A photo of myself and my ever-faithful companion, Doris the Jack Russell.
I have spent the last two decades repointing and plastering with lime mortar. Working in many parts of the UK including Oxfordshire, Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire and also Wiltshire.
I have worked hard to develope an in-depth working knowledge of building limes and heritage plasters and have brought this home to North Yorkshire - which is where I lived 'til my early 20s. Since my return in early 2022 I've completed projects in areas such as Coverdale, Farndale, Baldersdale, Ripon, County Durham and Teesside.
I can now confirm that nearly all stone-built period properties in England were originally constructed using mostly earth and quicklime and then pointed with a simple mix of sand and quicklime.
Therefore, the only sensible option for these properties is a like for like quicklime mortar. The quicklime comes from Buxton in Derbyshire and I slake it on-site with a special blend of local sands which give it that very traditional and distinctive creamy colour.
I put in the extra effort and make every square metre count. I don't just throw sand and lime together and call it a mortar. It's taken me years to source suitable sands and aggregates in order to create my signature mortar. Everyone wants to know the recipe for my mix but it's a closely guarded secret.
Once the mortar has been applied to the joints I don't just give a it a quick knock back with a churn brush and call it a day. Every mortar joint is struck precisely at the right time before being meticulously and carefully tooled and brushed so that it is flush with the edges of the stonework or brick arrises. Any shrinkage cracks are ironed out and my workmanship is unparalleled and would complement the front cover of any heritage house magazine.
I use quicklime to achieve this unrivalled result because it looks great and also because of research highlighted by organisations such as Historic England and SPAB.
https://historicengland.org.uk/research/current/conservation-research/materials-and-techniques/
In short, when quicklime is used to make mortars for period properties it forms the most attractive, porous and flexible mortar. It's better than any natural hydraulic lime (NHL) or lime putty but it takes much more skill and knowledge to mix, apply and finish the product.
When mixed with water or damp sand the quicklime starts to slake. The result of this exothermic reaction is that the mixture reaches boiling point and gives off steam.
Quicklime makes the toughest mortar and it's more than capable of withstanding the harshest of conditions which the most challenging areas of the north can throw at it. It will also outlast cement by many decades.
It's a simple science based around that fact that a good traditional lime pointing mortar over the top of earth mortar means that the whole property can flex with the seasonal movement which all period properties go through during the year. In direct contrast, cementitious mortars are inflexible (so they crack) and their use leads to moisture retention, damp and mold.
The above property is one I refurbished using hot mixed mortar in Bledington in the Cotwolds. The mullioned windows were also in need of sympathetic repair. A combination of specialist surface repair mortar and organic pigments and ochres made this possible.
Although the cottage is very old, the windows were even older because they were reclaimed when the property was originally built. It's possible that this stone could date back to the 1400s.
For more on earth/lime mortar (common mortar) and lime pointing, click on the above link.
A little about me: I regard myself as a heritage conservation mortar specialist. My entry into lime, brick and stone developed out of the work I did as a garden designer and landscaper. I'd been doing some stonework on the gable end of a cottage as part of a general refurbishment to house and garden and a couple new to the area asked if I'd do some lime repointing on their house.
I then went on to refurbish the exterior of a converted barn and followed this with a couple more period properties before moving onto my first grade two listed building. Since then I've spent years continuing my professional development in bricks and mortar and after much research eventually graduated to using quicklime, and therefore hot mixed mortar, as it has the highest free lime content coupled to a sympathetically low compressive strength which means it's much kinder to natural stone and aged brickwork and offers the best and most authentic finish.
Below: on the left is the before picture where cement has been used to repoint around quoins. The result was that over time they sustained a lot of damage.
The photo on the right was taken after all of the quoins had been sympathetically repaired and repointed with quicklime mortar.
After: one often discovers that when working on period properties there is a host of other issues which accompany the repointing such as rotten or damaged quoins, cills and lintels. In this case a blend of my own stone repair mortar ensured this property's longevity for many more years.
Gable end repointed using quicklime mortar.
You can see the remains of aged lime wash which is still sticking to the bricks.
I like to think that my tools and equipment are top quality and I achieve an outstanding finish by increasing the amount of time spent on every aspect of the work including the most important final brushing. I never rush my work; I never cut corners.
An example of this is the photo below which is of personally specified blacksmith forged stone axes.
As an experienced and well travelled craftsman I bear first-hand witness to the fact that most period properties have suffered the damaging effects of unqualified and inexperienced workmanship coupled to the use of inappropriate materials. I see it all the time. The lure of cheap work is not without its consequences and the built environment has, and is, taking a hammering. Please, please please: The time for this to end is now. Have it done right and do your property, yourselves and future generations a favour.
A little history: The ways of preparing mortar were originally passed down from father to son, or master to apprentice, hundreds of years ago. Unfortunately these recipes were misinterpreted during the 80s lime revival. It now means that the current approach to NHL and lime putty is historically incorrect in relation to the way things were done hundred of years ago.
This realisation occurred after old mortars were deconstructed where it was revealed that most were made from quicklime. We now know that the old mortars had a far higher lime content than we ever imagined. This is because quicklime expands in volume when water is added which results in the amount of lime in a mortar mix increasing to the point where it can double. What this means is that since the lime revival of the 1980s not enough lime has been used in lime mortar mixes.
Through many years of practise, in combination with the study of academic research, I can at last bring true historic artisan craftsmanship to period stone and brick built properties using the same high free lime content mortar from yesteryear which I mix to my exclusive, signature recipes.
These are slaked onsite in the same way they were prepared thousands of years ago.
I work with my hands, my mind and my heart and have learned over the years that the best quality materials are the only way forward.
My focus is primarily on exclusively built properties in prime locations where I can provide quality to owners who are looking for superior workmanship. My customers have usually concluded that to do a good job sympathetically takes time and are unwilling to settle for anything other than the absolute best.
Choosing someone who fails to understand the mechanics and science of older properties can have disastrous results as specialist skills and materials are required on historic buildings. These resist water penetration whilst remaining porous and flexible. Moisture is wicked away from buildings ensuring they remain weatherproof, watertight, windproof and dry.
I also work with natural cement ((opus caementicium) which is ideal for repairing damaged stone when mixed with crushed stone.
Natural cement was patented back in 1796 by the Rev. James Barker. It's made to the original recipe and has had nothing added and nothing taken away. It's vapour open in nature and is simply crushed, kilned and air slaked gault stone. It's uncomplicated, breathable, flexible, naturally hydraulic cement which is desirable for its long term durability. It is much softer than Ordinary Portland Cement and its porous nature means it is ideally suited to heritage properties. Its strength can be increased or decreased depending on the nature of the work and the environment.
I always try and preserve the external fabric of a building and somtimes use specialist products such as Lithomex.
Lithomex is a favourite as it allows for complex repairs to intricate brick and stonework.
I also do lime plastering and tend to focus a lot on insulating lime plasters. These are exactly the same as traditional haired lime plasters but some of the sand is swapped out for materials such as hemp, perlite and/or pumic. It doesn't have to be expensive and the thermal additions enable thick layers of plaster to be applied without the need for PIR boards such as Celotex, Kingspan and insulating plasterboard.
Below: ground pummice for insulating plaster.
Perlite for insulating plaster.
My repertoire of sympathetic products also contains crushed chalk which I use when matching in with exisiting mortars.
I also use hemp shive when using pure hot lime plasters. This doesn't contain any sand and enables higher U values.
I include pozzalana in mortars and plasters when necessary i.e. if conditions dictate or if a stronger compressive strength is required due to possible damage from severe weather or cracking.
For high end work I include the use of marble dust in my plasters. I also use lime hydrate as academic papers now reveal that its heritage credentials are much more than were considered a few decades ago.
In additon to my career in period property restoration I earned a college lectureship in the further education sector.
What got me there was an Honours degree in psychology from the University of Reading and a PGCE from the Westminster Institute of Education of Oxford Brookes University. After qualifying I lectured mainly in psychology. But I've also lectured in horticulture and arboriculture because I hold professional qualifications in the subjects as well as landscape and design. Additionally I also worked in the City of Oxford as an English tutor.
Having a science background means I've been able to apply myself to the study and understanding of the mechanics of traditional building and restoration techniques.
I have worked to a sufficiently high standard to enable me to be asked to consider work work on National Trust properties. My preference, though, is for privately owned stone or antique brick properties to which I can employ my skills as an artisan craftsman working sympathetically to a high standard.
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Lime mortar repointing Darlington, County Durham, Richmond on Swale, Yorkshire Dales, North Yorkshire Moors, Leyburn, Hurworth on Tees, Hornby, Northallerton, Stockton, Great Smeaton, North Cowton, Great Ayton, Hutton Rudby, Bedale, Staindrop, Barnard Castle, Reeth, Melsonby, Yarm, Sedgefield, Brompton on Swale, Egglescliffe, Heighington Village, Scorton, Middlesbrough, Teeside, Middleton in Teesdale.
Below: the feet of a man who's "in THE LIME".
