Please find some useful quick tips and information below. These questions and answers are provided to help you determine the needs of your project. They should not be used as installation instructions.
What is the difference between Saint Astier® Natural Hydraulic Lime (NHL) and EcoMortar®?
NHL is a binder and EcoMortar® is a mortar.
EcoMortar® is a premix of sand and NHL. All you have to do is add water. This product is usually used for the finish coat or masonry mortars. With EcoMortar®, you are guaranteed a good quality sand. Locally sourced sands can be of questionable quality, which can adversely affect the finish quality and color. With EcoMortar®, just add the water, color packet and mix. For small jobs, EcoMortar® can be a simple alternative.
What is the difference between a Limewater and Limepaint?
Limewater is just a mixture of lime and water. It is usually 10-20 parts water for 1 part lime. It is used to help adhere a lime plaster to the background. It stabilizes the existing earthen based background. Lime paint is a cosmetic paint that can be applied to many different porous surfaces.
What kind of weather do I need to install Saint Astier® Natural Hydraulic Lime?
NHLs can be installed in a variety of climates as long as a few basic rules are followed. Keeping the applied material out of direct sunlight or heat, protection from winds, and protection from frost until the material has cured. Both direct sun and wind will dry the material out too quickly and can cause shrinkage cracks and adhesion issues. Freezing temperatures before the material has cured can result in failure because the water in the material can cause spalling or failure.
How long should I wait between coats of NHL?
10 days to 2 weeks in normal weather conditions is recommended. Remember that before you apply you next coat, you want to saturate the surface the evening before in order to have a damp background at the time of plastering. This allows for better adhesion. If you apply your next coat on a dry existing coat, the existing coat will suction some water out of the new coat causing it to dry out too quickly.
What is the difference between NHL 2, NHL 3.5, and NHL 5?
These are indicators of how hydraulic the material is. NHL 2 is the least hydraulic, meaning this most flexible while NHL 5 is the most hydraulic meaning the least flexible, but with the most strength.
How do Natural Hydraulic Limes do in fire?
Some of our clients use NHLs for their wood fired ovens. NHLs perform very well for fire mitigation.
What is “reworkability”?
“Reworkability” is the possibility of the lime to be reworked within 24 hours. ONLY a real NHL has this ability. That means that within 24 hours, the lime can be re-worked and will continue to harden after that and not adversely affect the finish product. Any product that has additives in it such as cement, is not able to be reworked.