Lime Render in Portugal

Posted By Castelo Construction Lda in Building in Portugal, How to . . ., low cost build March 27, 2015

Truth be told we don’t see a lot of it (lime render) in Portugal.

render, lime render, portugal, portugal lime render, plaster, dampfixpt, castelo construction — Render has washed off this old house

We do see a lot of old lime render that has partly washed off homes but we very rarely see any new lime render in Portugal or lime mortar being applied in Portugal.

It is made just like a normal modern cement render mortar and is composed of lime and an aggregate such as sand, mixed with water.

Cement render also is made with lime and an aggregate such as sand, cement and mixed with water.

So when people talk about Lime Render they actually are talking about a normal render without the addition of cement. The lime is not a fruit juice it is slaked lime. The slaking of lime is very dangerous and should be tackled with extreme care or you could be badly burned and blinded.

Slaking is the soaking of the powdered lime in water for up to a week. I have witnessed many accidents in the past when lime was slaked on site. As it ferments it builds up gas bubbles which explode with some force spraying large amounts of the lime over people working with it or in the vicinity.

The soft, porous properties of lime mortar provide certain advantages when working with softer building materials such as natural stone and terracotta because the render will break before the terracotta or soft stone.

reboco, render, plaster, lime plaster, lime, lime render — lime render on a council funded project

Usually any dampness in the wall will cause the lime mortar to change colour, indicating the presence of moisture. The effect will create an often mottled appearance of a lime washed wall. As the moisture levels within a wall alter, so will the shade of a lime wash. The darker the shade of lime wash, the more pronounced this effect will become.

This is not a photograph or lime render “Breathing” it is showing that the stone wall behind the render is saturated with water.

You have probably heard that Lime Mortar is available in many mixes.

For instance 1:1:6 is a satisfactory mortar mix for various purposes, but behaves like cement-based mortar.
1:2:9 has been found to be prone to premature failure.
What about 3:1 + 5% or 1:1:6 and 1:1:4 There is a lot to understand before you ask a builder to build or render in “Lime Mortar”

If you would like advice on your renovation or new build project ask the experts for FREE info@casteloconstruction.com

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About Castelo Construction Lda

Castelo Construction Lda are builders in Central Portugal. We have 12 years’ experience of working with and delighting clients in Portugal. Tel 00351 927168247 or kelvin@casteloconstruction.com If you need an English speaking builder for renovation or new build work we will provide free estimates, fixed prices and carry out your work to a very high standard. Many of our clients are not in the country full time so rely on our regular photographic updates and written reports. They are always surprised when they make inspection visits. New Construction and Refurbishment of Portuguese Property It’s exciting for both our team and of course our clients to mark out on the earth the site of a new home. We will have been with them during the design process and have spoken to the architect many times so we will be comfortable with what we are about to do. For many clients, this stage is a little daunting as it’s hard to see without experience just where the house is going to be in relation to other things on the property. Once the foundations are dug out the house normally looks smaller than they thought, As the pillars and foundation wall start to go you get a much better idea of scale. You can see with your mind’s eye the location of the kitchen, bedrooms and so on. Once the walls are up and the first floor is in place the rooms start to looks smaller again (something to do with the light absorbing properties of the bricks) once the walls are plastered the rooms look a lot larger and it starts to feel more like the home our clients imagined building. As the build progresses we are involved with many specialist subcontractors and it is our job the get them on site at the right time so that the trades do not overlap and time is not wasted. Once the roof is on and tiled it is traditional in this area to have a dinner on site. Everyone who is involved in the build is invited to share a suckling pig dinner with local bread, oranges and of course wine. This is a great way for the clients to enjoy some local hospitality and meet the craftsmen who are building their new home. We also invite the near neighbors so that they get a chance to see what’s going on (when the house is at a very basic stage) and it gives our clients a relaxed opportunity to make their acquaintance. As we always accompany our clients to choose, kitchens, tiles, bathroom fittings or whatever they want. We can help with translation and of course negotiation! As the house is coming to completion we always have them professionally cleaned so that when we hand over the keys it feels more like a home than a building site. 2 months after the house is finished we are back to check for any small faults that may need attention and of course we are available to help and advise should that be needed. Central Portugal builders