We have some lime putty that we've bought locally and have been using for plastering interior walls in my mid-1800s cottage. We've done two layers so far and things seem okay - no cracking really and it seems solid and well attached. However, we're wondering about the consistency of the lime putty itself. We've seen the Mike Wye video and the lime putty they show is the consistency of thick yogurt. Ours is much stiffer/drier than that - pretty solid actually - and is quite challenging to mix. Could there be something wrong with it? We'll need to get more lime putty soon and I'm wondering if we should look for another source or if what we have is normal. Thanks for any info on this![/b]
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Consistency of lime putty
- Thread starter Patricia
- Start date
Gervase
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- 1,500
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- North London
Lime putty varies in consistency - I prefer the thicker stuff myself. It all comes down to how long the slaked lime has been kept under water and how much it was stirred up when it was decanted into the tubs or bags.
You can make a good plaster or mortar with stuff the consistency of cheddar cheese - just add water.
You can make a good plaster or mortar with stuff the consistency of cheddar cheese - just add water.
Nigel Watts
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- 1,779
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- London N7
I have two mature tubs of Mike Wye's lime putty. I would say that the putty is thicker than thick yoghurt when you take it out of the tub - quite firm in fact. One of the properties of lime putty however is that it becomes softer the more you work it - hence the need to knock up the plaster well before applying it.
Mixing lime paster by hand from sand and lime putty is jolly hard work. For small repairs I have take to mixing it using only my hands, wearing thin surgical gloves. It feels rather like making pastry.
Mixing lime paster by hand from sand and lime putty is jolly hard work. For small repairs I have take to mixing it using only my hands, wearing thin surgical gloves. It feels rather like making pastry.