Working with Mix & Go – Guide
Mix & Go is the generic term used to describe the ease of use in the field for Ecologic™ Mortar. It is also similar to the slang term used in the field calling Ecologic™ Mortar a “DGM Mortar.” “Ecologic™ Mortar”, “Mix & Go”, “Mix and Go”, and “DGM“ ”are all the same thing but there may be “Customized” versions of the mortar to fit a certain application. Ecologic™ Mortar is a premixed product designed to provide all the benefits of traditional lime mortars for wider general use in the construction industry, particularly new construction and general building repair, and historic rehabilitation work. Having a pre-blended product reduces inconsistency in mixes, commonly associated with site practice, allows greater flexibility and comfort to the specifier in especially choosing a lime mortar. Mix & Go is made with properly graded sands so it further reduces the need for contractors and specifiers to check local sands and aggregates for ASTM compliance. Well graded sands used in Mix & Go reduce shrinkage, improve vapor transfer and workability.
In its basic versions, coarse (G type) and fine (F type) with granulometry of 1/16″ and 1/32″ respectively, Mix & Go can be used in almost all building applications. Different granulometry is available for special applications (roughcast, harling).
Once applied Mix & Go will be durable, simulating the performance of the original historic lime mortars first used when doing rehabilitation work. The type G mortar is based on a moderately hydraulic lime (NHL 3.5), particularly suitable for normal, moderate and exposed climatic locations and is an excellent material for pointing and building, internal plaster base coats, finished renders and decorative surface finishes. The Type F Mortar is particularly suited to pointing and building tightly jointed masonry units and for finer finishing coats in rendering and as finishing coats for internal plastering. It is available in 12 stock colors.
The dispersion of the pigments is very high to ensure that no color streaks will appear. The use of an integrally colored material eliminates the need for applying a mineral paint over internal or external lime plaster/render to give the installation a final color that is more robust.
Customized Ecologic™ Mortar, “Mix & Go”, is normally made to order and delivery is about 4 weeks.
- Building and pointing: Use type G for joint sizes between 1/4″ and 3/4″. Joints above this size might require a coarser version of Mix & Go. Type F is suitable for smaller joints (1/8″ to 3/8″)
- Plasters and renders : type G for bonding , base and rough finishing coats type F for wooden floated finishing coats Surfaces should not be overworked with steel floats. Follow normal working practices in protection and curing (see also General Guidelines: Plastering
with NHL and NHL Renders documents). - Water addition: Follow mix 7 Go data sheet instructions. Slurry coats can be made adding more water if cast or sprayed on.
The versatility of the St. Astier limes will allow special versions of Customized Ecologic™ Mortar, “Mix & Go”, can be designed for applications such as sacrificial coatings, smooth plastering, flooring. Please consult your St. Astier distributor. Pure lime based binders in Ecologic™ Mortar, “Mix & Go”, will offer the discerning builder extremely high vapor permeability ensuring that no moisture will be retained in the built structure. It also has a superior elasticity than cementitious products along with a greater natural workability. Ecologic™ Mortar, “Mix & Go”, can be worked for longer period than cementitious mixes and has the qualities of lime finishes, warm and aesthetically very pleasing with color tones and effects similar to lime washes but far more durable.
The absence of cement, ashes, gypsum and other pozzolanic additions together with its other qualities, make Ecologic™ Mortar, “Mix & Go” highly suitable for repair and conservation work on traditional, vernacular and historic buildings. In new build the properties of lime based Ecologic™ Mortar will allow joint free construction, dispersion of condensation and will accommodate small settlement movements.
Ecofriendly characteristics:
- High vapor exchange qualities
- Produced with lower energy than cementitious mixes
- Re-absorption of CO2 in curing
- Will not deteriorate timber
- Recycling of building materials
- Elimination of painted finishes
When ordering Ecologic™ Mortar it is always recommended to obtain enough material to complete the whole project by using the same lot number throughout the duration of the project for the product selected. By using Ecologic™ Mortar with the same batch number on the same project will help ensure the blended materials for any material including non-pigmented materials stay closer in uniformity. If more material is needed of the same color code then “Boxing” of the batch is recommended. Boxing is where approximately 1/3 of the first batch with a certain lot number is blended 50/50 with the future batches having a new lot number in order to spread out the chance of visible color drift. Since the raw ingredients in Ecologic™ Mortar are derived from natural sources, slight color drift is normal and to be expected between lot numbers. Keeping water volumes, mixing time and the same tooling method consistent between each blended and placed batch of Ecologic™ Mortar, “Mix & Go”, along with pre-wetting the substrate properly and encouraging the same level of slow curing of the material throughout the project is also critical to keeping color within acceptable visual limits throughout the project.
