Heating for lime/clay plastering in winter

[luz624]

A number of the plasters we plan to use (lime and clay) require temperatures over 5degrees. Our home currently doesn't have heating. We will have boarded up windows/doors until February.

Is there any way we can still plaster internally, with the use of gentle heaters (and possibly a dehumidifier). If so, is there any advice for what type of heaters? And a solution for overnight - we are not living at the site, so I'm not sure what heating solutions can be left on while unattended.

[nod]

1 hour ago, luz624 said:

A number of the plasters we plan to use (lime and clay) require temperatures over 5degrees. Our home currently doesn't have heating. We will have boarded up windows/doors until February.

Is there any way we can still plaster internally, with the use of gentle heaters (and possibly a dehumidifier). If so, is there any advice for what type of heaters? And a solution for overnight - we are not living at the site, so I'm not sure what heating solutions can be left on while unattended.

I’m currently using Clay works on one of our jobs 

At £80 a bag you need to be careful with the wastage 5d is a guide As long as it doesn’t drop below 0 during the night Definitely don’t use heat 

Clay needs to dry slowly Or will crack before you get a chance to splay the hardener on 

[luz624]

@nod nice - we are actually planning for Clayworks finish too. But even before we get to that point, we need to do the prep plastering with lime/clay (some base coat plastering, and then plastering over the carrier boards (some wood fibre, and some clayboards) Do you think no heat at all? Even indirect heat, just to get the space a bit warmer. I can see a few overnight temperatures of -1 coming up, which worries me!

[nod]

The Clay works can be applied to plasterboard or fibre board 

Just needs CW primer first 

Definitely no heat The lime p and Clay W needs to dry naturally When we us it in summer we leave fans running to stop it drying to quickly 

 

Weve just done the boardroom at a football club Which is back in use tomorrow They are not happy that they can’t put the ASHP on till Wednesday When we go back to seal and harden it 

 

Be sure to see the installers work prior to them starting the job 

There are three grades of Clay Works 

 

Ive been using Clay Works Lime and Venetian for 35 plus years and still find it difficult to get experienced applicators 

[SteamyTea]

16 hours ago, nod said:

Definitely no heat The lime p and Clay W needs to dry naturally When we us it in summer we leave fans running to stop it drying to quickly 

Why do you put fan on, us it to reduce the internal relative humidity?

[nod]

5 minutes ago, SteamyTea said:

Why do you put fan on, us it to reduce the internal relative humidity?

Yes just to keep the air moving 

[luz624]

@nod thanks, we are using clay/lime below for the benefits of those materials (i know it would be easier to use regular plasterboard, so we're not making it easy for ourselves!). Do you know if lime is the same, i.e. no heat?

[Gus Potter]

On 27/11/2021 at 15:16, nod said:

Yes just to keep the air moving 

Nod.. great posts.

 

Am I right in saying this?

 

Lime plasters need to be dried out slowly. Like concrete they need moist air and a moderate temparature to allow the chemical reaction to take place. The carbon dioxide in the air facilitates the chemical reaction as it's a non hydraulic lime base.. the moisture in the air prevents it just drying out while the reaction takes place over many days just to take up. Shrinkage is thus hopefully controlled.

 

The fans are there to circulate the air not to reduce humidity and they serve to keep an even temperature / humidity over the wall from top to bottom. If you plaster a wall with gypsum plaster (which does not require carbon dioxide to harden) it dries out first at the top as heat rises, the fans are used on the lime plaster to encourage the wall to cure eavenly from top to bottom?

 

You can't have you cake and eat it! Lime plasters need love and care and TIME.. you can't rush nature and some chemistry.

[nod]

Exactly 

I’m going to spray the hardener on Clay works on Weds At a multi million pound extension on a football club 

They have had to delay firing up the bio boiler for nearly three weeks 

There not happy 

Your spot on You can’t have your cake and eat it 

The lime plasters shrink and crack if they are not left to cure 

Sealing or polishing to early effects the appearance 

 

Im lucky that most of this work comes via two very savy designers 

 

[nod]

7 hours ago, luz624 said:

@nod thanks, we are using clay/lime below for the benefits of those materials (i know it would be easier to use regular plasterboard, so we're not making it easy for ourselves!). Do you know if lime is the same, i.e. no heat?

Definitely no heat