BUILDING IRELAND - THE LEADING MAGAZINE FOR IRELAND'S BUILDING PROFESSIONALS
THE TRADITIONAL APPROACH
The Traditional Lime Company are providers of lime putties, natural hydraulic limes, lime washes, natural paints and general traditional building materials. The Tullow, Co Carlow based concern is the brainchild of husband and wife duo Edward and Marion Byrne and they boast a wealth of knowledge in this specialised sector. Edward was the first person to complete a Building Conservation Masterclass in lime mortars with English Heritage under John Ashurst at West Dean College, Sussex.
The Traditional Lime Company was Ireland’s first supplier of Natural Hydraulic Limes and is the sole Irish importer of Chaux & Enduits de Saint-Astier Natural Hydraulic Limes, a range which imparts plasticity, elasticity, strength, low shrinkage and early frost resistance to a mortar.
Saint-Astier products are derivatives of pure limestone/silica deposits from the company’s own quarries in Western France. The company thus has complete control over the quality of the raw material and of the production process.
The degree to which Saint-Astier products enable mortar to be customised for each job makes them excellent for all types of work, including new build, restoration and conservation projects.
Saint-Astier products simplify mortar specification as, assuming the colour and qualities of the sand used are known, no other additives are required. The properties and colour of the finished mortar is thus assured.
Lime mortars are highly flexible and have excellent vapour exchange properties. These factors are necessities for the long-term survival of restored buildings. Edward, Marion and their four employees offer a range of limes including those made with Carlow or imported limestone
Lime washes and paints are ideally suited for use in conservation and restoration projects and The Traditional Lime Company provide paints and washes in both hydraulic and non-hydraulic lime.
They supply coloured washes made up in batches to customers’ requirements in a selection of traditional colours. Alternatively, we can provide pigments and ochres for addition to mortars and renders.
In addition to lime washes, the Traditional Lime Company stocks the Saint-Astier range of lime paints and the Beeck & Aglaia ranges of mineral and natural paints.
They stock a wide range of sands and aggregates for use with their lime products. In order to produce a mortar of a specific colour and texture, the correct sand and NHL must be selected. They can provide advice with regard to the various options available.
Another string to The Traditional Lime Company’s bow is that they supply a wide range of traditional materials and tools for use with their lime products along with providing a variety of general-purpose traditional building materials.
The Traditional Lime Company’s impressive CV of successfully completed projects includes Aras an Uachtarain, Leinster House and Kilcoe castle in west Cork, which is owned by actor Jeremy Irons, to name but a few.
“We have supplied practically every major restoration job in Ireland, whether it be in providing materials or advice,” Edward Byrne revealed.
“I’m originally a marine engineer and was away at sea on and off for about 10 years,” he added. “I went into salvaging traditional building materials and progressed into supplying traditional building materials. We’ve been selling lime since 1984 as part of our traditional building materials range.
“Our core business is supplying lime and traditional building materials for conservation, restoration and environmental friendly projects. Restoration accounts for approximately 50% of our business while conservation and eco building accounts for 25% each. By their very nature they are generally projects that require minimal intervention.”
As well as providing a full technical backup service for their lime products, the family-run business provides a consultancy service on all aspects of building conservation and restoration. This consultancy service covers materials, methods, and historic design and includes training both on-site and at our purpose built training centre in Tullow, Co. Carlow.
The wealth of knowledge that Edward has acquired down through the years means his advice is very much sought after from all corners of the country and beyond when it comes to conservation, restoration and environmental building and repair.
He is the NSAI representative on the Revision of Building Lime Standards Europe and a founder member of Building Limes Forum Ireland. The BLFI exists to promote the use and understanding of lime based mortars in conservation, restoration and new build. He is also a founding member of INTBAU Ireland which is the Irish chapter of The International Network for Traditional Building, Architecture & Urbanism
Passionate about the use of the correct materials and methods in the Conservation and Restoration building markets, Edward is the go-to-man in Ireland when it comes to getting pointed in the right direction. If you have any queries don’t hesitate to contact him at the number below or call into his yard in Tullow. They are open for business, Monday to Friday (9am-5pm).
Taken from Building Ireland Magazine, July, Vol 5 No 7
READ THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE HERE