Timber Framers Guild Forums General General Forum Questions Lime plaster coverage

Hello DL

You know you have a very good question but being one that has wrestled with such questions in the past I will try and give you some guidance

The old text books give you formulas and coverage guides for slacked lime mixtures but unfortunately I do not have one of these texts at hand so in that regard I suggest the following:

Mix up a weighed batch of say5 lbs, and then on a flat surface apply it and you will have a close evaluaion of the coverage

You should build up the layers in stages to reach the finished thickness, putting on a base or rough coat , then a scratch coat, and then the finished coat

I suspect that you are mixing in some sand if it is a base mixture or rough coat, but if it is a finish coat then you will just be applying a lime only mixture

I personally don't not know how well hydrated lime will work so you will have to experiment

At UCV we did use hydrated lime, sand mixture to lay a stone foundation for a smoke house, and it seemed to work well

I do suggest using a very small amount of white portland cement just to ensure the proper hardness of the finished surface, there again I suggest some experimentation is in order, do not overdo this step but use caution.

hope this helps

NH