How is lime ecological?
No solvent, no biocide, no VOC, air or hydraulic lime in its pure state is undeniably a healthy product. Flexible and compatible with natural products, lime is composed of limestones calcined in a lime kiln. A material permeable to water vapor that lets the supports breathe , a quality essential for restoringold buildings.
Lime: ancestral ecological material
According to historians, lime has been used in construction for over 6,000 years , by hundreds of civilizations, to continue until our time. Long used for construction , then for the renovation of old buildings, it has, for 150 years, given pride of place to cement. Nevertheless, lime has regained its letters of nobility for forty years thanks to its natural properties including a purifying and disinfecting power due to a basic pH of 12/13. In addition, lime is breathable , since it is permeable to water vapor. Elastic, it avoids cracking and works in concert with the support; in addition, it offers excellent fire behavior and unparalleled resistance over time. To be convinced of this, it suffices to examine the ruins of Egyptian, Greek or Roman temples.
Is lime greener than cement?
In addition to formulated lime, pure aerial and hydraulic lime are more ecological than cement for two reasons:
- Their industrial process involves only a natural resource heated to lower temperatures than those used in the cement process
- Their carbonation allows to recover part of the C02 emitted during manufacture
If lime is the ideal binder for stone masonry, it does not offer the same technical possibilities as cement. Both have different uses and benefits.
Nevertheless, the two materials can be recycled endlessly and offer an unparalleled durability that makes two champions of ecology .
