Conservation Supplies
This category covers suppliers of the specialist materials and tools that conservation work depends on and general builders' merchants rarely stock: lime putty, hydraulic and hot-mixed limes, pozzolans and aggregates, breathable paints and limewash, consolidants and biocides, hair and fibre for plaster, traditional fixings, and hand tools for lime, stone and joinery work. Many also provide technical guidance, mix advice and sample panels, which is often as valuable as the product itself, and several run training courses on the correct use of what they sell.
What this category covers
- Lime putty, hydraulic lime, hot-mixed lime and pozzolans
- Breathable paints, limewash, distemper and mineral finishes
- Aggregates, hair, fibres and additives for lime mortars
- Consolidants, poultices, biocides and cleaning products
- Specialist hand tools for lime, stone, timber and plasterwork
Ecomerchant
Ecomerchant is an independent, employee-owned builders’ merchant supplying natural and sustainable building ...
Mike Wye Limited
Mike Wye Limited has supplied natural and sustainable building materials from Buckland ...
Old House Store – Traditional Materials for Modern Times
Old House Store is a specialist merchant for traditional and ecological building ...
Unity Lime Products Ltd
Unity Lime Products supplies natural building materials and technical support to architects, ...
Womersley’s Ltd
Womersley’s is a Yorkshire lime specialist manufacturing and supplying breathable building materials ...
Buying materials for lime and conservation work
Buy the mix, not just the binder. The performance of a lime mortar depends at least as much on the aggregate and the proportions as on the lime itself, and matching the original sand is often what makes a repair disappear. Good suppliers will analyse a sample and advise.
Check dates and storage. Lime putty improves with age but hydraulic lime does not; bagged hydraulic lime has a shelf life and deteriorates once it has taken up moisture. Ask for the manufacture date and keep bags dry and off the ground.
Use sample panels. Colour, texture and finish of lime mortars and limewash are impossible to judge from a data sheet, and most consent conditions require sample panels anyway. Prepare them early, in the right weather, and leave them long enough to carbonate and dry out.
Take the technical advice seriously. Lime work is unforgiving of poor timing, and most failures come from working in frost or full sun, protecting inadequately, or hurrying between coats. Suppliers who know their products will say when not to use them.
Questions to ask
What is the difference between lime putty and hydraulic lime?
Lime putty is non-hydraulic; it sets slowly by absorbing carbon dioxide from the air and stays comparatively soft and flexible. Hydraulic lime contains impurities that let it set in the presence of water, gives a faster and harder set, and is graded by strength.
Can I use ordinary sand in a lime mortar?
Not reliably. Sharp, well-graded aggregate with the right particle size distribution is essential, and soft building sand generally produces a weak, shrinking mortar. Matching the aggregate to the original is also what makes a repair blend visually.
Does bagged hydraulic lime go off?
Yes. It absorbs moisture and carbonates in the bag, losing strength, and manufacturers give a limited shelf life. Buy for the job in hand rather than stockpiling, check the date, and store bags dry, sealed and clear of the ground.
All 7 businesses listed under Conservation Supplies
- Ecomerchant Wiltshire
- Merchant 701 Herefordshire
- Mike Wye Limited Devon
- Old House Store – Traditional Materials for Modern Times Berkshire
- Unity Lime Products Ltd Buckinghamshire
- Whippletree Hertfordshire
- Womersley’s Ltd West Yorkshire
Directory information is provided to help visitors identify potentially relevant specialists and suppliers. Inclusion does not constitute a recommendation, approval or guarantee by Tuscan Foundry Products. Please check current services, credentials, availability and suitability directly with each business.