Questions, questions...

[Keithj]

Two gaps in my education, which I'd appreciate someone filling for me...

1. I have some half-used tubs of limewash (Suffolk pink for exterior, and magnolia for interior). They are sealed and stored in the garage. How long will they remain "useable"? Can I keep them for years, or should I get stuck in and do all the limewashing I can, post-haste?

2. The restoration work on the house used green oak, which has meanwhile shrunk. There are now narrow gaps between the oak and the lime render in many places - enough to see daylight through. Where the original oak was retained, there are no gaps.

Will the oak expand again to fill these cracks, or should I fill them? While they provide pleasant ventilation in summer, it could get a tad chilly later.

 

[middi]

The limewash, if well sealed , should be fine and useable for a good number of years.

The green oak will carry on shrinking for a good number of years, at an alarming rate for the first couple of years and at a diminishing rate untill it will ,more or less, stop shrinking after about 10 years . Due to expansion and contraction the " gaps" will never really disappear enough to keep a permanent seal between plaster and wood. The traditional way to eradicate this problem was to stuff the gap with expanding material such as sheep's wool soaked with lime plaster and finished off with lime putty.
The oak will never expand again to it's original " green " size. The gap created by a green wall stud, say 6" x 4", is expected to be about 10 mm ( or 3/8" ) or a gap of 5/6mm at each face of the oak post by the time it has stabilised.

Middi

 

[MatthewC]

I have some half-used tubs of limewash (Suffolk pink for exterior, and magnolia for interior). They are sealed and stored in the garage. How long will they remain "useable"? Can I keep them for years, or should I get stuck in and do all the limewashing I can, post-haste?

For the record, any limewash containing ultramarine (obviously not the ones above!***) has to be used within a few weeks as the blue fades. I was told this by Mike Wye but tried it anyway last week as I had a patch to do - the 9-week old "Sea Green" now looks decidedly yellow rather than blue!

Matthew


*** Before any pedant states the b***ding obvious!

 

[Keithj]

Thank you!

Conveniently, I have a fair stock of wool, left over from insulating the walls and used by the builder as general-purpose gap plugger while working on the house. Come the late autumn, I'll go around with it and my trusty toolbox and stuff it into the gaps and finish it with lime putty and limewash.

 

[Penners]

If you're going to stuff your trusty toolbox into the gaps, they must be bigger than you've led us to believe.

 

[Keithj]

There will be a demonstration of wool-plugging and lime-splodging in mid-September. Champagne will be served. Bring your own toolbox.

 

[robgil]

What if you dont have a tool box?

 

[Keithj]

But I do have a toolbox. Several, in fact.

 

[Penners]

At my age your toolbox starts to look a bit battered and worn.

 

[MatthewC]

At my age your toolbox starts to look a bit battered and worn.

That's your "lunch box", isn't it?

 

[Penners]

Oh goodness - I haven't used that since 2003.

 

[MatthewC]

Oh goodness - I haven't used that since 2003.

At least your memory is still working!

 

[Penners]

Ah yes - all those sandwiches and slices of fruit cake eaten at my desk, while slaving away over a hot computer.

Plus ça change...