carringtonLIME; why use lime

WHY USE LIME

Many buildings in Gloucestershire were originally lime rendered, plastered and lime washed. If regularly maintained using appropriate traditional materials, these buildings can be preserved, helping to maintain the historic character and local distinctiveness of an area.

Health and Energy Saving

Lime render naturally regulates the indoor environment by absorbing moisture during times of high humidity and releasing it when humidity stabilizes. When less permeable materials are used, absorbsion is taken up by other materials such as the carpet. Less permeable materials can also lead to moisture being trapped which can lead to mould developing and airborne spores.

By regulating the indoor environment using lime plaster and breathing walls, the need for heating can be reduced.

Appearance

Lime render gives a very distinct appearance. If maintaining the traditional look of your home is important then using Lime is advisable.

Breathability

Water is often the primary cause of building deterioration whether from rain infiltration or water vapour being carried into the building fabric. But possibly the most common and misunderstood, misdiagnosed effects of water damage are vapour diffusion and condensation.

Using Lime and vapour permeable aggregates allow the building to breath releasing moisture that can deteriorate the building fabric and lead to cracking.

Durability

Modern renders are very hard and therefore brittle, which leads to cracking especially with older building that tend to move. Lime is a flexible material and therefore allows a building to move without cracking. In extreme cases where a crack does appear, contains ‘freelime’ which over time moves to the fisier and heals the crack.