Lime mortar mix with sand for beige/light colour pointing

Hello jttl We use a 3.5 Hydraulic lime mix for pointing (ratios: 1 hydraulic lime, 2 soft sand, 1 sharp/grit sand), and for walling we use 5.0 Hydraulic lime (ratios: 1 Hydraulic lime, 2.5 soft sand, 0.5 grit/sharp sand). These mixes do give you a buff coloured mortar using a general building sand. The colour of mortar I think you are trying for will best be achieved using a sand we call 'Durham Yellow'. As the name suggests it is a yellow course building sand (with probably different names in different areas of the country) . White cement can lighten a mortar colour (no cement used in a hydraulic lime mix), and cement dyes can also give you the colour you require. Unfortunately there won't be a definitive mix with a definitive sand, the standard practice would be to experiment with some sample mixes using different sands in order to get the colour you are looking for. There is usually good advice on the Hydraulic lime bags as to what ratios to mix at, but we have found the above ratios more than suitable for the projects we have carried out. Good luck with your project and I hope you can get the results you are looking for. Hi again, further to your recent test mortar. Firstly I am glad to see you are experimenting to get the mortar colour you need. You originally mentioned you are using a hydraulic lime. This type of mortar doesn't use cement. I would get a bag of the hydraulic lime you are going to use (I suggested 3.5 for pointing/general building or 5.0 for walling) and use a general building/soft sand. They both produce what I would call a buff coloured mortar, which I suppose could be the beige you are looking for. The mix ratios I have given offered a smoother rustic looking finish to the pointing, that matched the projects we were doing. I'm afraid it is a case of experimenting, to achieve your specific colour of mortar - that is all we would do before commencing a project. Hope this helps. Once again good luck. Hello again. Don't use more lime than is recommended as this can result in a weaker mortar. It does take a week or so for a mortar to start drying. Keep on with your sample mixes. Before we would start a project that had a specific mortar colour we would do exactly as you are doing - a batch of sample mixes and let them dry for a couple of weeks. It is time consuming, but keep on experimenting. You will get there in the end.

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Hi, White cement can you help you get a lighter colour but it depends on the sand colour you start with as what the finish is. Ask at your local builders merchant what sand colour you can get or some mortar dye might work. Normal building sand should work fine with a mix of 1 lime, 1 cement and 6 sand, Hope that helps yes it can take a week or so, it has to dry. You use a lot of water in it. Sounds like your experimentation is working for you. You can try some other sands possibly sharp sand might help. Depends how course a finish you want. You might be able to find a dye that could work too. Don't put more lime,too much can cause other problems.