called alabaster, was used as far back as ancient Egypt. Often, alabaster was added to lime plasters and renders to help improve the setting time of lime-based plasters. … Read more
Lime mortar has been used as a building material for thousands of years. It has many great qualities that allow for amazing longevity, even when compared to modern Portland cement-based mortars. Lime mortars can last for thousands of years or only 50. Generally, factors such as exposure and the type of lime mortar used will … Read more
From the 1930s onward, Portland cement mortars gradually overtook lime mortars to become the most commonly used building mortar. This is mainly because Portland cement has a speedy set compared to some lime mortars, which allows for quicker (and often sloppier) building. So how do you know if you should use lime mortar or cement … Read more