Back Home1.4 Lime

Lime is a versatile material found in many traditional buildings. This chapter follows its journey from limestone or shells through burning, slaking and use in construction.

Understand the lime cycle, storage, dry and wet slaking, different classes of lime, and ways to assess quality. The course includes field observations, tests and exercises.

Explore where lime is used in natural building, why preparation and proportions matter, and examples from Thannal’s practice.

What you'll learn

• Understanding lime: Its versatility, ancient texts, traditional homes and the first learning exercise.
• The lime cycle: Kiln burning and its benefits, transport, storage, a lime-kiln visit, dry and wet slaking, and classes of lime.
• Quality tests: Visual examination, field tests, ball tests and checking lime stabilisation.
• Uses and reflection: Construction uses, the effects of excess lime, comparison with cement, Thannal’s explorations, a village story, Jagrat and references.

Enhance your homebuilding projects with the skills you'll learn in this course! By the end of it, you'll be able to expertly use lime to create beautiful, durable, and sustainable structures. Join us and discover the transformative power of lime in natural buildings.