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Lime mortar, render, limewashing
Lime is a term used to cover two compounds of the metal calcium. Quicklime is made by heating limestone or chalk, to drive off carbon dioxide. When water is added to quicklime heat is given off and it becomes slaked lime. If slaked lime is mixed with sharp sand in the right proportions it can be used to make the joints between stones or bricks, mortar, or applied to a wall surface as a render. Pure lime mortars and renders take some time to harden properly, and the use of hydraulic lime is sometimes necessary to achieve a durable result. Lime mortars and renders have to be accurately specified, mixed and applied in the right conditions, but they are better for the health of buildings than their cement-based alternatives. Lime can also be used, in a mixed solution and suspension, as a coating for masonry or render, known as lime wash.
Related Words Hydraulic lime; Mortar; Render
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