Re-pointing in Lime vs Cement based mortars?

What are the differences.

You will find only two kinds of mortars used in masonry, Lime and Cement.

Cement is very much like flour, the main ingredient in baking that we all know can be used to make many things such as muffins, bread, etc. the commonest type of cement to be used across the world is Portland cement. The primary reason for this global general use is indeed its composition. Composed of concrete, mortar, stucco and grout.. The origins of the cement can be traced back to in the initial years of the 19th century. Portland cement has today found its way as being the basic ingredient for ready-mix concrete. A cement mortar will always be a good choice.

Lime on the other hand has been around for a number of years being used to bind together bricks and stones, and also as a render or plaster, for a lot of years. Most countries today within Europe still use Lime extensively within Europe. A number of buildings built before 1900 have been built using lime. If you are looking for re-pointing cement work done in Hereford or you are based in any of its surrounding towns, then please feel free to give us a call here at WYE VALLEY HERITAGE on 07713279819.

So this brings us back to our first question: What are the differences between, lime and cement? Each has its advantages and disadvantages.

Lime mortars are:
Not waterproof, which means you must seal the building.
Not good in a frosty atmosphere. They don’t freeze because they aren’t wet, so they require foundations to be lower than the frost line.

Lime deals with moisture effectively, which is a great advantage:

It’s been known for centuries that the Romans chose to use Lime for building many of their engineering projects, including huge bridges, heated floor slabs, domes, and many other amazing foundations. The earliest use of Lime by the Romans was around 4000 years ago

Over its lifetime Lime reduces the greenhouse gas effect, because the cycle of Lime changes over time from limestone to quicklime and then back to limestone, this allows the CO2 to be released and re-absorbed during the lifetime of the plaster.

Cement mortars on the other hand are,

On being mixed with other aggregates, cement begins to serve a dual purpose. One, it provides for the concrete products to be workable when wet and two, it provides them to be durable when dry.

Any kind of iron or timber structure is exposed to corrosion either by air or water. But with a concrete casing, made by utilizing cement, they can be effectively protected.

Due to its ability to prevent corrosion, cement mortars are also put to use in ships, tanks and bunkers.

A huge devastating fire can leave a building completely burnt down, but if you use a cement mortar, this can be stopped, it can help you build a stronger foundation.

So Which Type of Cement Mortar Is Better? You will find many advantages and disadvantages of using both.

There is no right or wrong type of cement, but there are many right and wrong applications each type has its place. Both Lime and cement mortars are equally useful to use, but only knowledge and experience like ours will tell you what the right cement mortar is for you to use. If you need to know this then please contact us;

One again, if you are looking for re-pointing cement work done in Hereford, Bristol, Worcestershire, Monmouthshire or its surrounding towns then please feel free to give us a call here at WYE VALLEY HERITAGE on 07713279819.