These are some of my favorite projects! I get so excited to do a lime plaster on stone walls... And, then after two to three days of removing old plaster, dirt, insects, vegetation, all whilst knocking my oversized knuckles on every stone that is slightly protruding.... Usually, by the point the old material is removed, my laborers have deserted me with some nonsensical excuses, my lungs hurt, my knuckles hurt, and then, the mixing begins... literally had to mix all the plaster by hand, as well as, carting five gallon buckets of sand and bags of NHL all the way through the house, down the old stairs, and into the basement! All four tons of sand, and 25 bags of NHL 3.5 ! LMAO (I know the amount of sand is accurate, but i might be off a couple bags of NHL.) Oh almost forgot, that is, after carting out the 30 bucket loads of old plaster up the stairs, through the house, and to the truck! All because someone decided to put a concrete slab literally directly atop the Bilco (hurricane, tornado, bulkhead, they have so many names....) doors. And, put a covered patio blocking access to the front basement window, and a on-grade, solid oak, back patio covering the back window.... The two side windows had long since been laid up with stone and covered with earth half way up.... Then, due to the ice, we had to drop all the materials at my office ten miles from the job site, and cart them there bucket by bucket, because the clients had the worlds steepest unpaved driveway, and no basement access anyways, I disassembled a wheel barrow, cut it down a little, and managed to get that through the house into the basement to mix in.... all by hand! After all this, the clients were so happy with the result they literally called the plaster, "a masterpiece of fine artistry, that belonged in museum!" And, with them being professors of music and art, I would say, it was a qualified assessment! lol. Did I mention my truck slid down the driveway at one point while I was working in the basement...I started hearing honking, more honking, and then incessant honking, which I ignored for nearly 30 minutes, as I was busy working! Well, when I got to the driveway, I was totally confused, because my truck was missing, and then I saw it, and the source of all the honking! It literally slid all the way down the driveway and came to a rest in the road, literally blocking the entire roadway, to the misfortune of about four vehicles, one being an energy magnates service truck! If it had gone any further back it would have fell off a fifty foot cliff into a rock face! And, still I wouldn't rather do anything else to earn my living!
This just about sums up working with lime. Every scenario is different but it's pretty much all a big ball ache. Nevertheless, the rewards are there. The job satisfaction is always high.
hii, thanks for your informative video. you said 1 part lime, 3 parts of sand, plaster 0.6 part, 3 parts water what is this 0.6 part of plaster ? that's the part i don't understand. and you didn't use animal hair to make it fiberly bonded ? how is the lime based plaster doing after this few years ? is it holding up ?? i asked this because i saw someone who use lime+sand+water grout to do interior brick pointing, but after just a few years, all those pointing work gone to waste when the lime sand grout just crumbling down like sand. lime is the way to go. i am so excited to learn the proper way to do render.. pls share with us your knowledge from all these years of experience. thanks andrew
Awesome #video. Wish it was longer . Love a bit of lime plaster . I recently done some lime hemp plaster . It's my 3rd time using it. Lovely stuff. Happy plastering fella
Thanks for this video, very informative and reassuring. I'm about to do just these three stages in a room where I've stripped all of the old rough rendering off because it had been painted with plastic paint. It also had areas that had been patched with cement that I really had to fight and other smaller areas with gypsum. But just a plea for future videos: please keep the camera still or move very slowly only when necessary or cut to bring the next subject into frame. The video compression can't keep up, producing a blurry image most of the time. Even at the end with you in the picture, there's absolutely no need to move the camera around - it doesn't make the video any more interesting but it does detract. The lighting wasn't a problem in this video.
It’s amazing to see a building looked after properly. A builder repointed our whole lime mortar building with cement mortar about 35 years ago and so many bricks have broken, blown and cracks everywhere. They even put cement faces on lots of broken bricks, that weigh a fair about, which are coming off. Not exactly something you want landing on your head.
Thanks Karl. We've come a long way in 35 years. I've seen exactly what you're talking about. Whenever anyone has this type of work done, they should expect a full written specification which states which type of mortar, its component parts (i.e. which lime, what ratios, free lime content etc) and also roughly how many bricks will be replaced. They should expect details about rake out depths and also how mortar will be protected and nursed whilst vulnerable. It's up to the client whether they read it or not but it should be there for all to see.
Hi - love your video (and the hat!). Doing-up my 200 year old cottage, which we’ve developed a love/hate relationship with - your wall here sounds exactly as we found our walls! My question (again, it’s daft as I’m new to this) by “sponge-ing” do you mean whipping over the top coat with a damp sponge? How long after application of this coat should the sponge-ing be done? Thank you!
Thanks for the video. would you use the same mix and depths if you were rendering external walls? I am refurbishing a timber frame listed cottage and have removed sand and cement and rusty metal lathe that someone has done previously and i have now fitted Wood wool board. I intend to now finish with lime render. Many thanks
Mr James! Thanks for your help a few weeks ago. We've pointed out house in Lafarge 3.5 and it looks wonderful. I was thinking of plastering the plinth using the same Lime as I have plenty spare. As the walls are not particularly straight, I would need the render to be approx 6" thick in places to bring it straight. Is it appropriate to continue layering up the scratch cost until it is this thickness? D
I went to a hot lime day. The talkers were Alison Henry, Nigel Copsey and Nick Durnan. They spoke about hydraulics and said after testing 3.5 they discovered that it isn't at all breathable or permeable. So it looks like you've sealed the walls again, but this time floor to ceiling instead of one meter. Apparently the only hydraulic we should use is NHL 2 because it's not only breathable but they found it to be stronger than 3.5.
I was about to ask about this too - I understand NHL 3.5 is more appropriate for external work, since it's harder and more weather resistant - and less breathable. Bit surprised about NHL 2 turning out to be stronger though. If you check out the following page, there is quite an overlap in compressive strength between NHL 2 and 3.5 though. naturalhydrauliclime.net/faqs/
Hot lime has no place in plastering . True the Hydraulic limes are stronger than they used to be but they are permeable and the use of which Hydraulic lime, fat lime or hot lime is really job specific
I think the test Kevin, is the test of time. How are all those old walls which were rendered, plastered and pointed with lime doing? Stop attention seeking.
@@Jezzer2014 I was told that NHL is not so useful as over time NHL 3.5 can be as hard as 5 regardless of the 28 days compressibility. There is also big overlap between the categories and difficult to predict what the 1 year final hardness/breathability will be. lime putty is the only option if you want to be sure and is preferred for internal work because it's not subjected to the elements. Pozzolans are a bit of a mystery - what is it that you end up with? It's stringer but what equivalent NHL?
Very nice results! Question :Im up to plaster an outdoor stone wall. Im using 1 part lime (stored in bag with water) and 2 parts natural earth filtered through metal net (aggregate size is about 4-5 milimeter at top) cracks begin to appear after couple of days of coating the first layer... any suggestions what am I doing wrong?
Hi, I have a stone wall similar to this one, but lots of recesses/gaps between the stone. Maybe a stupid question, but do I need to point it first then put the scratch coat on, or will the recesses actually be beneficial for any coats I apply? Thanks for sharing the video
Thanks, by dub do you mean, fill them in? I guess what I'm getting at is, does the mortar between the rocks need to be relatively flush with them before plastering, or can the plaster fill those recesses?
Not necessarily. If you're first coat goes OK then there's no reason why you can't just skim over it. Just go by feel and if it feels ok then it probably will be ok. Make sure you've got plenty of hair/fibres in though. You can also put a very small amount of finely chopped hair in your skim.
Can you recommend a suitable kiln dried sand for the final coat? I can see that B&Q sell kiln dried paving sand - would that be good enough for the final skim, or would the grains of sand be too big?
Hi mate. What is hydrolic lime and what does it do... What happens if u don't use it and what hydrolic lime do u use.... Can u use limelite renovating plaster instead?????
Forgive the newbie question... regarding the lime or clay based paints that can be applied after the top coat has dried, do they have a "sealed" finish ie are they wipeable/ splashproof? If you paint walls with this kind of paint on high traffic areas such as the walls running alongside a staircase, or behind the kitchen sink etc, can you wipe them clean of hand prints or watermarks or does the paint rub off easily. I know you can't use standard emulsions as they are not typically breathable, but I'm just a little concerned that the walls will have a dusty finish.. any advice from your experience would be gratefully received... Thanks for sharing your skills and experience by the way...
A common sense approach must be applied here. The paints are made using natural products to the best of the manufacturer's ability and are as hard wearing as possible and can only be cleaned to a limited degree. Difficult to keep clean if you've got kids - hence the popularity of modern products. Repainting once a year would probably be required in high traffic areas. But it's all relative.
Yep. But choose your lime carefully. If you're goign to use NHL then St Astier NHL2 is best because it's got a high free lime content which makes it extremely workable.
michaeljamesdesign cheeers for that I’ve got internal lime walls to do nhl2 fir scratch n float just a recap 2.5-1 sharp sand n lime scratch 3-1 rendering sand n lime float will that type of sand be suffice for the job it’s a solid brick wall no cavity
What type of lime do you use? Here in the U.S. I can only find over burnt lime for use with Portland cement and autoclave finish lime for use with gypsum plaster.
Excuse my ignorance as I am a complete novice regarding old plastering. You have answered a lot of my questions below. However, my knowledge of new plaster is that when it drys there is a certain amount of dust left that will come of on clothes as you brush up against it. I know from experience that in order to seal this a mix of wallpaper paste and water does the job. My question is: Does Lime plaster have the same problem and is the solution the same? I am not a builder, just curious. P.s. Liked the video, but worried about your little dog as he might brush up against the plaster as mine did and received lime burns.
I think you're getting mixed up here. Modern plaster does not contain lime so it's unlikely your dog suffered burns. Lime will burn wood but not dog flesh. One 'sizes' with a wallpaper wash before papering as it makes it easier to hang paper.
Thanks for taking the time to reply noillucS 33. I guess then that the answer to your question would be "No" and "No". The act of sponging removes friable material from the freshly lime plastered substrate. Hope this helps.
It depends on a number of variables: Upstairs? Basement? Top floor? Are you in a smart and expensive area which results in contractors having to travel some distance to get to you. Does your plasterer live in the next village and walk to work? Is he desperate so quotes low prices. Is parking easy? Is finish important or is rustic an option? Are materials to be included or will you supply? Building sand or washed sand? Premixed lime putty or NHL knocked up in a mixer? Will you instruct a tradesman who is registered for VAT? Will you choose a company or sole trader? Will you ask a mate of a mate or a master craftsman who sees no reason not to levy high fees for his services because he's very good and in demand? Best to get quotes in and see how much people in your area are charging.
@@michaeljamesdesign I'm working on an Adobe house in Arizona. The art of lime work has disappeared. Many of the Adobe homes here have been destroyed with home owners using cement render. I am repairing an inside wall. Lime seems the best way to maintain the home.
Can i say i use 3.hnhl st aistier for for stone sub floor, but where its dry to use quicklime plaster for walls i will naturally use quick lime for plastering walls. Can i ask what was the reasons u use nhl 3.h instead quicklime? Was it due to damp isuues etc?
It doesn't matter what you use for the scratch coat but putty can be more expensive - it depends on the job you're on as to which type of lime you choose to use.
The wall's performance is dictated by a number of things so you really need to look at the performance of the mortar first. It's too much of an expansive topic to discuss here though.
@@raymondnash4891 I disagree. Lime hydrate is quicklime slaked to a hydrate. As long as it's fresh it can be used with sand and water to form a porous mortar. It's not as good as lime putty or NHL but it's what was used many years before NHL. Nowadays it has a reputation as a plasticising agent in cement mortar because when it's old it's useless as a binder.
Hydrated lime being as such a powder has already achieved carbonation, whilst it may have been used in the period after the decline of site slaked lime it is a poor substitute and has no place in conservation today.
thanks. So it looks like you totally bypass the hardwall plaster (gypsum and lime putty) for the painting surface? I find the hardwall goes off too quickly to get a fully smooth surface though, I may still have to skim coat it. How long is the workability of the final coat (lime putty plus sand) in your system?
@@michaeljamesdesign Ive been recommended to use a mix of 'hardwall plaster' powder - ie gypsum - and lime putty in a ratio of 1:1 by weight roughly. To use this over my lime-rendered walls (NHL2 1:2.5 lime to sand). To use this gypsum/lime coat as my finishing skim coat over the render in order to have a breathable surface ready for painting. Looks like you keep the whole thing lime and sand?
@@suetheron4495 Oh dear. How unfortunate. Gypsum and putty together. How very... different. Who recommended such a mix and which prescription medication are they on?
@@michaeljamesdesign this is standard practice here: ruclips.net/video/VEFdeqWdCWI/видео.html . The manufacturer advised the gypsum in this instance when mixed with lime putty is permeable FYI. There is no need for your sarcasm however, I was not attacking your method. Merely curious as to what the best method is and how much workability you're getting from the final coat, as per my original question
Lime plaster is breathable, therefore it doesn't trap moisture. This hence stops degredation of materials behind the plaster (in this case stone). If non breathable plaster is used, water can accumulate and damage the material behind it.
Plaster is applied to what's called a substrate. Each coat needs to be applied to a 'stable substrate'. Without this then you're in trouble with any kind of plaster or render. In the case of lime, shrinkage occurs when you apply to a substrate which hasn't dried properly. That's the theory anyway.
I've read in many places that the top coat should go on a day or two after the scratch coat... it even says this on the tub of sbr slurry i bought for the job. i assume this helps the two coats bond to each other? btw I'm a novice so just going by what i read
So you've used a really fine sand and lime putty mix to skim? and have not incorporated any gypsum-based finish powder within your mix? I'm just trying to recocile what you've done to what I've previously read in the old plastering books such as "The Green Book of Plastering". IIRC, their lime finish coats always incorporated gypsum plaster (iirc it was Thistle board finish). www.amazon.co.uk/Plastering-Thistle-Plaster-Pre-Mixed-Plaster/dp/B004BHHEA2
Ed Jones it's a finish coat. since when did we worry about making the skim coat waterproof? p.s. bielzebub, he's skimming a backing coat, no-one mentioned plasterboards.
No wonder there's so much confusion out there concerning plastering. Let's unconfuse everything. Lime plaster is vapour permeable. There's no breathing taking place. But there is evaporation of moisture. Using gypsum is OK for new build as those properties have air bricks, DPCs and non-porous bricks. They also have cavity walls full of insulation. Old properties have none of this so small amounts of moisture entering at the base of a property are effectivily filtered upwards and out through lime mortar and plaster. Adding gypsum to a finish coat reduces the vapour permeability of lime plaster rendering it useless and leading to many of the problems from which older houses are now suffering.
Thomo, bless your cotton socks. If you're asking questions like this then you're not even at beginner level. Google sharp sand and how to make lime plaster.
Hello nice video . I do have a question. What is the best finish if I just patching walls(fixing dry rotted property which was treated. Around25mm thick but with gypsum finish(multifinish) so rendered 2 coats and skimmed. I know how to do the first coat. Do I should use putty and killn dried sand or 2 coat same as first . 3rd coat can be just skimming of multifinish. Hope will get some advice.
@@michaeljamesdesign yes existing plaster on walls (brickwork) have lime plaster 2 coats finished with multifish then painted. House had a dry rod treatment new screed and some of the walls need repair to 1.3m high.
Hi there. Yes, you're right. But at the time I had loads of competition plus it's better to have the do it yourselfers needing plasterers and the only way you can get that is the make sure the trade is safeguarded against competition from amateurs. We all have our rice bowls. When I don't need a wage I'll be posting vids left right and centre.
@@michaeljamesdesign fair enough. I guess it’s a battle between educating so trades stop making the same mistakes over and over and like you say your own rice bowl.👍
@@Littlelamb2023 There are courses, videos and books but to be honest there's not really an alternative to proper training, experience, experimentation, good tools and techniques.
@@michaeljamesdesign Thank you. final question cos i know you are a busy man. I have bought a lot of lime putty to lime wash the exterior brickwork of my place in the spring. one of my rooms is in terrible condition it was cement plastered and plastic painted some years ago by the previous occupiers and much of the plaster has blown and its generally in poor nick. I have removed all the plastic paint and i would like to maybe use some of the lime putty to put one coat of lime plaster over the old cement plaster then lime wash it. I know this is going to be a bodge job but to be honest i am a bit past really hard laboring and to hack out all the old plaster and then find all sorts of masonry issues would probably be beyond my skill set. I would rather just do a holding job that may see me and my mrs out till we are put in the ground. Is it possible to put a lime putty/sand plaster onto what appears to be an existing cement and sand one? Thank you
@@michaeljamesdesign mortar for repointing or new bricklaying - yes, plastering not really as may get a surface burst - mature putty with sand and fibres better
@@mikehewitt1253 FYI, lime putty is slaked lime which has been left to cool and is then mixed with sand. Whereas hot mixed mortar is lime slaked with sand. It's the same stuff. There are obvious differences such as better workability and the fact that hot mixed mortar can be used throughout the year and is richer in lime but essentially it's the same component. So I don't think your argument can really be sustained.
@@michaeljamesdesign yes I know. The problem with hot mix, is that some lime is not slaked, some, not much, lies within the mix unslaked. This is great for self healing mortar or limecrete but not if it's near the surface of your plastered wall when it receives moisture, slakes, doubles it's volume it then effectively explodes out of the surface ruining your beautiful finish. Whereas a mature putty is fully slaked and cannot do this and therefore is better for plastering. I'm as ancient as the Lime, any other Lime pointers required, just get in touch.
@@mikehewitt1253 You're talking about slaking lump lime or kibble and then using that for hot mixed mortar. I'm not. We only use powdered quicklime when knocking up render coats. Which, incidentally, doesn't double in volume like kibble. Because of the size of the powder granules all of the lime is slaked - so there are never any pop-outs. Just as a point of information, mortar analysis has revealed that lump lime was indeed used for first and second coats historically. Particularly before sand i.e. earth mortar. Putty was only ever used as a top coat plaster. We, of course, likewise, only use putty as a top coat plaster. But just as a point of information, if kibble or lump lime is slaked proficiently then all of the lumps break down. It's only when there's insufficient water or the slaking process has involved mixing granules with sand and then adding water that you get lumps. But even with this method it's clear from remaining examples of historic mortar it, like the old pointing mortars, has remained pop-out free. Respectfully, exploding granules must be a thing for your jobs Mike.
Lol what a bellend he didn't have to show u anything tbf why don't u get off ur high horse u prick and give the man some respect for giving information on his hard earned trade
Thanks for sharing this Michael, looks great
These are some of my favorite projects! I get so excited to do a lime plaster on stone walls... And, then after two to three days of removing old plaster, dirt, insects, vegetation, all whilst knocking my oversized knuckles on every stone that is slightly protruding.... Usually, by the point the old material is removed, my laborers have deserted me with some nonsensical excuses, my lungs hurt, my knuckles hurt, and then, the mixing begins... literally had to mix all the plaster by hand, as well as, carting five gallon buckets of sand and bags of NHL all the way through the house, down the old stairs, and into the basement! All four tons of sand, and 25 bags of NHL 3.5 ! LMAO (I know the amount of sand is accurate, but i might be off a couple bags of NHL.) Oh almost forgot, that is, after carting out the 30 bucket loads of old plaster up the stairs, through the house, and to the truck! All because someone decided to put a concrete slab literally directly atop the Bilco (hurricane, tornado, bulkhead, they have so many names....) doors. And, put a covered patio blocking access to the front basement window, and a on-grade, solid oak, back patio covering the back window.... The two side windows had long since been laid up with stone and covered with earth half way up.... Then, due to the ice, we had to drop all the materials at my office ten miles from the job site, and cart them there bucket by bucket, because the clients had the worlds steepest unpaved driveway, and no basement access anyways, I disassembled a wheel barrow, cut it down a little, and managed to get that through the house into the basement to mix in.... all by hand! After all this, the clients were so happy with the result they literally called the plaster, "a masterpiece of fine artistry, that belonged in museum!" And, with them being professors of music and art, I would say, it was a qualified assessment! lol. Did I mention my truck slid down the driveway at one point while I was working in the basement...I started hearing honking, more honking, and then incessant honking, which I ignored for nearly 30 minutes, as I was busy working! Well, when I got to the driveway, I was totally confused, because my truck was missing, and then I saw it, and the source of all the honking! It literally slid all the way down the driveway and came to a rest in the road, literally blocking the entire roadway, to the misfortune of about four vehicles, one being an energy magnates service truck! If it had gone any further back it would have fell off a fifty foot cliff into a rock face! And, still I wouldn't rather do anything else to earn my living!
This just about sums up working with lime. Every scenario is different but it's pretty much all a big ball ache. Nevertheless, the rewards are there. The job satisfaction is always high.
Thank you! Very clear explanation and the result looks really great!
Thank you Allison Clark!
hii,
thanks for your informative video.
you said 1 part lime, 3 parts of sand, plaster 0.6 part, 3 parts water
what is this 0.6 part of plaster ? that's the part i don't understand.
and you didn't use animal hair to make it fiberly bonded ?
how is the lime based plaster doing after this few years ? is it holding up ?? i asked this because i saw someone who use lime+sand+water grout to do interior brick pointing, but after just a few years, all those pointing work gone to waste when the lime sand grout just crumbling down like sand.
lime is the way to go. i am so excited to learn the proper way to do render..
pls share with us your knowledge from all these years of experience.
thanks
andrew
Awesome #video. Wish it was longer . Love a bit of lime plaster . I recently done some lime hemp plaster . It's my 3rd time using it. Lovely stuff. Happy plastering fella
How you getting on with that? They say it can take months to dry before it's plastered.
@@michaeljamesdesign yeah your right. I've had to wait 6 weeks for it to set on one wall
Use chalk next time. @@tapeslayersreviewsreviews9807
Thanks for this video, very informative and reassuring. I'm about to do just these three stages in a room where I've stripped all of the old rough rendering off because it had been painted with plastic paint. It also had areas that had been patched with cement that I really had to fight and other smaller areas with gypsum.
But just a plea for future videos: please keep the camera still or move very slowly only when necessary or cut to bring the next subject into frame. The video compression can't keep up, producing a blurry image most of the time. Even at the end with you in the picture, there's absolutely no need to move the camera around - it doesn't make the video any more interesting but it does detract. The lighting wasn't a problem in this video.
Couldn't 'agree more. A useful video, but the moving makes it really hard to see what's going on.
Have a day off eh guys
It’s amazing to see a building looked after properly. A builder repointed our whole lime mortar building with cement mortar about 35 years ago and so many bricks have broken, blown and cracks everywhere. They even put cement faces on lots of broken bricks, that weigh a fair about, which are coming off. Not exactly something you want landing on your head.
Thanks Karl. We've come a long way in 35 years. I've seen exactly what you're talking about. Whenever anyone has this type of work done, they should expect a full written specification which states which type of mortar, its component parts (i.e. which lime, what ratios, free lime content etc) and also roughly how many bricks will be replaced. They should expect details about rake out depths and also how mortar will be protected and nursed whilst vulnerable. It's up to the client whether they read it or not but it should be there for all to see.
Lovely work
not many can pull off the berret, well done sir! nice vid too 👍🏻
Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
New Subscriber
Cheers bud. My pleasure.
Hi - love your video (and the hat!). Doing-up my 200 year old cottage, which we’ve developed a love/hate relationship with - your wall here sounds exactly as we found our walls!
My question (again, it’s daft as I’m new to this) by “sponge-ing” do you mean whipping over the top coat with a damp sponge? How long after application of this coat should the sponge-ing be done? Thank you!
Yes, sponge it. As for timing: when it's ready.
Great video! Would you use any wood fibre boards for internal insulation?
Depends on the circumstances.
Great videos thank you
Thanks for the video. would you use the same mix and depths if you were rendering external walls? I am refurbishing a timber frame listed cottage and have removed sand and cement and rusty metal lathe that someone has done previously and i have now fitted Wood wool board. I intend to now finish with lime render. Many thanks
Personally I don't think I'd use sand and lime on timber frame.
Mr James! Thanks for your help a few weeks ago. We've pointed out house in Lafarge 3.5 and it looks wonderful. I was thinking of plastering the plinth using the same Lime as I have plenty spare. As the walls are not particularly straight, I would need the render to be approx 6" thick in places to bring it straight. Is it appropriate to continue layering up the scratch cost until it is this thickness? D
Dan! Yes mate, you'll be talking about dubbing out then.
Lime plaster mortar (60% humidity content). 1 part lime, 3 parts of sand, plaster 0.6 part, 3 parts water
1 part lime, 3 parts of sand, plaster 0.6 part, 3 parts water
what is this 0.6 part of plaster ?
andrew
I went to a hot lime day. The talkers were Alison Henry, Nigel Copsey and Nick Durnan. They spoke about hydraulics and said after testing 3.5 they discovered that it isn't at all breathable or permeable. So it looks like you've sealed the walls again, but this time floor to ceiling instead of one meter. Apparently the only hydraulic we should use is NHL 2 because it's not only breathable but they found it to be stronger than 3.5.
I was about to ask about this too - I understand NHL 3.5 is more appropriate for external work, since it's harder and more weather resistant - and less breathable. Bit surprised about NHL 2 turning out to be stronger though. If you check out the following page, there is quite an overlap in compressive strength between NHL 2 and 3.5 though. naturalhydrauliclime.net/faqs/
Hot lime has no place in plastering . True the Hydraulic limes are stronger than they used to be but they are permeable and the use of which Hydraulic lime, fat lime or hot lime is really job specific
I think the test Kevin, is the test of time. How are all those old walls which were rendered, plastered and pointed with lime doing? Stop attention seeking.
Types of lime...www.lime.org.uk/community/types-of-lime/types-of-lime.html
@@Jezzer2014 I was told that NHL is not so useful as over time NHL 3.5 can be as hard as 5 regardless of the 28 days compressibility. There is also big overlap between the categories and difficult to predict what the 1 year final hardness/breathability will be. lime putty is the only option if you want to be sure and is preferred for internal work because it's not subjected to the elements. Pozzolans are a bit of a mystery - what is it that you end up with? It's stringer but what equivalent NHL?
Very nice results!
Question :Im up to plaster an outdoor stone wall. Im using 1 part lime (stored in bag with water) and 2 parts natural earth filtered through metal net (aggregate size is about 4-5 milimeter at top)
cracks begin to appear after couple of days of coating the first layer... any suggestions what am I doing wrong?
Everything.
Hi, I have a stone wall similar to this one, but lots of recesses/gaps between the stone. Maybe a stupid question, but do I need to point it first then put the scratch coat on, or will the recesses actually be beneficial for any coats I apply? Thanks for sharing the video
Depends on how large. If they're big holes then dub them out.
Thanks, by dub do you mean, fill them in? I guess what I'm getting at is, does the mortar between the rocks need to be relatively flush with them before plastering, or can the plaster fill those recesses?
Dub out large holes and bang on your scratch coat. Don't point up the joints otherwise you won't have a key.
Hiya Mike, if you was going straight over block walls would you still use 3 coats?
Not necessarily. If you're first coat goes OK then there's no reason why you can't just skim over it. Just go by feel and if it feels ok then it probably will be ok. Make sure you've got plenty of hair/fibres in though. You can also put a very small amount of finely chopped hair in your skim.
just checking 1st coat 9mm to 12mm 3 to 1, 2nd coat 9mm to 10mm 3 to 1 then top coat?
I likes a bit of lime putty Stuart. But others like NHL. Either way you need fine sand.
Bonus points for the Jack Russ xx
Can you recommend a suitable kiln dried sand for the final coat? I can see that B&Q sell kiln dried paving sand - would that be good enough for the final skim, or would the grains of sand be too big?
You should be ok with B&Q. Personally I'm a Wickes man. Currently selling for less than a fiver a bag.
@@michaeljamesdesign Thanks!
@@frogtantrum My pleasure.
Hi, do you add any hair to your base coats? We've had problems with cracking and the last layer looks crackle-glazed in places! 😣
Hair to scratch is mandatory - and plenty of it. Some add hair to float but I don't.
Hi mate. What is hydrolic lime and what does it do... What happens if u don't use it and what hydrolic lime do u use.... Can u use limelite renovating plaster instead?????
Moeen, these aren't really questions for youtube. They're for your local supplier from where you get your materials. Good luck.
Did you use harling method for first rough coat ?
No.
Forgive the newbie question... regarding the lime or clay based paints that can be applied after the top coat has dried, do they have a "sealed" finish ie are they wipeable/ splashproof? If you paint walls with this kind of paint on high traffic areas such as the walls running alongside a staircase, or behind the kitchen sink etc, can you wipe them clean of hand prints or watermarks or does the paint rub off easily.
I know you can't use standard emulsions as they are not typically breathable, but I'm just a little concerned that the walls will have a dusty finish.. any advice from your experience would be gratefully received... Thanks for sharing your skills and experience by the way...
A common sense approach must be applied here. The paints are made using natural products to the best of the manufacturer's ability and are as hard wearing as possible and can only be cleaned to a limited degree. Difficult to keep clean if you've got kids - hence the popularity of modern products. Repainting once a year would probably be required in high traffic areas. But it's all relative.
Marmorino Venetian plaster finish. Marble dust and lime plaster. Waterproof and good for kitchens and bathrooms. The finish is polished and cleanable.
You can waterproof a lime finish by rubbing it with castille soap.
Why would you want to.
Great vid so top coat 2 parts kiln dried sand n 1 lime n then add water ???
Yep. But choose your lime carefully. If you're goign to use NHL then St Astier NHL2 is best because it's got a high free lime content which makes it extremely workable.
michaeljamesdesign cheeers for that I’ve got internal lime walls to do nhl2 fir scratch n float just a recap
2.5-1 sharp sand n lime scratch
3-1 rendering sand n lime float will that type of sand be suffice for the job it’s a solid brick wall no cavity
What type of lime do you use? Here in the U.S. I can only find over burnt lime for use with Portland cement and autoclave finish lime for use with gypsum plaster.
I see this is an old thread, but- Virginia Lime Works has a variety of lime products, and a decent amount of distributors.
@@noragoddard9492 Well said Nora.
Excuse my ignorance as I am a complete novice regarding old plastering. You have answered a lot of my questions below. However, my knowledge of new plaster is that when it drys there is a certain amount of dust left that will come of on clothes as you brush up against it. I know from experience that in order to seal this a mix of wallpaper paste and water does the job. My question is: Does Lime plaster have the same problem and is the solution the same? I am not a builder, just curious. P.s. Liked the video, but worried about your little dog as he might brush up against the plaster as mine did and received lime burns.
I think you're getting mixed up here. Modern plaster does not contain lime so it's unlikely your dog suffered burns. Lime will burn wood but not dog flesh. One 'sizes' with a wallpaper wash before papering as it makes it easier to hang paper.
Ok so modern plaster doesn't contain lime and sizing is for wallpaper. Thank you for taking the time to point this out but that wasn't the question.
Thanks for taking the time to reply noillucS 33. I guess then that the answer to your question would be "No" and "No". The act of sponging removes friable material from the freshly lime plastered substrate. Hope this helps.
Got an old property that needs this system I'm happy to remove old render what would I be looking at per meter finished cheers
It depends on a number of variables: Upstairs? Basement? Top floor? Are you in a smart and expensive area which results in contractors having to travel some distance to get to you. Does your plasterer live in the next village and walk to work? Is he desperate so quotes low prices. Is parking easy? Is finish important or is rustic an option? Are materials to be included or will you supply? Building sand or washed sand? Premixed lime putty or NHL knocked up in a mixer? Will you instruct a tradesman who is registered for VAT? Will you choose a company or sole trader? Will you ask a mate of a mate or a master craftsman who sees no reason not to levy high fees for his services because he's very good and in demand? Best to get quotes in and see how much people in your area are charging.
What did you do with the windowsill tops?
Sorry but i don't know what you mean.
Did you keep the scratch coat moist over the 5 or 10 days while the scratch coat cured?
That's an interesting question Wallace. Can I ask your reason for enquiring?
@@michaeljamesdesign I'm working on an Adobe house in Arizona. The art of lime work has disappeared. Many of the Adobe homes here have been destroyed with home owners using cement render. I am repairing an inside wall. Lime seems the best way to maintain the home.
Can i say i use 3.hnhl st aistier for for stone sub floor, but where its dry to use quicklime plaster for walls i will naturally use quick lime for plastering walls. Can i ask what was the reasons u use nhl 3.h instead quicklime? Was it due to damp isuues etc?
Yeah do that you'll be fine. I used NHL here because that's all there was.
Great
What would you recommend for preparing granite stone for scratch coat? The stone aren’t a perfect face to plaster onto. Thank you!
You could certainly use an NHL on hard stone. I'd be quite happy using a high free lime content NHL2 but I usually use quicklime.
Read that wrong, sorry. Prep on granite is the same as any other substrate.
Is there a particular reason to use NHL 3.5 for the scratch and base coats? Why not use hydrated lime putty in those like the skim coat?
Because there's no such thing as hydrated lime putty Austin.
Can you clarify that? What about lime putty made from slaked quick lime?
Lime putty comes from slaked quick lime.
That's what I said. So why do you use NHL 3.5 in the scratch coat instead of lime putty that's not NHL 3.5?
It doesn't matter what you use for the scratch coat but putty can be more expensive - it depends on the job you're on as to which type of lime you choose to use.
thanks for information Michael .What would be the difference be to the wall performance if hydrated lime was used. ?
The wall's performance is dictated by a number of things so you really need to look at the performance of the mortar first. It's too much of an expansive topic to discuss here though.
Hydrated lime has no place in conservation works...hydrated is used to retard drying when using cements etc
@@raymondnash4891 I disagree. Lime hydrate is quicklime slaked to a hydrate. As long as it's fresh it can be used with sand and water to form a porous mortar. It's not as good as lime putty or NHL but it's what was used many years before NHL. Nowadays it has a reputation as a plasticising agent in cement mortar because when it's old it's useless as a binder.
Hydrated lime being as such a powder has already achieved carbonation, whilst it may have been used in the period after the decline of site slaked lime it is a poor substitute and has no place in conservation today.
Anyway...nice to see you videos online ...hope your busy...
thanks. So it looks like you totally bypass the hardwall plaster (gypsum and lime putty) for the painting surface? I find the hardwall goes off too quickly to get a fully smooth surface though, I may still have to skim coat it. How long is the workability of the final coat (lime putty plus sand) in your system?
That doesn't make sense. Bypass lime putty? What on earth are you taking about?
@@michaeljamesdesign Ive been recommended to use a mix of 'hardwall plaster' powder - ie gypsum - and lime putty in a ratio of 1:1 by weight roughly. To use this over my lime-rendered walls (NHL2 1:2.5 lime to sand). To use this gypsum/lime coat as my finishing skim coat over the render in order to have a breathable surface ready for painting. Looks like you keep the whole thing lime and sand?
@@suetheron4495 Oh dear. How unfortunate. Gypsum and putty together. How very... different. Who recommended such a mix and which prescription medication are they on?
@@michaeljamesdesign this is standard practice here: ruclips.net/video/VEFdeqWdCWI/видео.html . The manufacturer advised the gypsum in this instance when mixed with lime putty is permeable FYI. There is no need for your sarcasm however, I was not attacking your method. Merely curious as to what the best method is and how much workability you're getting from the final coat, as per my original question
Sue Theron That wasn’t sarcasm. That was simply an inference to how mad anyone would be to add gypsum to lime putty.
do you add fibres to the scratch coat? What about cracking?
Yes, fibres added to scratch. What about cracking?
Forgotten why I asked about cracking now🙈
Cracking will occur if drying happens to quickly or under lying problems with the structure
Im trying to figure out what is this? Is it a old shed or something, they you yous are redoing?
Dining room in a grade two listed house.
What would be the differences and the advantages and disadvantages of lime plaster to sand and cement plaster?
That's a pretty expansive question.
michaeljamesdesign haha :) sorry :) if you could give me a summary that would be nice though :)
You tell me. www.michaeljamesdesign.co.uk/4.html Sits back, grabs popcorn.
Lime plaster is breathable, therefore it doesn't trap moisture. This hence stops degredation of materials behind the plaster (in this case stone). If non breathable plaster is used, water can accumulate and damage the material behind it.
what problems may arise if the first coat is not dried properly before the second coat is applied?
Plaster is applied to what's called a substrate. Each coat needs to be applied to a 'stable substrate'. Without this then you're in trouble with any kind of plaster or render. In the case of lime, shrinkage occurs when you apply to a substrate which hasn't dried properly. That's the theory anyway.
Cracking i'd presume.
I've read in many places that the top coat should go on a day or two after the scratch coat... it even says this on the tub of sbr slurry i bought for the job. i assume this helps the two coats bond to each other? btw I'm a novice so just going by what i read
@@ThingsMadeOfOtherThings SBR slurry and lime shouldn't really exist in the same universe!
@@ashyclaret Not necessarily. Some people like to plaster green on green as you get a bit of pull in. It's personal preference really.
who is the french guy at the end ??
That's me when I was a Basque Separatist.
Do you rate limelight plaster?
As an aggressively marketed poor substitute for genuine lime plaster I think it's brilliant. So I'd never use it.
So you've used a really fine sand and lime putty mix to skim? and have not incorporated any gypsum-based finish powder within your mix?
I'm just trying to recocile what you've done to what I've previously read in the old plastering books such as "The Green Book of Plastering". IIRC, their lime finish coats always incorporated gypsum plaster (iirc it was Thistle board finish).
www.amazon.co.uk/Plastering-Thistle-Plaster-Pre-Mixed-Plaster/dp/B004BHHEA2
Considering the book is published by British gypsum ltd they probably would say that. Lime cannot be used on plaster boards.
lime plaster breathes, gypsum is waterproof adding gypsum defeats the object of using lime plaster in the first place!
Well said Ed.
Ed Jones
it's a finish coat. since when did we worry about making the skim coat waterproof?
p.s. bielzebub, he's skimming a backing coat, no-one mentioned plasterboards.
No wonder there's so much confusion out there concerning plastering. Let's unconfuse everything. Lime plaster is vapour permeable. There's no breathing taking place. But there is evaporation of moisture. Using gypsum is OK for new build as those properties have air bricks, DPCs and non-porous bricks. They also have cavity walls full of insulation. Old properties have none of this so small amounts of moisture entering at the base of a property are effectivily filtered upwards and out through lime mortar and plaster. Adding gypsum to a finish coat reduces the vapour permeability of lime plaster rendering it useless and leading to many of the problems from which older houses are now suffering.
Lovely
Scratch coat question.
1. What is sharp sand?
2. You didn’t mention water? Is water added to scratch coat mix?
Thomo, bless your cotton socks. If you're asking questions like this then you're not even at beginner level. Google sharp sand and how to make lime plaster.
Hello nice video . I do have a question. What is the best finish if I just patching walls(fixing dry rotted property which was treated. Around25mm thick but with gypsum finish(multifinish) so rendered 2 coats and skimmed. I know how to do the first coat. Do I should use putty and killn dried sand or 2 coat same as first . 3rd coat can be just skimming of multifinish. Hope will get some advice.
Are you saying you want to top coat with Multifinish?
@@michaeljamesdesign yes existing plaster on walls (brickwork) have lime plaster 2 coats finished with multifish then painted. House had a dry rod treatment new screed and some of the walls need repair to 1.3m high.
@@michaeljamesdesign or in 50s they used white cement to lime plaster ?
@@dominiknowacki5586 OK, one more time: are you asking whether it's OK to skim lime plaster with Multifinish? It's a Yes or No answer.
@@michaeljamesdesign the answer is NO but what type of mix is the existing then?
Could you have used NHL 2 in the mix .
Yes, of course. Even better.
1 part lime, 3 parts of sand, plaster 0.6 part, 3 parts water
what is this 0.6 part of plaster ?
Don't take any notice of that.
so, just 1 part lime, 3 part sand and water. ?
@@andrewandrew4302 You're actually best off with 1:2 followed by 1:2.5. Always go weaker.
Good video but some footage of you applying it would make the video so much better! 👍
Hi there. Yes, you're right. But at the time I had loads of competition plus it's better to have the do it yourselfers needing plasterers and the only way you can get that is the make sure the trade is safeguarded against competition from amateurs. We all have our rice bowls. When I don't need a wage I'll be posting vids left right and centre.
@@michaeljamesdesign fair enough. I guess it’s a battle between educating so trades stop making the same mistakes over and over and like you say your own rice bowl.👍
@@Littlelamb2023 There are courses, videos and books but to be honest there's not really an alternative to proper training, experience, experimentation, good tools and techniques.
Can lime plaster be sprayed on.
It can indeed.
@@michaeljamesdesign do you spray on listed buildings or is that all hand done?
@@ricdavid7476 You can spray.
@@michaeljamesdesign Thank you. final question cos i know you are a busy man. I have bought a lot of lime putty to lime wash the exterior brickwork of my place in the spring. one of my rooms is in terrible condition it was cement plastered and plastic painted some years ago by the previous occupiers and much of the plaster has blown and its generally in poor nick. I have removed all the plastic paint and i would like to maybe use some of the lime putty to put one coat of lime plaster over the old cement plaster then lime wash it. I know this is going to be a bodge job but to be honest i am a bit past really hard laboring and to hack out all the old plaster and then find all sorts of masonry issues would probably be beyond my skill set. I would rather just do a holding job that may see me and my mrs out till we are put in the ground.
Is it possible to put a lime putty/sand plaster onto what appears to be an existing cement and sand one?
Thank you
@@ricdavid7476 Do you mean you want to skim it?
Contact details?
You can find me on the net easily enough.
@@michaeljamesdesign attitude
NHL is only marginally more breathable than OPC - go for pure lime putty made from hydrating quicklime
Or better still, hot mixed mortar mixed in situ.
@@michaeljamesdesign mortar for repointing or new bricklaying - yes, plastering not really as may get a surface burst - mature putty with sand and fibres better
@@mikehewitt1253 FYI, lime putty is slaked lime which has been left to cool and is then mixed with sand. Whereas hot mixed mortar is lime slaked with sand. It's the same stuff. There are obvious differences such as better workability and the fact that hot mixed mortar can be used throughout the year and is richer in lime but essentially it's the same component. So I don't think your argument can really be sustained.
@@michaeljamesdesign yes I know. The problem with hot mix, is that some lime is not slaked, some, not much, lies within the mix unslaked. This is great for self healing mortar or limecrete but not if it's near the surface of your plastered wall when it receives moisture, slakes, doubles it's volume it then effectively explodes out of the surface ruining your beautiful finish. Whereas a mature putty is fully slaked and cannot do this and therefore is better for plastering. I'm as ancient as the Lime, any other Lime pointers required, just get in touch.
@@mikehewitt1253 You're talking about slaking lump lime or kibble and then using that for hot mixed mortar. I'm not. We only use powdered quicklime when knocking up render coats. Which, incidentally, doesn't double in volume like kibble. Because of the size of the powder granules all of the lime is slaked - so there are never any pop-outs. Just as a point of information, mortar analysis has revealed that lump lime was indeed used for first and second coats historically. Particularly before sand i.e. earth mortar. Putty was only ever used as a top coat plaster. We, of course, likewise, only use putty as a top coat plaster. But just as a point of information, if kibble or lump lime is slaked proficiently then all of the lumps break down. It's only when there's insufficient water or the slaking process has involved mixing granules with sand and then adding water that you get lumps. But even with this method it's clear from remaining examples of historic mortar it, like the old pointing mortars, has remained pop-out free. Respectfully, exploding granules must be a thing for your jobs Mike.
Ye old drywallers
Could of at least shown applications of each coat!!!!
Yes I could. I could've given away how I make my living (my hard earned trade) to the whole of the world. For nothing.
Lol what a bellend he didn't have to show u anything tbf why don't u get off ur high horse u prick and give the man some respect for giving information on his hard earned trade