Category : Blogs

Lime and Climate Change (The Story So Far) by Cliff Blundell

The ‘Historic Sector’ of the construction industry has always been a Cinderella. Being lumped in under the title ‘construction industry’ hasn’t helped. Conservation of historic buildings has never been about ‘construction’; the building of a structure from scratch. It has always been about repair and maintenance of an already existing building, and thus its conservation […]

Top tips for getting it right on site!

Sands and aggregates for lime mortars. Roz Artis, BLF Treasurer and Director of the Scottish Lime Centre Trust, provides tips for working on site once the perfect sand for a project has been identified.    Buy all the sand you are going need for your job in one go, keep it in the same condition […]

Twelve Days of Lime Christmas

Twelve Days of Lime Christmas By Roz Artis, BLF Treasurer and Director, Scottish Lime Centre Trust On the first day of Christmas my true love (limey) gave to me a tub of putty in a lime tree On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me two tonnes of sand On the […]

Climate change – should lime mortar fill in the gap?

Climate change – should lime mortar fill in the gap? Ashley Pettit, Isle of Man architect and committee member of the Building Limes Forum poses the question. On September 1st, 2020, it was announced that forty of the world’s leading cement and concrete companies had unveiled a joint industry ‘2050 Climate Ambition.’ The ambition statement […]

National Maintenance Week, caring for old buildings

The SPAB’s annual National Maintenance Week campaign (20-27 November) reminds anyone who looks after a building – regardless of its age, type or purpose – of the simple, achievable steps they can take to prepare for the worst that winter can bring. However, when it comes to caring for old buildings it is beneficial to […]

The Journal of the Building Limes Forum

Exciting news, The Journal of the Building Limes Forum has landed on members doormats. Alison Henry, committee member of the Building Limes Forum, talks about her experience as editor of The Journal and why this publication is a timeless repository of research, knowledge and case studies for anyone interested in lime. My copy of The […]

Lime and Traditional Building

It is now fairly well known that cement is not good for old buildings and that lime mortar should be used. Why? What are the advantages and what are the disadvantages? James Simpson OBE Hon.DSc FRIAS, Chairman of the Building Limes Forum, discusses… In order to begin to answer these questions, it is necessary to […]

Review of Stirling 2019 Conference & Gathering

The 2019 Gathering of the Building Limes Forum was held in Stirling, with 190 delegates from many backgrounds and countries sharing their knowledge, ideas and perspectives of all things lime. The Gathering was generously supported by Historic Environment Scotland, who provided The Engine Shed for plenary sessions, use of the Great Hall of Stirling Castle […]

Review of Traditional Mortars Symposium, York, June 2019

Masons and conservators across the UK and beyond are rediscovering traditional mortars through research, use and experience. They are moving away from the default specification of Natural Hydraulic Limes for conservation works and are determined to practice like-for-like repair. Conservation industry professionals including masons, conservators, architects, surveyors and engineers, assembled in York in June for […]