Where to get it in Ireland
Larger suppliers:
The traditional lime store in Carlow - if you need larger amounts they do nationwide delivery. Brand they use is a German one known as Otterbein.
Round tower lime. If you need it by the pallet, they also do nationwide delivery. The brand they supply is French, and it will come as no supprise to learn its called Roundtower.
Note on the brands: There is no major difference between Roundtower or Otterbein - they are are both quality products and good to work with, so don't fret.
Smaller suppliers:
T McCann builder providers, 136 S Circular Rd, Dublin. Last I checked they maily supplied Otterbein.
The lime store (Dublin). Last I checked they maily supplied Roundtower.
Hydraulic lime comes in three different grades or forms. You have NHL 2, NHL 3.5 and NHL 5. The number corresponds to the 'compressive strength' of the specific lime, and also to other factors like how long it takes to set, and its 'ability to set under water without exposure to air'
The thing to keep in mind is that each grade is suitable for different kinds of masonry and weather exposure.
NHL 2:
Best used for "permeable masonry" that has minimal exposure to the elements. Example; internal brick or stone work - Internal / sheltered Conservation work. Works well with heavily worm or crumbling / flaky sandstone, limestone and bricks. Obviously, it can also used as a Hydraulic lime plaster as well.
NHL 3.5:
Best used with "medium density" masonry that is somewhat exposed to the elements. Often used for General Building work. If you are unsure what lime to use, this is often a good fail safe. Use with: Bricks - Block work - Sandstone - Limestone, for both internal and external building work.
NHL 5:
Best used with "impermeable masonry" that has heavy exposure to the elements.
Characteristics: its the strongest and fastest setting of the lime mortars (which isn't necessarily the best thing for your project though), best suitable when working with dense / impermeable materials.
Use with: Granite, engineering brick, flint, paving, roofing, chimneys, balustrades, bridges, harbours, marinas, canals etc.
Read more about Lime Mortar Here
To read about the difference between Restoration and Conservation, click here.
In conservation, the maximum amount of the original material, in an unaltered condition as possible, is preserved. Any repairs or additions must not remove or alter any original material, beyond absolutely necessary. In theory, all repairs or additions must be reversible and removable without affecting the condition of the original material.
Conserving an object means the object dictates all choices on how it is treated. Conservation does not involve artistic choices or material experimentation on the object. Conservation techniques work to care for the history of the piece while making it usable again.
After 180 years standing, large sections of the wall fell down due to freeze thaw action, lack of capping and old age. Some areas of the wall were previously restored 50 years ago (using a cement mortar mix), while other parts of the original were standing strong, all be it a little off plump. While another large section collapsed completely.
This wall runs through two properties, a creche and a wine merchants. On the wine merchants side, the outside section of the wall fell down completely, while the inside remained intact. On the creche side, a large tree had grown and had started to shift the wall to one side. As such, we had to take down both sides (inner and outer) and then rebuild. Approx 85% of the old existing stone was cleaned and re-used in the rebuild, and was matched using salvaged stone from a building of the same age that originally stood only 6kms away.
All stone was laid using a lime mortar, and the wall was capped using the same.
If your undertaking a new build or restoration / conservation project, be it big or small, or if joints are failing and need to be re-pointed, we can help. Before you start, read our FAQ section: Building with stone | Conservation and Restoration | Lime mortar | Types of joints used in stone masonry | Masonry styles
