Lime mortar on Countryfile

[Anonymous]

Today I was about to start pointing the front of my house with lime mortar when the old guy next door says:

"Are you still planning on using that lime rubbish?"
To which I replied I was.

"Because I've just been watching Countryfile", he said,
"and there was a guy on there renovating a property in Shropshire who said he'd never had any success with lime and had opted to use cement based mortar instead."

I didn't see the programme and wondered if anyone else here had.

Did this chap on the programme really have such a hard time with lime?

I'm still planning on using lime, but only when said old fella is looking the other way.

 

[Anonymous]

I should mutter darkly that the only thing you'd for which you'd ever consider using cement would be galoshes...

 

[Anonymous]

I didn't see Countryfile - but I've had success and failure with lime. Success was when using a quality produce in summer - traditional mature pit lime putty and sand.

The failure came when using it (knew it was a risk) when it was autumn and frost came.

If you live anywhere frosty I'd leave it a while yet.

Lime was what was used for centuries - if it was so bad, would so many of our historic buildings still be standing?

We've been pointing the gaps in flagstones indoors the past few days.

It looks great - left a day and then rubbed back with a wire scouring pad. Can't envisage any problems - it's 'curing' well.

 

[Anonymous]

I saw most of Countryfile yesterday, and I didn't see anyone rubbishing lime. In fact, in the spot on Ludlow they interviewed someone using lime plaster on the renovation of an old black and white house - and he said how great it was that the old materials were so much more available than 20 years ago now that people were recognising their value in conserving old buildings. your neighbour was either winding you up or had misheard, maybe because this bloke was also using some modern materials (but not cement mortar).

 

[Anonymous]

Wish I'd seen it - I love Ludlow!

 

[Anonymous]

there's a bit on the BBC's Countryfile website.

 

[Anonymous]

One of my clients is a specialist in lime plastering (there's not a lot of them about either) so I've picked up lots of good tips. Too many houses end up with damp problems by not allowing a building to "breathe". Your neighbour wont be mocking lime in a few years time if he's used cementitious plaster! He'll end up will hellish damp problems. Lime is a natural product and can only benefit the renovation. Try using lime putty, it's much easier to apply.