Everyone says lime mortar is better, but I did some digging on a job in Philly last month

Came across a 1920s building report that showed hydraulic cement held up 50 years longer in wet basements than lime ever did. Found it in the city archives after a brick fell off a row home. Anyone else see lime guys ignore actual data from old structures?

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anna_craig27d ago

Read a materials science study out of Columbia a few years back that tested old mortar samples from Philly basements and found hydraulic cement actually performed better than lime in constantly damp conditions. The lime guys always push the breathability angle but forget that some old buildings were built with what was available, not what was theoretically ideal. That archive find sounds legit, city records usually don't lie about what held up.