Breathable

Mortar
Plaster
Stucco
Paint
215.536.6706 PO Box 151, Milford Square PA 18935
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Makers of
For Proper Historic Masonry Restoration and Sustainable Building Systems.
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Product and Services Guide
ABOUT US
LimeWorks.us
215.536.6706
2
LimeWorks.us is a manufacturer, educator and mentor in the use of breathable lime mortars, stuccos,
and plasters which are used for historic masonry restoration and in sustainable building systems. We
also offer mineral based masonry coatings which work harmoniously with nature. The combination of
our product lines help to process water away from building interiors which results in extending the
service life of buildings worldwide. LimeWorks.us bridges the gap between the architect, engineer,
owner and practitioners.
Many masonry buildings over 100 years old, built using only lime and sand for mortar, are receiving
their rst repointing work. These historic treasures exemplify sustainability, providing years of beauty
and service. Exceptional materials and craftsmanship allow old structures to last for hundreds, even
thousands of years throughout the world.
Mortar is essential for the preservation of the fabric of our historical and vernacular heritage. The
most important factor to bear in mind is the compatibility of the new mortar with the existing
one. - Dr. Ugo Spano
We feature St. Astier Natural Hydraulic Limes and custom mixes. St. Astier Natural Hydraulic Lime
(NHL) Mortars: In 1833, Louis Vicat surveyed the limestone of the St. Astier basin in Dordogne,
France, (near Bordeaux), where it is estimated that building limes have been produced since the
Roman occupation. Industrial production began in 1851, and today St. Astier"s production capacity is
over 100,000 tons per year.
For over 150 years, St. Astier has supplied the required materials that scientists, conservators, and
practitioners have specied for repair, restoration and new build work at some of Europe's most
important historic buildings. Techniques in appropriate historic restoration have long been known and
applied; thousands of years in the history of lime/ sand mortar have proven its effectiveness. NHL +
sand has been the chosen material to repoint buildings built originally with only lime and sand for
mortar. In the last 50 years, (in the US), Portland Cement has often been the specied bindermany
times with disastrous results. The tide is turning. Irreversible damage and a premature need for re-
repointing of buildings have made building owners and conservators sit up and take notice. Owners,
builders and conservators have found an alternative in NHL. NHL sets with water but can mirror the
properties of lime putty.
An incompatible mortar can accelerate the premature demise of a historic masonry structure by
trapping water within the structures mass wall core composition. - Andy deGruchy
How can we serve you?
Interpretation is everything.
When planning an effective
conservation or sustainable
building campaign, it is
essential to get qualied
guidance to ensure that what is
recommended, is actually
required. The use of pure
lime based materials is not
rocket science There are
two sides to an ineffective
repair: failure to use the correct
materials and/or failure to use
the materials correctly. Call us
to schedule an assessment of your
needs and to design a quality
assurance strategy.
Our goal at LimeWorks.us is to
offer a wide range of appropriate
materials to those determined to
conserve historic masonry or
incorporate green strategy into
new masonry applications. Can we
help in the conversation about
your historic treasure or Green-
build project? We are glad to
partner with you, your architects
and masons in identifying and
achieving the right solution. Call us
for proper guidance with the
appropriate methods, materials,
and trained craftspeople to make
your preservation work or Green
building project become an
extraordinary success.
photo: Wolfgang Staudt
LimeWorks.us
215.536.6706
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Pont du Gard, France
NHL 2 Feebly Hydraulic lime can be used in the consolidation of frail historic masonry. This lime
produces a high modulus of elasticity, useful when ne sand is added to make interior nish coats of
lime plaster. NHL 2 can be used to make very soft pointing mortars for repairing around friable historic
masonry especially when the wicking away of water is benecial. Though similar to lime putty in many
of its properties, NHL 2 has the advantage of setting with both air and water reaching a set in
approximately four days. Traditional lime putty slowly sets with air over a period of six weeks. Cured
NHL 2 is about as hard as a piece of chalkboard chalk in the rst week. Mixes containing NHL 2 and
1-3% casein powder can make an injection grout that will ow into every cavity behind plaster or brick
collar joints. This ts if you are considering exterior historic stucco reattachment. Grout injections with
NHL 2 can be used to stabilize masonry or brick before repointing. Consider using casein as the
catalyst to increase ow rather than pulverized y ash (PFA). Tests done on lime mortars modied
with PFA suggest run-away strengths may continually increase with ongoing densication of the lime /
PFA grout. This increased densication can trap moisture in cavities.
NHL 3.5 Moderately Hydraulic lime is used for laying or repointing brick, stone and terra cotta units
even in extreme freeze-thaw climate cycles. It can be used to make scratch, brown, or nish coats of
exterior stucco or interior plaster. NHL 3.5 must have 15 - 25% "free lime" content and no more than
30% which is responsible for self-healing of mortars. The available free lime goes into solution during
subsequent rains and then re-crystallizes across open ssures, similar to the process that occurs in
historic pure lime mortars. NHL maintains a hexagonal plate crystal structure, allowing the plates to
go in between each other for greater exural ability. In contrast, Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) has
a needle-like crystal structure which is brittle; buildings using OPC must incorporate numerous control
joints to accommodate movement. NHL 3.5 will reach over 750 p.s.i. in six months when blended with
2-1/2 parts clean, sharp and well-graded sand once properly installed and cured.
NHL 5 Eminently Hydraulic lime is used for building or repairing wall head copings, pointing and
parging the water table or foundation of a building, and making lime concrete. Sea-bearing walls can
be built or repaired with NHL 5 since it is immune to sulphate attack. Sulphate attack normally occurs
in mortars prepared with OPC or when white cement has been introduced into synthetically created
hydraulic lime to ensure a hydraulic set. The high percentage of tri-calcium aluminates found in OPC
negatively reacts with the sulphates. This reaction produces an overall expansion and eventual
disintegration of the mortar or concrete, especially in marine environments.
Breathable St. Astier
Natural Hydraulic Limes (NHL)
LimeWorks.us
215.536.6706
LimeWorks.us
215.536.6706
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Workshops with Certificates
of Completion. Consulting
Learn about the proper use and application of our materials and gain greater
condence for yourself and your clients by having your applicators receive a
Certicate of Completion. Simple repointing and color matching workshops are
available each month at our headquarters in the Greater Philadelphia region.
Custom workshop training programs with a Certicate of Completion are also
available throughout the United States and Canada.
Examples of Regional Workshops:
Gravestone Conservation using the Graveyard Kit
Breathable Masonry Repairs for brick and stone using the Lithomex Kit
Artistic Masonry Restoration and Applications using the Master Conservators Kit
Lime Plasters, Renders, Paints and Coatings For Interior and Exterior
Applications.
Visit our website or contact us to register for an upcoming training program or to request a
customized workshop.
A Certicate of Completion is only an acknowledgement from LimeWorks.us of the attendance of individuals at one or
more of our workshops. A Certicate of Completion is not an endorsement of any individual or company as an
authorized installer of LimeWorks.us products.
Consulting
Our experienced consulting team is available nationwide to provide additional
support and advice to assist in providing the most appropriate and successful
restoration campaign you and your client are striving for. Please contact us to
discuss your project.
LimeWorks.us *Ecologic Mortar in any stock color, is simply a
prepared blend of binder/aggregate/pigments. Use it to repoint
historic buildings, to stucco, and to lay-up masonry units.
Interested in achieving a Green application and a desired "Old
World" lime nish? Just add water, mix and go to work!
One advantage of the pre-blended material is that the mixing can
take place on each level of scaffold, with no excess sand piles or
other bags of material stored on site. LimeWorks.us Ecologic
pre-blended Mortar is all you need. Having all the materials in one
bag reduces the temptation for masons to add Portland cement to
the straight Natural Hydraulic Limes, altering the material
potentially causing unpredictable and unspecied results. The pre-
blended material ensures that the engineering of the mortar!s nal
properties is kept in a high quality-control environment.
NO harmful Portland Cement is present in
Ecologic Mortar. Ecologic mortar will
reach over 750 p.s.i. (required for a type N
mortar) while maintaining a high
permeability. This is benecial for repointing
and repair work on historic structures
originally built with lime and sand mortar.
Ecologic Mortar can also be used for
veneer work for sustainable applications by
saving considerable amounts of CO2 due to
less energy required to produce NHL.
Ecologic Mortar is coded as "DGM,"
followed by a number to correspond to a
certain stock mortar color. "SCG" on bags means "Standard Construction Grade"; no
pigment added. Type "F" indicates "ne sands" and is used in butter joint repointing, ne
jointed Ashlar stonework and smooth stuccos. Type "G" indicates coarse sands, for most
all other applications. The granules in Type G are like those in regular mason's sand that
meets ASTM C-144 standards for sharp, well- graded sand (not as coarse as typical
concrete sand). Both Type F and Type G sands have four grades of sand, making up the
majority of the component sizes in the sand blend. All stock Ecologic Mortars are made
with NHL 3.5 and coarse, Type G sand blend. Ecologic Mortar Type F with ne sand is
also made with NHL 3.5 available in the Non-Pigmented option only. Other mixes are
available as a custom blend, engineered to meet your application requirements.
Pre-blended NHL/ sand material... Just add water!
LimeWorks.us
215.536.6706
LimeWorks.us
215.536.6706
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spalling brick damage caused by
harmful Portland Cement Mortar
Breathable
*Ecologic refers to mortar, the ofcial mark registered by LimeWorks.us
Tools
A lime mortar compacting tool used to pack the mortar once it has
become stiff and to expose a little aggregate in order to antique the
installed product. This technique helps to blend in all patch-pointing work
with the surrounding original mortar. By the action of beating the stiff
mortar straight on, the churn brush also helps to reduce unwanted
lime spatter on adjacent units.
Imported Churn Brush
Imported Harling Trowel
Also called a Rough Casting trowel. Used for Harling either a
wet dash of lime and stone pebbles or dry dash of stone
pebbles, which was traditionally placed over rough stonework or
brickwork as a protective/decorative nish.
Imported Lime Paint Brush
Imported from Italy, these are high quality natural
bristle brushes that really hang on to thin viscosity
paint such as lime paints. Available in either 6" or
4" sizes.
The CX100HF Collomix Mixer is a Heavy Duty 1000Watt
machine with 1-speed high torque gear unit and variable speed
control. Light-weight, compact and economical, but powerful and
controllable with double grip two-hand handle it is ideal for
mixing loads of up to 40 liters of heavily sanded mixes. Weight-
reduced motor housing made of shatter-proof GFRP, a
guarded handle and a mixing paddle with quick connect
Drill Mixer with Paddle
The Tirolessa USA Sprayer can be used for lime
Plaster, Stucco, small scale shotcrete, papercrete,
earthen mixes and more. It can be used for traditional
plastering and many alternative building methods like
strawbale, earth bag, insulated paneled and thin
shell/Ferrocement applications. Separate air
compressor is required.
Lime Stucco Sprayer
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Breathable
Plasters and Stuccos
A specially formulated transitional one-coat plaster
based on Hydraulic Lime, post consumer recycled
glass aggregates and VOC free additives. It is
used as a transitional plaster coat over smooth
substrates without the need for priming with
sanded or acrylic primer. It can also be used as a
one-coat lime nish over smooth substrates when
properly applied. Available in neutral white or a
custom color in 38.5 lb pails. Just Add Water
Coarse- Rough and versatile, it can be used as
a base coat for a multi-coat application or as a
nal coat for a textured nish.
Fine- Creates a smooth, slightly matte nish
more commonly found on old plaster walls.
Xtra-Fine- Use to produce a smooth nal coat
that can be polished using black soap to achieve
a tadelakt or venetian plaster nish.
Plaster Topcoat
rst things rst...
select a nish...
for interior and exterior applications
All plasters may be used for proper external applications as lime render commonly
known as Stucco.
5
TAKCOAT

Platinum, Plaster Basecoat
Supplements
Slag Fleck
Slag eck is a small bit of metal oxide and silicon dioxide and is
a vitreous by-product from smelting ore. It is sold in either an
extra ne gradation or a ne gradation for use as a black
inclusions into some pure lime/sand mortars.
Goat Hair
This very ne natural goat hair is used to increase tensile
strength in plasters. It comes in 2 1/2 inch lengths, and is
meant to be cut with scissors to the desired length while
teasing the clippings into a lime plaster mix.
Marius Fabre Black Soap
Vegetable-based, solvent free and containing no articial
colorings, Marius Fabre black soap with olive oil is
biodegradable and environmentally friendly. Used as an
application for interior plaster to blend with the alkali lime and
further saponify into a water resistant nish useful when doing
Tadelakt work in shower areas and other high humidity
conditions.
Marble Dust
A ne gradation of marble used as the aggregate when re-
creating ne butter-joint mortars made of pure lime and this
limestone sand. It is also used to make a setting paste for
setting monument blocks and mortar for true ashlar stonework.
Inclusion Simulator
A general gradation of small granite ecks used to simulate
oyster shell bits and other small bits of minerals sometimes
found in historical mortars.
LimeWorks.us
215.536.6706
LimeWorks.us
215.536.6706
Available in 3 gradations, all grades can be custom tinted upon request and are suitable for interior
or exterior nishes when properly applied.
Breathable
Lithomex
Brick and stone repair material
Repairing damaged masonry elements begins by
identifying and understanding the reasons for decay.
Usually the decay can be traced to excessive moisture,
poor repairs, mechanical damage, and/or natural decay.
Often the major reason for damage is inappropriate
repairs. Hard pointing or cement-based repair materials
are very damaging to soft brick and stone. By trapping
water behind a repair (especially when frost develops),
the dense repair materials commonly available
throughout North America often delaminate. Lithomex, a
lime-based material, is porous and lets the composite
repair breathe. Hard cement-based materials trap in
moisture and salts. Patching masonry can be very
effective, affordable, and if necessary, reversible. The
patching material must simulate the color and texture of
the existing material. It must adhere well, be breathable,
and have similar thermal expansion and weathering
characteristics of the host brick or stone. In most cases, Lithomex fullls these requirements, and when
applied by skilled craftsmen, will lend itself to a compatible, long-lasting repair. The same color
simulation resources (as for mortars) are available to make the repair or new work complement the
original masonry.
LimeWorks.us
215.536.6706
LimeWorks.us
215.536.6706
sandblasted brick repair restoration of sculpted stone
repair by Mountain Stoneworks using Lithomex
6
11
Lithomex sandstone repair by
George Galli Masonry
Master Conservators Kit
Unlimited COLORS
LimeWorks.us
215.536.6706
LimeWorks.us
215.536.6706
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Samples/Kits
Our kits are made to make color matching and custom blending in the eld
easily accessible. Whether youre working with our paints, mortars, plasters or
even doing graveyard monument restoration, these kits will be very helpful
when you are trying to nd the best color or mix combination.
Lime Paint Fan-Deck
24 stock lime paint colors. Each swatch is hand made with its true paint color applied.
Sand and Aggregate Library
The aggregates available for custom Ecologic Mortar mixes intended to be used by
architectural conservators to more closely simulate original sands and inclusions found in
historic mortar formulations.
Mortar Kit*
Containing 9 stock colors and 4 custom mixes of lime mortar, from which hundreds of new
shades of mortar can be produced. *TRN/CERT Workshop see pg. 14.
Lithomex Kit*
24 cured color tiles of stock Lithomex, a brick and stone patching material and color
modiers packaged together in durable plastic cases. *TRN/CERT Workshop see pg. 14.
Graveyard Kit*
A combination of products commonly used for graveyard monument conservation including
Lithomex, Silicate Primer (waterglass), Natural Hydraulic Lime 2, Lime Paints, Slag Flecks,
Mica, Marble Dust, and Casein. *TRN/CERT Workshop see pg. 14.
Master Conservators Kit*
A collection of products used for on site and laboratory mock-ups, small repairs and color
simulations of Brick, Stone, Terracotta and Lime Mortars. This well-rounded package is a
necessary tool for appropriate and compatible restoration mortars for the conservation of
historic masonry elements/structures. *TRN/CERT Workshop see pg. 14.
!"#$%&' )*+,-.) */$ 0%)'#+ 1#&23%, 4#*"$) *". *5*6-*4-. %,#/ ".7%.)'
Send Us A Sample-
color simulations and custom blends
LimeWorks.us above all strives to offer
quality materials and customer service.
Color simulations and custom blends
for your masonry projects exemplies
that commitment. We receive pieces
of mortar, stucco, plaster, paint and
stone on a regular basis. Properly
communicating your needs is critical
for us to provide the best service and
product possible.
Each color simulation receives a cured
sample tile along with a mix code
specic to that blend. They are stored in
our library and can be referred to for
additional orders in the future.
Additionally, a more comprehensive
historic mortar analysis is another
service we provide. This may be
necessary when its important to
understand the sand gradations or
chemical makeup of the mortar.
For a free general observation, a custom
simulation tile or a formal analysis, send a
sample of your mortar, stone, plaster or
paint along with the Send Us A Sample
form found on our website. Please clearly
identify the section you would like to be
color simulated. Once your sample is
received, well give you a call to discuss
your request.
LimeWorks.us
PO Box 151
Milford Square PA 18935
Lancaster, PA
Charleston, SC
sample sent to us and simulation produced
for the Historic University of Virginia
Dating back thousands of years, some of
the best examples today of lime paint are
those pictured in scenic postcards of
gleaming white and pastel colored
villages, abundant throughout the
Mediterranean. Architects and designers
today seek a return to the methods and
materials of the past. Lime paint changes
and evolves as it slowly ages, giving
buildings an appealing, provincial look.
Additional coats can be added as time
goes on, enhancing the depth of colors.
Modern paints often seal in humidity,
leading to peeling and other unsightly and
costly exterior damage to a building"s
surface. More like a stain than paint, lime
paint is absorbed into the wall, penetrating
the background. When applied correctly
and allowed to cure, the lime paint permits
the surface to breathe, becoming a peel
free surface as it allows vapor to
continually escape.
Breathable
Silicate Coatings
Breathable
St. Astier Lime Paints
Silicate Dispersion Paints and Stains (a.k.a Inorganic Mineral or Waterglass Paints)
Eco-House Mineral Paints and stains are 96% mineral based coatings formulated with potassium
silicate as the binder (not sodium silicate), combined with inorganic, alkaline-resistant pigments. They
meet German standard DIN 18363an internationally recognized standard for inorganic mineral
paints. Mineral paints petrify by chemically bonding to silicates and calcium-carbonates within the
substrate, forming a micro-crystalline, vapor-permeable (breathable), but rain-repellent coating. They
can be installed as a translucent stain or as an opaque, solid-colored paint on masonry, concrete,
lime-cement plaster and sandstone.

QuartzGuard

- Exterior Silicate Dispersion Paint

Decorative, Protective Wall Paint for Concrete, Lime
& Cement Mortar, Plaster, Unglazed Bricks and other
absorbent, mineral-based surfaces
-Available in 10 stock colors and can be custom
tinted to simulate existing substrate or color swatch.

SiLazur

- Interior & Exterior Silicate Dispersion Stain

Decorative Wall Stain for Concrete, Lime & Cement
Mortar, Plaster, Unglazed Bricks and other absorbent,
mineral-based surfaces.
-Available in 9 stock colors and can be custom tinted to simulate existing substrate or color swatch
-Visit our website LimeWorks.us for new stock SiLazur colors tinted to match Brick and Stone

PrimaSil

- Consolidant and Primer (clear Waterglass) is a potassium silicate binder that

conditions the absorption rate of substrates as well as forties and solidies friable masonry
such as salmon brick, brownstone, other sedimentary rock, and lime plaster. Treatments
naturally consolidate weak masonry without detrimentally restricting breathability. It is
applied before using brick/stone repair materials (Lithomex). PrimaSil can also be used as a
mineral-based, breathable water repellent on its own or when RainSil by Eco-House, Inc. is
added for controlling very troublesome water inltration.

Inorganic Mineral Paints and Stains..
- Are Resistant against weathering in all climates
- Have high color fastness
- Have low tendency to pick up air-borne dirt combined with a built-in-cleaning effect
- Solidify weathered and dusting mineral substrates
- Have high water vapor permeability
- Are non-combustible and non-ame-spreading
- Have optimal material afnity to mineral-based substrates
- Are equally suitable for indoor and outdoor use, in new construction and renovation
- Are environmentally friendly with no VOC emissions.
Contact us to learn about the potential LEED credits available when using these products.
25 stock Lime Paint colors are currently available -
call or visit our website to nd a color for your
application.
LimeWorks.us
215.536.6706
LimeWorks.us
215.536.6706
Blue Moon Rising Mchenry, MD
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