Limes & plasters
Lime
Limestone burnt and slaked into a putty that cures by slowly turning back into stone. The binder of most of the world's pre-cement architecture.
How it behaves
Vapour-open: lime mortars and plasters let walls exhale moisture instead of trapping it, which keeps mass walls dry and effective. Softer than cement, it flexes with old buildings instead of cracking them.
Where it belongs
Rajasthan (araish) · Morocco (tadelakt) · Venice (marmorino) · All of pre-modern India
In a modern project
Lime renders on breathable walls, tadelakt in wet rooms, lime-based paints over cement-sick heritage walls.