Mike Wye Ltd

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MIKE WYE HAVE HEADED THE MOVE TO MORE SUSTAINABLE BUILDING FOR NEARLY 30 YEARS.

We’re much more than just the trusted UK lime supplier... Mike Wye are leading suppliers of a wide range of traditional, eco-friendly building products, sustainable insulation materials, specialist lime, clay, and polished plasters, and natural paints.

Our aim is to educate and promote the use of sustainable building products that are better for you, better for your home and better for the environment.

Due to having our own Building Conservation Team we also have real world knowledge of the products we supply. Whether a cottage, a castle, a new build or a traditional restoration – we can help.

Our expert team can help with every step of your project.

  • Investigate material options for your new, sustainable building or traditional restoration project with us.
  • Discuss queries and product specification with our Technical Sales team or dedicated Sustainable Insulation Team.
  • Understand how you can benefit from the use of natural and sustainable building products.
  • U value calculations providing detailed performance of insulation products with our accredited software.
  • Ask our skilled trades persons advice on the application of our sustainable building products.
  • Above all, continue to use our unrivalled support throughout the duration of your project.
Buckland Filleigh Sawmills
Shebbear Beaworthy
Devon
EX21 5RN

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Q. WHY USE LIME ON OLD BUILDINGS?

Before this century, building techniques and materials were very different from those employed today. Traditional properties need to “breathe” to allow moisture inherent in a solid wall construction without a damp proof course to evaporate from the external stonework or render. Many old buildings are constructed from materials such as brick, cob and stone which are relatively porous and often of lower strength. Lime mortars were normally used for bedding and plastering. Lime mortar is a relatively softer mortar and therefore it is able to withstand a certain amount of movement (without cracking) that comes with settlement and seasonal changes in ground conditions. Lime mortar is porous and allows moisture to evaporate, helping to keep a building free of damp.


Q. WHAT IS WRONG WITH CEMENT MORTAR?

Apart from the adverse effect it has on the environment in general, cement mortar is usually hard, brittle and less porous than lime mortar. It often contains additives to make it sometimes completely waterproof and is damaging to traditional buildings for several reasons. Cement mortar is often harder than old bricks, cob or some types of stone, therefore when movement occurs it may damage these softer traditional construction materials. Hard cement mortar can trap moisture behind it causing damage to the structure and encourages ground water to rise up a solid wall by capillary action. Trapped water in the wall can cause poor insulation, decay and crumbling. In severe cases a cob wall can fail. The brick, cob or stone can also be subject to frost damage if moisture levels are to high.


Q. ARE THESE TRADITIONAL LIME PRODUCTS MORE EXPENSIVE THAN MODERN CEMENTS AND GYPSUM PLASTERS?

The materials cost a little more and some firms will also charge a premium for lime work. We run a regular practical course and over the last 12 years many hundreds of owners have been inspired to tackle many repairs themselves. In the long run using the right materials is less expensive than causing damage to the building.


Q. I AM NEW TO TRADITIONAL PRODUCTS, HOW CAN I FIND OUT ABOUT WHAT LIME PRODUCTS TO USE AND QUANTITIES NEEDED?

We have comprehensive guidance notes on our website which can be printed out. We run regular one-day practical courses on the use of traditional limes and we also sell a training video or DVD. We are also more than happy to give advice over the telephone.


Q. CAN I GET ON SITE ADVICE ABOUT PROBLEMS OR MATERIALS?

Yes, we carry out site consultations on an hourly rate of £60 per hour + VAT, door to door.


Q. WHEN SHOULD I USE A NATURAL HYDRAULIC LIME OR NON-HYDRAULIC LIME?

Natural hydraulic limes set even when wet and come in a range of strengths. They are useful for building with stone or brick where the earlier set may speed up construction. You can also add a pozzolan such as Argical to a lime putty mortar. We suggest that for external bedding and pointing late in the year natural hydraulic lime should be used. It is capable of a faster initial set in cold weather. For most external rendering and internal plastering jobs, the fattiness of lime putty makes a superior mortar that allows coarser sands and thicker coats to be applied without shrinkage.


Q. WHAT IS QUICK LIME?

This is the raw material that is used to make lime putty. Quicklime is made by burning limestone or chalk in a kiln. This drives carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, leaving a very reactive material called quicklime (calcium oxide). It is made in a range of sizes from lumps down to very fine powder. We use the finest grade of high calcium quicklime from Buxton, Derbyshire.


Q. WHAT IS LIME PUTTY?

This is quicklime that has been slaked. Lime putty is sometimes also called non-hydraulic lime or ‘fat lime’.


Q. WHAT IS SLAKING?

It is the process for making lime putty. Quick lime is added to water and a chemical reaction occurs resulting in the release of a large amount of heat from the quick lime creating a boiling liquid. The liquid is drained off through a sieve into a settling tank. Chemically the calcium oxide is converted into calcium hydroxide. The longer the slaked lime is matured in the tank the better the lime putty. We leave ours for a minimum of 3 months.


Q. WHAT SANDS SHOULD BE USED?

For lime putty mortars, the sand used for building, pointing and backing coats of render and plaster should be a washed sharp coarse sand. We use a sharp sand to BS882 which is free of vegetable matter, clay and salts.
For finishing coats of internal plaster we mix a very fine, kiln dried sand with the lime putty.


Q. WHAT IS LIME MORTAR, OR COARSE STUFF?

These are mixes of lime putty and coarse sand, used for building, pointing, rendering and plastering. The mix we use for our lime mortar is 3 parts sand to 1 part lime putty by volume.


Q. HOW LONG CAN LIME MORTAR BE STORED?

We supply our premixed lime mortars in sealed dumpy bags or sealed tubs. It can potentially last indefinitely as long as long as air cannot react with it and carbonate the lime. This means keeping it from drying out and storing it free from frost.
Mortars with hair teased in will gradually lose the hair as it dissolves in an alkaline wet mortar and you will end up with an unhaired mortar. 


Q. SHOULD I PROTECT LIME PUTTY OR MORTAR FROM FROST?

Both lime putty and lime mortar should be protected from frost. If frosting should occur, it is possible to reuse frozen lime mortar so long as it is completely thawed out and thoroughly mixed before use.


Q. WHAT IS HAIRED LIME MORTAR?

Animal hair, usually horse, cow or goat, is added to the backing coats of lime mortar used for external rendering or internal plastering onto stone, cob, brick or timber lath. Adding hair gives extra strength and minimises shrinking and cracking. This allows thicker coats to be applied to uneven walls and holds the plaster keys in place when plastering onto lath.


Q. WHAT IS LIME PLASTER?

Lime plaster is the fine top coat skim used internally.
We supply two grades of lime plaster – Heritage and Regency.
Heritage Lime Plaster is our standard lime skim which produces a traditional match to many historic plasters.
Regency Lime Plaster is an ultra-fine skim using marble dust which is more in keeping with Victorian/Georgian properties and the closest match to gypsum finishes.


Q. WHAT IS LIMEWASH?

Limewash is a traditional, breathable paint made from lime putty which is thinned with water. Our limewash is approximately 1 part mature lime putty to 1 part water. Other suppliers may use different concentrations of putty to water and sometimes other additives are included.
Limewashes are coloured with pigments and can be used internally or externally on lime plaster, lime render, stone or brick. It works best on porous surfaces and hardens as it absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to form calcite crystals, giving it its unique appearance. Typically four coats are needed on new external render and three coats on new lime plaster.


Q. WHAT IS A POZZOLAN?

This is a powdered additive made from burnt clay (metakaolin). It reacts with the lime in a mortar to create harder chemicals and so is very useful for damp or frost-prone environments.


Q. WHAT IS NATURAL HYDRAULIC LIME (NHL)?

This is made from limestone that contains impurities such as clay or silicates. Unlike lime putty which is non-hydraulic lime, NHLs can set in damp conditions. They also have some free lime available for carbonation. There are three European classifications NHL 2, NHL3.5 and NHL5 based on the compressive strength of laboratory mortars after 28 days. These are often somewhat misleadingly termed feebly hydraulic, moderately hydraulic and eminently hydraulic. We generally recommend the use of NHLs where the need for breathability and lower strength is outweighed by the desire for an earlier and harder set such as working on wall copings, chimneys and slate floors.


Q. WHAT IS WATTLE & DAUB?

Wattle are strips of wood, often hazel, woven between timber studs in a timber frame house. A mixture of clay and chopped straw was used as the plaster to coat the wattle.


Q. WHAT IS LATH?

These are thin strips of wood used as a key for the lime plaster. Chestnut, oak and larch are popular choices of timber for the lath. Riven lath is hand split along the grain using traditional tools and provides extra key on the surface of the lath so it is best for repairing lathed ceilings. Sawn lath is straighter with a less textured surface than riven and is best for repairing lathed walls. In traditional buildings the lath would be lime plastered and limewashed. Lath can deteriorate over the years due to insect infestation or rot, especially if modern less breathable plasters or paints have been applied.


Q. WHAT ARE COB BLOCKS?

Cob blocks are made from a clay-based sub-soil with straw and are about the same size as a concrete block.. They are used for repairing holes and damage to cob walls or rebuilding new areas. They are already dried and hence will not shrink in use. 


Q. WHAT IS RENDER?

A coating of lime (or cement), usually referring to the outside of a structure.


Q. WHAT IS PLASTER?

A coating of lime (or cement or gypsum), usually referring to the inside of a structure.


Q. WHAT IS POINTING?

Filling the gaps between stones or bricks in walls with a lime (or cement) mortar.


Q. WHAT IS HARLING?

– also known as scat coat or rough cast coat.
Harling is a technique for applying a coat of render or plaster. The lime mortar has extra water added to bring it to a porridge-like consistency. It is then cast on the wall using a special tool called a harling trowel which has a curved blade. It provides a rough texture when cured that gives extra key for the next trowelled coat and also controls suction with very thirsty materials such as cob and brick.