Lime mortars have been used for centuries in construction and the repair of architecture. It has only been a small fraction of history in which cement based mortars have been employed on such a huge scale. It has become apparent over the last 60 years that the use of cement based mortars can in some instances cause damage and are not the appropriate building materials. The problem with cement mortars with some building materials, including stone and other flexible backgrounds is that it is simply too brittle and impervious. This causes decay of the building material and not the flexible and sacrificial mortar beds. This decay is not only aesthetically and technically unsatisfactory, it is also costly as the building materials are the most expensive part of the construction.
In the past remedial programmes of work have been undertaken in unsympathetic materials which have over time caused damage. The re-introduction of sympathetic original building materials is necessary to help save the building fabric. Lime mortars are flexible, vapour permeable and above all ‘kind’ to the building fabric. Lime mortars were the original building material and not necessarily because they did not have the technology to manufacture harder mortars.
Inspire Conservation works extensively with lime mortars for traditional building, pointing, plastering and rendering. The use of this traditional material is no dark art, but it requires a particular work ethic and attention to care and detail. The mortars require diligence and attention to detail when it concerns preparation, application and tendering the freshly applied mortars.
There are various styles of pointing which can be applied and they will generally match the existing mortars, whether it is on a church tower, mansion house or a garden wall. All mortars are mixed by our trained conservators and masons and are of superior quality materials.
Our sister company Inspire Supplies is one of the five national suppliers of lime mortars who make up the Ionic Group. Ionic manufacture and supply high quality French lime mortars, plasters and other traditional building systems and materials. We use our own materials so you can be assured that they are of the highest quality guaranteed by our control systems.
Here is what Buckinghamshire County Council said about their repointing project with Inspire Conservation: