The National Trust TRUSTS EcoRight to provide lime-based products for conservation and restoration at Basildon Park
Basildon Park is set in over 400 acres of manicured gardens and beautiful parkland.
Surrounding it all is the boundary wall that is the subject of restoration work by AF Jones Stonemasons, a specialist local building conservation contractor. They chose to use EcoRight Corn Coarse Stuff that is being supplied by Old House Store in Caversham, Reading.
The Corn Coarse Stuff was recently developed by EcoRight to meet the demand for a lime putty mortar that is sympathetic to the distinctive yellow oolitic limestone found in and around the Cotswolds. It uses the same Leighton Buzzard sand as the EcoRight Natural Coarse Stuff with the addition of natural pigments. It is made using the hot mixing technique utilised by EcoRight that replicates the traditional method used by stonemasons for centuries.
Whereas in the past, stonemasons would mix “lump” lime with sand and then add water, modern powdered quicklime allows for greater efficiency in hot mixing. This means far more regularity in the mortar composition and hence performance. Given the longevity of historical lime mortars, their modern equivalents will be at the very least just as good.
EcoRight is at the forefront of industrial hot mixing of lime putty based mortars. Up to a few years ago, lime was slaked for a minimum of three months before being mixed. However, extensive research and experimentation revealed the authenticity and effectiveness of hot mixing and it has been the standard practice at EcoRight since 2013.
Likewise, the demand for bespoke lime mortars has increased as more and more is used in both building conservation and new build projects. This has led to the development of a wide range of hydraulic and non-hydraulic lime mortar colours with different textures.
PROJECT DETAILS
– Project name: BASILDON PARK – Project size: Approx. £1million – Project scope: Extensive restoration to the boundary wall of Basildon Park, a Grade 1 listed country house, owned by the National Trust and situated just outside Goring-on-Thames near Reading in Berkshire. – Project details: Parts of the brick and flint wall required major rebuilding following full or partial collapse. Other areas required raking out and repointing.
The key challenges were to develop a mortar that matched the existing material with good workability properties. Due to the narrow, busy road running next to large parts of the site, careful logistics and road traffic planning was essential. This meant that manufacturing of the mortar had to be rigorously planned and delivered.
ABOUT ECORIGHT
Whilst EcoRight lime products are true to their traditional roots, they have been developed and delivered for modern building processes and quality standards, offering a viable and more eco-friendly alternative to cement based mortars. There are less CO2 emissions from the production of lime compared to the production of cement.
EcoRight products and services are equally suitable for large scale construction projects or local craftsmen working on individual or small projects. EcoRight’s expert team, who have over 100 years combined experience in lime based building products and conservation work, can also provide technical design support, prepare NBS specifications and provide CPD presentations.
