Lime, the historic ally of façade restoration and conservation

The passage of time leaves its mark not only on us but also on our buildings. Exposure to the weather conditions deteriorates, for example, the façades, making it necessary to restore them, which must scrupulously take into account the characteristics of each building.

In this sense, lime has for centuries been the raw material used for the conservation of building exteriors. Today, lime is a star solution in the restoration of historic or old infrastructures, where it is important to choose solutions with similar characteristics to those laid in the past and suitable for weak substrates.

Furthermore, this material stands out for incorporating less or even no cement addition, making it a circular and sustainable solution in construction due to its limestone origin.

Likewise, the use of mortars based on lime, selected aggregates, synthetic resins and additives, achieve a highly decorative restoration in both façades and interiors and, generally, in all types of buildings. These components are highly breathable and permeable to water vapour, which also facilitates masonry work.

Precisely along these lines, another of the great benefits of lime for façade renovation is its easy application, thanks to its capacity to give plasticity and creaminess to the product that incorporates it, always providing a higher performance than cement mortars. Furthermore, lime mortars are like good wine, they improve with time. Lime reacts with ambient CO2 to harden, forming calcium carbonate, which is why lime mortars applied in Roman times continue to improve in strength.

With the aim of enhancing all these and other properties of lime in the construction sector, Molins, a pioneer in its use in the peninsula and well aware of the particularities of this material, has developed REVAT® CAL, a wide range of lime coatings that adapt to different surfaces depending on the needs of professionals. These mortars allow to obtain from a fine trowelled finish REVAT® CAL ESTUCO, to a smooth matt or glossy finish, using REVAT® CAL FINO.

On the other hand, Molins, within the waterproofing range, has a lime solution for one of the main construction pathologies occurring in homes: capillary damp. The PROPAM® CAL SEC coating mortar acts as a waterproof filter for rainwater, evaporating at the same time the humidity coming from the floor and its support. It is highly decorative and easy to apply, making it possible to renovate walls affected by phreatic damp and efflorescence, as well as to prevent this type of damp in new buildings. Thanks to its properties, it is the perfect solution to put an end to the dreaded unsightly stains that appear on the façades and exterior walls of homes and buildings.