Lime in mortar

[TrevorL]

I'm just about to start the brickwork on my garage/workshop and can't decide whether to use lime in my mortar or plasticiser? Is lime used much these days?
Many thanks
Trevor

[Tony McC]

Not as much as it should be!

A professional brickie is probably best placed to advise you, but I specify lime mortars for all stone walling work. It takes a bit of getting used to, if you normally work with cement mortar, mainly because it's so sticky and pliable, but I'd never consider working with owt else, if I could.

[TrevorL]

Thanks for your reply Tony, it's a great help.
Unfortunately I don't know any professional brickies.
Taylor Woodrow built the house I live in in the late 50’s, and I would guess, using flettons. I suppose the mortar used then would have had lime added?

[lutonlagerlout]

chances are it will be cement mortar trevor
i am a pro brickie and like T i love using lime,you can buy masonry cement which has lime added to the cement which helps plsticise it and gives it a pleasing finish
if you go down the lime and sand only road you need to use hydraulic lime(romans used this) or lime putty but this is far more specialised stuff
biggest problem nowdays is that the building sand is so soft,when i started we had to use P.Y. sand (pratts yard) it was a very coarse building sand almost like rendering sand,bugger to work with but the mortar dried up really strong
anyway good luck
LLL

[TrevorL]

Thanks for that LLL,
I will take yours & Tony's advice and use masonry cement.
I just need good weather now!
regards
Trevor