[Strawbale] Hydraulic vs Hydrated Lime plaster

Tue Jan 30 17:35:34 CST 2007

Hi Michel,

We spoke a couple months ago regarding our strawbale/earthen/lime  
plaster home near Ashland, Oregon.
We have not plastered yet but will be doing so shortly - hopefully...  
it's warming up and we found a nice vein of clay. We'll wait to seal  
up with NHL when it's much warmer.

The hydraulic lime you're talking about below is the Austier NHL? And  
this is true for the 2, 3.5 and 5 ?
Should it be covered with water while sitting overnight or just  
covered in the mortar mixer or some other tubs?

Thank you for your advice.
Jacek Zagorski
cell # 541.941.3252

On Jan 30, 2007, at 10:58 AM, Michel Couvreux wrote:

> I would like to make some comments on Derek's statements.
> Hydraulic lime does not set in a short time. It is a product that  
> can be
> reworked up to 24 hours.
> To say that it will harden in the mixer, bucket or trowel is wrong.
> For exemple, you may mix a batch and use it several hours later.  
> Yes, it
> will harden, but you mix it again and it comes back "alive". As a  
> matter of
> facts, it will result in a mortar which is easier to spread. In the  
> old
> time, they used to mix the mortar in the evening, let it sit covered
> overnight, and remix it the next morning.
> As for the inexperienced plasterer, working with Hydrated Lime  
> requires
> skills and time, and the result is far from being guaranteed. Too many
> factors like slow curing, thicknesses, ratios, etc. will give huge
> variations on the performances. I do not know of any reliable  
> technical data
> for plasters with Hydrated Lime.
> On the contrary, the use of Hydraulic lime does not require special  
> skills.
> Any ordinary stucco contractor can use this product by following a  
> few basic
> guidelines. The performances are known and the technical data is  
> available:
> you know what you get.
> One more comment on the Hydrated Lime: by reading Derek's comments,  
> one may
> believe that you can start plastering a wall and continue months  
> later with
> the same mix. This is wrong: you would create a cold joint and more
> cracking. To be able to keep a mix for months in a bucket is  
> irrelevant
> (except perhaps for interior finishes where you do not need a lot of
> material) simply because plastering generally requires a lot of  
> material
> (several cubic yards).
>
> Michel
>
> Michel Couvreux
> TransMineral USA, Inc.
> 501 Lakeville Street, Suite F (Physical)
> 201 Purrington Road (Mailing)
> Petaluma, CA  94952
> 707-769-0661
> 707-769-0352 Fax
> www.limes.us
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <strawbale-request at listserv.repp.org>
> To: <strawbale at listserv.repp.org>
> Sent: Friday, January 19, 2007 10:00 AM
> Subject: Strawbale Digest, Vol 7, Issue 18
>
>
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>> Message: 1
>> Date: Thu, 18 Jan 2007 19:58:16 -0800 (PST)
>> From: Donna Soroka <horses3dog1 at yahoo.com>
>> Subject: Re: [Strawbale] Strawbale Digest, Vol 7, Issue 17
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>>
>> Thank you, Derek.  This is WAY GOOD TO KNOW INFO!  Being that I am  
>> about
>> to embark on a small strawbale project, it's always nice to hear the
>> helpful hints from seasoned veterans.  I love this Group!
>>
>>  -Donna S.
>>
>>  As I write, no one has explained the differences between  
>> hydraulic lime
>> and hydrated lime. I don't claim to be an authority. One difference
>> is very significant for the owner-builder. After mixing, hydraulic
>> limes will set up in a fairly short time, whether you use them or  
>> not.
>> Unused hydraulic lime will harden in the mixer, in the bucket, on the
>> trowel, and anywhere else. The reaction can not be stopped. Hydrated
>> limes can be stored indefinitely (for years) in a sealed  
>> container, or
>> under a layer of water (preferably both).
>>
>> For an inexperienced plasterer like myself, a big plus is that I can
>> store unused plaster overnight or as needed, and use that plaster  
>> when
>> I next get time to work. This is not true for hydraulic lime.
>>
>> derelict
>>
>> Derek Roff
>> Language Learning Center
>> Ortega Hall 129, MSC03-2100
>> University of New Mexico
>> Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001
>> 505/277-7368, fax 505/277-3885
>> Internet: derek at unm.edu
>>
>>
>>
>>
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