In Britain lime putty has been used as a building material for hundreds of years. With the arrival of cement, lime putty mortars became obsolete in new build as they were seen to be slow for building and difficult to use. However, it was soon apparent that cementatious building products had serious drawbacks and specifiers started to look at lime again.
Limetec has produced hydraulic lime mortars that are suitable for the strictures of modern building. Apart from being quick to set and easy to use, Limetec mortars bring back qualities found in the lime putty mortars. Limetec mortars are breathable which allows moisture to escape from a building. They are flexible, allowing reduced need for movement joints. Hydraulic lime mortars are sustainable, as they absorb CO2 during curing and they allow building materials to be recycled.
Limetec mortars are factory produced ensuring consistency of quality and colour. Lime mortar is now seen as a viable alternative to cement as a building medium.
Limetec hydraulic lime mortar is a unique blend of sharp sands and hydraulic lime, producing a mortar that is breathable and flexible. Limetec mortar comes in range of colours and can be supplied in 25kg bags, one tonne bulk bags or supplied into silos on site.
Limetec provides technical support to ensure the successful completion of projects, especially for those who are new to the use of hydraulic lime mortars.
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Lime mortar is one of the oldest types of mortar known but with the introduction of Portland cement in the 19th Century, the use of lime mortar in new construction, declined. Whilst Portland cement continues to be used in new buildings of brick and concrete construction, it should never be used in the repair or restoration of brick and stone buildings, originally built with lime mortar.
In addition, the soft, porous properties of lime mortar and its environmentally friendly benefits mean that alongside its use in historic preservation, restoration and repair, the importance of responsible environmental choices in construction, is driving more and more architects to consider and specify lime mortar in their buildings.
A traditional lime mortar will be made of lime, sand and water. This traditional composition is then grouped into different categories. Those categories are hydraulic lime, also known as NHL, non-hydraulic lime, or lime putty, the other is quicklime.
As mentioned above, there are a few types of lime mortar that you can consider for your next construction project.
A non-hydraulic lime mortar is made with non-hydraulic lime, also known as lime putty. This type of mortar is very soft and incredibly flexible but the main difference between hydraulic lime and non-hydraulic lime mortar is that non-hydraulic lime has no chemical set, it only cures by absorbing co2. This, whilst environmentally sound, is a slow process and not practicle for a lot of todays requirements. Hydraulic lime has a chemical set which means that you can build at normal speed and it gains full strength by absorbing co2
A hydraulic lime mortar is made with natural hydraulic lime. This has the perfect balance of flexibility and strength. Not only that but it comes in a number of strengths to suit various building requirements.
Something that sets hydraulic lime mortar apart from any other material is the fact that it can set in damp conditions and has a strength that can prevent frost damage.
A major consideration with hydraulic lime mortar is that it causes no damage or ill effect to any of the adjacent materials. It remains sympathetic and soft to the masonry around it.
Our Limetec hydraulic lime mortar is premixed for ease and only requires mixing with water.
You will have to choose your lime mortar carefully for your project. Lime mortar brings flexibility and breathability that cement simply doesn’t. It allows movement and expels gases and moisture, which means that almost all surrounding masonry will be protected.
Lime mortar is also more environmentally friendly, more human-friendly than cement and doesn’t contain any of the harmful ingredients that are often found in a typical cement mix. Lime mortar also costs a quarter of the energy to produce than cement, making lime mortar the eco-friendly and sustainable option.
Lime mortar’s full strength is achieved over time, which means that it is a material that increases in benefits over time.
Our hydraulic lime mortar is available in a range of colours, which means there is a lime mortar to suit every project. Plus it is available in convenient 25kg bags, one tonne bulk bags and for larger projects, we are one of very few companies that can supply in ‘on-site’ silos.
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