A1 Foundation Crack repair has been getting a lot of calls from people asking if they use lime-based mortar. What is this lime-based mortar, some kind of super mortar? Adam explains.
Narrator: It's time once again for the Crackman podcast, hosted by A1 Foundation Crack Repair. I'm Darren Kincaid. I'm here with the Crack Daddy himself, Adam Tracy. Adam has 20 years of experience in the construction industry and as a civil engineer is A1 Foundation's resident engineer on staff solving a plethora of unique foundation problems every day. This podcast provides expert basement waterproofing, concrete repair, and preventative maintenance tips for homeowners and businesses. A1 Foundation's viable insight will help prevent the disaster of a flooded basement, health problems that are water infiltration, and protect your biggest investment, your home. The topic of today's podcast: What is lime-based mortar, and do I need it?
Narrator: So, Adam, I understand you're getting a lot of calls from people asking if you use lime-based mortar. What is this? Is it some kind of super mortar?
Adam: It is not a super mortar. In fact, it's the most ancient version of mortar used back in Roman days. So, if it gives anyone a sense of “hey, this is the best and newest thing of today,” it’s been around for over 2,000 years. It’s something that’s very common. In fact, just about every mortar will have lime in it.
Now, we get this question a lot, and I’m not sure if it’s because AI has come in and said that you need to have lime in your mortar for historic preservation, or if somebody is out there giving out information about lime-based mortar. But the reality is that every mortar we’re going to use—and every mortar available as a pre-blended mix—is going to have lime in it.
So, when we use mortar, it’s always going to be a pre-blended mortar. And why do we not mix by hand and instead use a pre-blended mortar? Well, the number one reason is that I’m going to have multiple technicians on a job, typically for several days, especially on these older masonry-type projects. Sometimes I have guys coming in and out—different employees—and the last thing we need is a non-pre-blended mortar that gives different consistencies and different strength values across a foundation.
We want a consistent product from the start of the job to the end of the job, no matter who’s working—whether it’s John on his second day or a guy who’s been here for 20 years. They’re all going to have the same product being applied to your home, because at the end of the day, you want the best result no matter who’s on the job.
So yes, lime-based mortar is used on every single job. That applies to every type of mortar we use, whether it’s for a historic preservation project—like a church or an exterior brick façade—or for something more structural, such as where there’s a load-bearing foundation. Lime is inherent in every mix.
Now, why do we use lime? Lime actually provides breathability and flexibility to the mortar. Mortar needs to shift slightly with foundation movement, vibrations, or natural freeze-thaw cycles. You need lime in there to allow that small degree of flexibility.
So, if you have a mason coming in saying they’ll do the job but they back up a dump truck and start mixing by hand, you might want to pause—because they’re probably not using a proper lime-based mortar. For every job we do, it always contains lime. Every pre-blended bag—whether from a masonry supply house, a specialty historic preservation supplier, or even from Home Depot—will have lime in it.
So, there’s really nothing to worry about. Lime-based mortar is very common. In fact, it’s been used for over 2,000 years—and it’s still what we use today. Lime is in the mortar. Nothing to worry about here.
Narrator: Well, thanks Adam, for explaining what lime-based mortar is and why it's so common.
Narrator: If you have a basement water problem and think you need a professional or if you'd like more information on foundation crack repair and basement waterproofing topics, please visit a1foundationcrackrepair.com or call Adam at (866) 929-3171. Or you can email Adam at info@a1foundationcrackrepair.com. Thanks for listening and keep that basement dry.