Building Limes News

Save the Date: 6-8 September: 2024 BLF Conference and Gathering

The 2024 Building Limes Forum is pleased to announce that the 2024 BLF Conference and Gathering will be held the 6-8th of September 2024 at the University of Brighton Falmer Campus. University accommodation will be available and bookings will be released in the May newsletter. This year’s conference will focus on the following themes: lime […]

Member Spotlight: Neil Hewitt Building Surveyor

Neil Hewitt Building Surveyor, Chartered Building Engineer C Build E MCABE AssocRICS, MCIEH, DipHi, DipDEA, DipGDA, BSc (Hons), RPSA Member, talks about his profession and why he has joined the BLF. Tell us more about your business. I work as a surveyor in Suffolk, mostly conducting surveys for clients buying older timber frame and clay […]

A Brief introduction to the Conservation of Salisbury Cathedral Spire

Written by Philip Scorer Director Vitruvius Conservation During my time as a member of the BLF, I have been involved in many discussions, some heated, about the merits, or not, of various types of lime. Sometimes the choice of which lime to use for a mortar is reasonably straightforward. As a conservator I tend to […]

In memory of Rory Young

Words by James Simpson, Past chairman of the BLF Many of us knew Rory Young well as a regular and popular figure at our annual Gatherings. What some of us will not know is that Rory was diagnosed with cancer more than a year ago. He shocked his doctors by telling them that he did […]

Member Spotlight: Artisan Plastercraft

Michael Arney, Managing Director of Artisan Plastercraft, a leading specialist in architectural and decorative plaster, tells us more about the business. How much of your internal plasterwork is traditional floated lime work? We are specialists in decorative (fibrous) plaster mouldings and traditional lime plasterwork. For lime, we work both internally and externally on buildings of […]

The Warm Dry Home’ book review

Rosamond (Roz) Artis Director, Scottish Lime Centre recommends reading ‘The Warm Dry Home’ by Pete Ward – a long time anti ‘damp industry’ campaigner. It sheds light on the causes of damp, its effect in building fabric and on our health. The book also deals with the causes of condensation which are little understood by […]

Belfast 2022 Conference and Gathering

Building Limes Forum Ireland (BLFI) hosted the BLF Annual Conference at Queen’s University, Belfast on the 2nd – 4th of September 2022. The conference featured many industry and keynote speakers including…   Dr Joanne Curran ‘Monitoring Moisture in Solid Walls to inform Specification Decisions’ Chris Pennock – ‘Nidaros Cathedral, Trondheim Norway’ Benjamin Mouton – ‘Notre […]

Wern Uchaf A Welsh Saga

Philip Scorer, Director Vitruvius Conservation, tells us about a recent lime mortar project in Wales. At the head of a valley, surrounded by the rugged Rhinog mountains and natural beauty of Snowdonia national park sits a farmhouse built in 1886. Isolated from the world with only a footpath over boggy fields for access, no services […]

Some dos and don’ts in the use of lime mortars

Rosamond (Roz) Artis Director Scottish Lime Centre provides some top tips about the use of lime mortars. Always work from the top down, so you are never working over finished work (an exception to this is grouting, which is a bottom upwards process). When using hydraulic lime mortars always ensure they are kept damp for […]

Celebrating 30 years of the Building Limes Forum

Special 30th anniversary message from James Simpson, past chairman of the BLF It’s now 30 years since the formation of the BLF – an occasion I remember well. We have achieved a huge amount in that time, but there is much, much more still to do. We now have a dozen BLF chapters and independent […]