Lime Rendering and Lime plastering in historic building restoration
Often times, Listed Buildings, and properties situated within Conservation Areas, such as those found within the North Yorkshire Moors National Park, are built using a solid stone or brick construction. This type of construction, with a lack of a cavity wall, can be prone to penetrating damp though the masonry, affecting the internal finishes of the property if incorrect renovation methods are used.
Many homes, over the years, have had remedial work carried out using rudimentary dry lining systems, and cement based mortars, that are not well suited to this type of masonry construction, and only serve to accelerate problems caused by an accumulation of dampness present within solid stone or brick walls, such as;
•Hydroscopic salts
•Blown and flaky plaster
•Penetrating damp
•Accelerated wet rot in timber dry lining systems
•Weathered and damaged masonry
When undertaking a renovation of a Listed Building, planning authorities such as the North Yorkshire Moors National Park, will sometimes stipulate that lime plasters and mortar is used during the renovation.
the Advantages of lime plastering
Lime plaster and render is high in capillary action, meaning it is hard, yet allows liquid moisture and vapour to freely pass through. This characteristic is what sets Lime plaster apart from sand and cement mix render. Using Lime mortars in the renovation of historic and listed buildings, provides many advantages over using more modern building techniques and materials that have been developed for use with cavity walls and more ventilated properties.
When renovating old properties with solid walls, allowing the masonry to 'breathe' is of upmost importance, as this allows residual moisture within the masonry to evaporate away without damaging the external stone, or the internal finishes of the property. Using Lime based plaster and render, along with breathable paints or limewash, is the best way of achieving exceptional results in older properties.
Lime is beneficial in older properties, not only because of the advantages to the solid structure of the walls, but also because it has anti-bacterial, anti-septic, and anti-mould properties, all of which help contribute to an overall better air quality within your home, which in turn benefits you, your family, and guests to your property.
Lime is also kinder to the environment than portland cement as it generates much less CO2 during it's production, in some cases up to 20% less, while also absorbing CO2 during the curing process after application, leading to a carbon negative process.
