Darken lime mortar?

[AlanM]

if you already have NHL5 lime why would you need to add cement. Surely "5" is quick setting enough, i would have thought.

[Greenbeast]

exactly, it was someone else who suggested cement, i'd rather avoid it.

[AlanM]

yes, sorry,  my last post wasn't clear, should have clarified that. Have dug out my lime book and it notes that "recent research by English Heritage and the Smeaton project seems to indicate that a small amount of cement actually weakens a lime mortar considerably and its durability is reduced" . I believe this is referring to non-hydraulic lime, although i know yours is nhl5. nhl5 should make an initial set in a few hours, so dont think cement would help.

[Greenbeast]

thanks

[biff]

its good to have the choice,
      gawwwwwd, when i think of all the restoration i have done down through the years,from seven oaks, ,coxheath,maidstone,tunbridge etc and here i am finding out i got it wrong,and left all these weak buildings behind me,im gonna get on to the engineers and archs,not to mention bond street and the insurance offices above the galleries,
           im gonna lose some sleep tonight,
                    biff,

[Chanireland]

could try have a barbeque and pestle and mortar up the remains of the burnt charcoal mix it in. bit of black and wight = possible grey. possible. have not tested myself...yet...

or put a pigment in a lime wash after you get the color and the strength of  not messing with the nhl , think normally the but  ash etc as a polozan type of thing in putty etc if your using nhl5 must need its strength or water resistance so might be  better to  wash over it after....lots of  paint recipes out there.