Cornish Lime Company - Specialists in Mature Natural Lime Putty

'Cornish Lime Company' Produce Mature Natural Lime Putty

'Cornish Lime Company' is very proud of the fact that it was the first business of its kind in the region; with an objective from the outset to manufacture the highest quality lime putty as cheaply as possibly without compromising the product - lime putty; which it has achieved very successfully. The Cornish Lime Company is not a business that was set up simply to make money, it was the result of craftsmen recognising, understanding and appreciating why cement is most definitely not the right material for the care and repair of Cornwall’s vernacular buildings. The manufacture of lime putty in the early 90’s was carried out by only a handful of companies around the country and the venture was a real gamble at the time for the business, who as building contractors had very little in the way of manufacturing experience to call upon. Even today some fifteen years on, lime putty is a material where many in the building industry do not fully appreciate the benefits that lime putty has, when used in whatever form, in the care and repair of older buildings. Many believe it is used only on listed buildings, however, and mercifully, it is certainly far better understood today by a lot more people than it was back then.

There are plenty of reasons why lime putty should be used on old or “listed buildings” yet very few logical ones that could ever justify the use for cement on these same buildings. For those who may question that statement, we suggest you have come to the right place, as here at Cornish Lime we pride ourselves on the information we make available; all of which has been prepared by people who know and understand the products that we either manufacture or market, underpinned with a craft knowledge of how these historic buildings were constructed.

Using Natural Lime Putty

Lime putty is not used on its own¹ it is the binder where the lime putty is mixed with a suitable sand in the correct ratio to make a lime mortar, lime render or a lime plaster to name its main functions. Lime putty can also be watered down to make a lime wash. The biggest advantage to be gained from using lime putty in a lime mortar or lime render is its ability to allow old walls to breathe. Unlike cement when it is used in building conservation as it is far too strong, much more impervious and tends to hold moisture captive within walls that have been built in solid form without a cavity (there are many others as well as ‘breathing’ and we hope you will find the answers to these points in the information to be found here on our web site).
(1) It is sometimes used neat as a top coat plaster; however this work does call for a much higher level of understanding for the materials and degree of skill in carrying out this type of finish work.

Yes we are a commercial enterprise but we do have our principles and here at Cornish Lime we fully understand that the most important aspect of the sector that we operate in is that of the historic buildings themselves, especially those that may be listed buildings; after all they are far more important than any of us. We are after all, only custodians for future generations, of a superb built heritage that extends the length and breadth of the British Isles and Cornish Lime is doing its utmost in the bigger picture of trying to conserve and preserve that built heritage, nowhere more so than here in Cornwall and the West Country. You may also wish to view our product information on Lime Mortar.