Plastering is an old age practice of covering rough surfaces and walls with plaster materials to smoothen the uneven surfaces. Lime plaster stands out as the oldest plastering technique dating back to 7500BC. The people of Ain Ghazal in Jordan used crushed unheated limestone mixed with lime to cover their walls, floors, and decoration.
Since then lime plastering has evolved to modern products like Fiberlime and Fiberchalk. Using lime plaster has been on the rise in recent years. Companies that specialize in lime plastering services associate their popularity with the benefits it has compared to other plasters.
Lime plaster is flexible and does not easily crack even as the seasons change. It is strong and resistant to fire, wind and harsh weather. Lime fine particles allow the plaster to penetrate through voids in the surfaces providing strong adhesion to the surfaces.
The caustic property of lime makes it resistant to mold, bacteria, and fungus. This enhances its durability when used in plastering. In some conditions, you can add color to the lime plaster to give it a unique appearance and eliminate the need for chemical paint. Here it provides the final touch without additional paint. Its eco-friendly property is enhanced because it uses carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Lime is permeable and workable with soft binding properties that give it a soft texture with luster. Over time, lime exhibits a glowing translucent quality.
Because of its ability to absorb water, lime protects the surrounding materials such as timber, iron, brick masonry or stone by absorbing moisture through the buildings and protecting them from harmful salts.
Related post: A Few Steps To Prepare Before Plastering Your Walls
Lime plastering has stood the test of time because of the many advantages it has over other plasters. When renovating or building a new house, consider contracting lime plastering companies for a durable outstanding building.
Durability
Lime plaster is durable because it is unaffected by water. It holds excess moisture from wet surfaces and realizes it when the atmosphere is less humid. Lime plaster reduces the risk of structural damage and weakening. Lime plaster absorbs Carbon Dioxide hardening it to its natural condition. This hardening process continues with each passing year making lime plaster harder and durable as the year’s progress.Lime plaster is flexible and does not easily crack even as the seasons change. It is strong and resistant to fire, wind and harsh weather. Lime fine particles allow the plaster to penetrate through voids in the surfaces providing strong adhesion to the surfaces.
Eco-Friendly and Sustainable
Unlike cement, lime has less embodied energy because it takes time to cure. You can reuse lime plaster if need be. For reuse, remove the lime plaster from the brick. You can recycle the plaster, and reuse the bricks. Because of its durability, lime plastering requires little repair reducing the need to invest in repairing a building.The caustic property of lime makes it resistant to mold, bacteria, and fungus. This enhances its durability when used in plastering. In some conditions, you can add color to the lime plaster to give it a unique appearance and eliminate the need for chemical paint. Here it provides the final touch without additional paint. Its eco-friendly property is enhanced because it uses carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Autogenous
This is the process of self-healing. Overtime buildings develop cracks because of environmental conditions and the earth's movement. Buildings made with cement, for example, develop large cracks because of the stiffness of the material. On the contrary, buildings made with lime are prone to develop many small cracks because it is flexible. However, the moisture can dissolve the cracked elements and deposits them back to the cracked lines inducing self-healing. This reduces the risk of building rooting.Beautiful Finishes
Buildings made with lime display a unique aesthetic because it reflects light twice through calcite crystals found in it. This makes any lime plastered building finishing more attractive as compared to other plasters.Lime is permeable and workable with soft binding properties that give it a soft texture with luster. Over time, lime exhibits a glowing translucent quality.
Allows the Building to Breathe
Moisture is trapped in buildings as the walls warm and cool throughout the years. This moisture if not realized causes damping and damage to buildings. Unlike other plastering materials, lime is permeable therefore it regulates humidity. It can release the moisture trapped in the building reducing the damage that is caused by moisture accumulation. This creates a favorable environment and reduces the risk of mold growth.Because of its ability to absorb water, lime protects the surrounding materials such as timber, iron, brick masonry or stone by absorbing moisture through the buildings and protecting them from harmful salts.
Good Workability
Lime mortar is easy to mold and gives a general smoothness to the finished product. It is flexible making it easy to spread within the bricks. It enhances the ability of the bricks to accommodate stress caused by the movement of the building or instability caused by excessive cracks. Because of its nature, you can use a wide range of sharp aggregates to the lime-based mix. It results in full joints with good bonding to other materials. Due to its workability lime plaster enhances the performance of complete work and beauty.Plays a Role towards a Healthy Environment
The caustic property of lime has led to its use in different ways. Limewash is used as a disinfectant. Secondly, lime is the main ingredient in water purification. Products of lime have also been used to improve the building’s comfortability and to create hygienic surfaces throughout centuries.Related post: A Few Steps To Prepare Before Plastering Your Walls
Lime plastering has stood the test of time because of the many advantages it has over other plasters. When renovating or building a new house, consider contracting lime plastering companies for a durable outstanding building.
