Shall I use Lime or Cement?

Q: Could I perhaps use cement and sand? What is the advantage of using lime on old stone structures?

A: You should not use only cement and sand for a variety of reasons, the first being that in today’s mortars, lime adds workability and plasticity to the Portland cement mortars. Without lime in the mix or proprietary additives, the cement and sand mortar will have extremely poor workability. Secondly, modern-day cement is much different than early cement or lime, it is very hard, dense, vapor impermeable, and brittle. Cement can trap moisture inside the wall and erode the mortar behind the repair mortar, this can cause further unseen deterioration and masonry unit (stone, brick, terracotta) deterioration, thus resulting in a delayed and much larger/costly masonry repair. The advantage of using an appropriate lime mortar on old stone structures deals with compatibility. There is a rule of thumb when approaching a restoration project and that is to repair in kind with like materials. By following this approach an individual can avoid unforeseen problems associated with trying something “new and improved” when there is such a well over 2,000 years of lime building history. There have been a number of studies done around the world on historic structures that conclude that even a small amount of Portland cement added to a lime mortar mix, can cause detrimental damage to the adjacent masonry and historic bedding mortar. Originally written by: Randy Ruth Presented by: LimeWorks.us Phone: 215-536-6706