Lime In Building

LWhy use lime?
Lime provides a comfortable environment. Open textured and porous materials such as lime plaster help to stabilize the humidity of a building by absorbing and releasing moisture. This creates a much more comfortable environment while reducing surface condensation and mould growth.

The Ecological Benefits
There are actually quite a few ‘eco benefits’ to using lime, so if you’re environmentally conscious, you should remember that quality doesn’t have to mean ‘destroy the planet’! These benefits include but aren’t limited to:

• Less embodied energy than concrete
• Free lime absorbs CO² in the setting process of carbonation
• Lime (unlike many other materials) can be produced on a small scale
• A low proportion of quick lime will stabilize clay soils

Location, location, location
With such a wide and diverse variety of limestone types, local limes end up with a regional identity. They provide a continuous link with locally sourced natural material and depending on location, will vary in colour, texture and setting properties. This means the lime you choose can fittingly reflect its environment’s aesthetics and fit in with older buildings and structures.

Helping the Environment
Lime is caustic and has previously been used, in the form of lime wash, extensively for its disinfectant qualities. In the past, it has also been used for water purification.
 Lime mortars, plasters, renders and lime wash have been used to create more comfortable conditions and hygienic surfaces within buildings for centuries, and it doesn’t look like it’ll stop any time soon.

Gorgeous Finishes
As well as being a hugely practical and ecological material, lime is also incredibly aesthetic. The double refraction of light through the calcite crystals give a unique look, combining a soft texture with a luminescence that has a life all of its own. The softness that is apparent in lime based materials is often a visual indication of their permeability, workability and soft binding properties.