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Why Use Lime?
Lime mortars, renders and plasters have many qualities missing from modern building materials.
Flexibility
Lime products are slightly flexible, in that they will absorb slight movement in buildings, such as expansion, without cracking. A lime mortar will be designed to be the weakest part of a wall, so if there is a violent movement, the mortar will break, not the bricks or blocks.
Breathability
Lime products are more vapour permeable than conventional materials. They allow the movement of water vapour to air. Lime mortar acts as a wick, drawing moisture out of brickwork, stonework and blockwork, reducing the drying time after rain and reducing the risk of spalling. Lime renders will allow any moisture that enters the substrate through building defects to escape through the render, instead of trapping the moisture behind the render, causing delamination of the render.
Carbon production/absortion
Lime production uses less energy than cement production resulting in lower CO2 output. Lime products absorb carbon dioxide during curing.
Recycling materials.
Brick and block production creates huge amounts of carbon dioxide. Buildings that use lime mortars can, at the end of their useful life be taken apart and the constituent materials can be used again, reducing the amount of brick and block production needed. Lime mortars, renders and plasters can be crushed to make aggregate for new mortars, renders and plasters.