A
Anonymous
Guest
Well, not in my experience - I've used pure (fat) lime and also bagged hydrate to make mortars and internal renders with good results.
However, the following paragraph is from the Advanced Building Construction c.1893 book that I mentioned earlier. Perhaps this lime debate has been raging for longer than I imagined!
"Pure, Rich or Fat Lime is that produced from pure limestones, such as marble or chalk, containing nothing but carbonate of lime. Such a lime slakes furiously, but a pat made from it will never thoroughly set or harden, even in the air, and if placed under water it will simply dissolve away. Rich limes cannot, therefore, make good mortar or concrete, but are best for whitewashing and sanitary purposes."
The above seems to suggest that the lack of hardness is a weakness. I thought that this 'weakness' was desirable when building with soft stone and bricks?
However, the following paragraph is from the Advanced Building Construction c.1893 book that I mentioned earlier. Perhaps this lime debate has been raging for longer than I imagined!
"Pure, Rich or Fat Lime is that produced from pure limestones, such as marble or chalk, containing nothing but carbonate of lime. Such a lime slakes furiously, but a pat made from it will never thoroughly set or harden, even in the air, and if placed under water it will simply dissolve away. Rich limes cannot, therefore, make good mortar or concrete, but are best for whitewashing and sanitary purposes."
The above seems to suggest that the lack of hardness is a weakness. I thought that this 'weakness' was desirable when building with soft stone and bricks?