Lime putty repointing in October

[ajay16]

Typical scenario, the builder has been stuck on a job, so whereas it was meant to be done in September, my repointing looks to be starting about the 10th of October.

I've got the lime putty etc all ready to go, old mortar has been raked out, hessian sheeting for protection after it's done.
Single-storey building, 12 x 3m.

Is it safe/wise to use lime putty at this time of year?
The weather looks mild coming up, and the temps don't appear to be dropping below 7 degrees for a while anyway.

 

[a twig]

Definitely crossing your fingers for the weather at this point particularly with putty rather than an NHL as you have to think about the couple of weeks afterwards while it “cures”.

All it takes is a cold snap during that period and all that repointing could be starting to fall out within a year.

Guess it depends on your confidence in the weather forecast

 

[Lacan07]

Typical scenario, the builder has been stuck on a job, so whereas it was meant to be done in September, my repointing looks to be starting about the 10th of October.

I've got the lime putty etc all ready to go, old mortar has been raked out, hessian sheeting for protection after it's done.
Single-storey building, 12 x 3m.

Is it safe/wise to use lime putty at this time of year?
The weather looks mild coming up, and the temps don't appear to be dropping below 7 degrees for a while anyway.

For external work and non hydrated lime (putty based) the season usually ends in July. Depending on thickness it takes roughly 3 months for the lime to carbonate. It looks like were in for a mild autumn (fingers crossed) but its the months beyond that you need to be careful of.

Personally I've risked using NHL in these months as its considered a little more forgiving but in reality the principles should be the same.

 

[larry]

This thread is relevant to your question, although NHL not putty

A

Thread 'Breaking The Final Rule Of Lime…'

Nov 20, 2024

NEVER do external lime work in temps at or below freezing!

Well I’m going to do it anyways. Scratch coat rendering in -2 degrees. Let’s see what happens…

2 parts washed medium grit sand, 1 part NHL 3.5, plus some sheepswool for fiber. About 1 cm average thickness.

I’ll provide updates over the next few days. Anyone have any predictions as to what will happen? Will it fall off the wall? Crumble into dust at the slightest touch? Crack into a billion sections on the wall?

• aockenden
• Replies: 44
• Forum: Projects

•