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TIL lime mortar isn't just for old buildings - tried it on a garden wall in Syracuse last month
Always figured lime mortar was some fussy historical thing you only see on 1800s houses. But I had to repoint a 60 year old retaining wall at my buddy's place and regular Portland cement kept cracking after winter. Switched to NHL 3.5 lime mix and that wall has been solid through 3 freeze-thaw cycles now. Has anyone else swapped to lime for outdoor work that sees a lot of moisture?
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tessa_rivera18d ago
Oh man, yes! I had the exact same thing happen with a stone planter I built in my backyard here in Rochester. Regular cement mortar just kept getting these hairline cracks every spring. A buddy who does restoration work told me to try NHL 3.5 and I was super skeptical at first. But I redid that planter two years ago and it's been through all those lake effect snows and thaws without a single new crack. The best part is how the lime lets the wall breathe, so moisture doesn't get trapped behind it like with Portland. It's honestly way simpler to work with too, you just have to keep it damp while it cures.
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