Thread: Hydrated Lime?

Ever seen the aqueducts, or the other Roman buildings and monuments that are still standing after a thousand years or more? All built with lime mortar. One of the all time greatest building components. Only reason cement took over is that it is easier to handle with minimal training, and it sets quicker.

Whilst we are educating, lime mortar also allows water to migrate through it to evaporate, cement does not which is why you never put cement around heritage buildings, it forces the water (and salt) from the foundations up the walls until it finds a place evaporate leaving the salt behind in the mortar to do further damage. Modern buildings use a damp course to solve this problem but old houses do not need one as long as there is good ventilation.



What happens when you cement render an old building....

Regards,
Tote

Originally Posted by donh54

Ever seen the aqueducts, or the other Roman buildings and monuments that are still standing after a thousand years or more? All built with lime mortar. One of the all time greatest building components. Only reason cement took over is that it is easier to handle with minimal training, and it sets quicker.

Just as an aside, I believe the Romans also used volcanic ash in their concrete, apparently that is much better than the additives we use today?
I wish I had been near you, I would have taken the Hydrated Lime, its good to mix in to our driveway, which is dirt, makes the soil nice and hard, less dust and potholes.

Originally Posted by jonesfam

I have been at the Roadhouse for 2 years & when I arrived we had 10 large bags of Hydrated Lime in 1 of our storage containers.
It's still there.
This container stores our garden equipment & products.

What is Hydrated Lime used for?
Is it Dangerous?
Would we ever have a use for 10 large bags?
Should I:
Sell it?
Throw it?
Give it to someone that might use it?

I hope the LR brains trust will be able to advise me?

Jonesfam

If there are any gold mines in your area that have a cyanide leach circuit, I'm pretty sure that they would be happy to take it off your hands. It is used in many (probably most) gold cyanide leach circuits as a pH modifier.

It may also be used for similar purposes in other mineral processing operations (not gold). If there are any other mining operations in the area, give them a ring and speak with the Plant Metallurgist.

Originally Posted by jonesfam

It is labeled Cement Australia.

I just want to get rid of it, I can not think of any use we would have for it & have no idea why it was ever bought (that's like a few things I have discovered here).

I Googled the stuff & they say it may be used in water/sewerage treatment for something? We have a very strange septic/sewerage set up with 4 separate septic tanks that all run to 1 larger septic tank which is then pumped into the towns sewerage system. I have found records that the pump for this has failed & the whole yard has been covered in sewerage.
Maybe it was used to help clean that up?

Anyway, I have decided to offer it to the council, as long as they come & get it, for free. Maybe they can find a use for it.

Jonesfam

If used in sewage treatment, it would have been for correction of pH.

Got a spare corner somewhere where you can just bury the bags?

Originally Posted by Dop

Just as an aside, I believe the Romans also used volcanic ash in their concrete, apparently that is much better than the additives we use today?
I wish I had been near you, I would have taken the Hydrated Lime, its good to mix in to our driveway, which is dirt, makes the soil nice and hard, less dust and potholes.

Hah!! Light bulb moment.

Most of our forecourt is red dirt, I bet it was bought to put on this.
It is very dusty during the dry & a quagmire during the wet.

Wonder why it was never used?

Probably still won't use it, we are having the dirt areas of the forecourt tarmacked this FY so it is probably not worth the work now.
I can't wait for this to happen.

Jonesfam

You can slake it, mix in concrete colour and limewash any building in virtually any colour.

I've done this on some serious heritage buildings.

Lasts as long as paint and lets the walls breathe.

Have used it over a modern product that sticks to anything, even glass.

DL

ok,, I understand the term to slake your thirst,,

is the term " you can slake it" the same kind of thing?

like, just add water?