Burning LIME at Home: Three EASY Methods

There are plenty of tasks associated with restoring and maintaining a historic property that are incredibly frustrating. One such task is finding an appropriate lime for mortar, plaster, whitewash, etc. However, it’s not an especially difficult material to produce on a small scale.

I use so much lime in my work that, if I was compelled to purchase it, I’d either go broke or my clients would have to take out a second mortgage. Twelve years ago, I went back to following an old family tradition: burning lime. My great great grandfather, one of the last REAL stone masons in my area, burned his own lime as late as the 1930’s. I live in the house he built and still find shells left over from his operation. I have no doubt that he learned this from his father and older brothers, themselves skilled stone cutters and masons for most of the 19th Century.

I’ve not yet found limestone fragments, telling me that he probably preferred shells as I do.

Thanks for watching! You all are awesome!