The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-06-14
ITALIAN METHODS WITH LIME.
MORTAR.

A correspondent of the Builder
gives a few d=tails of the italian
method of making and using lime.
mortar which are new TO us, and of
considerable interest, as are nearly
all the particulars of construc ton
az practieed by these skillful work
men. In the opinion of the
Buffers correspondent most of
the modern italian processes are
Identical with those practieed ia the
same country by the ancestors of the
present inhabitants 1000 years ago;
and he believes that the good q1al.
ity of the Roman mortar, which has
been proverbial for centuries, belongs
equally to that made every day In
Naples and Perugia. AS every one
knows, the custom among the
Italian masOns is, on commencing
work upon a new building, to dig
first pit large en- ,ugh to contain
all the mortar r. quired for the work,
into which is put lime enough TO FL
it within foot or two of the top.
Water Is then poured in until the
pit is filed, and the mixture
is left to itself, cate being
taken only to add water as that
first put in is evsporated or alb.
sorbed- AS mott is wanted,
portion of the lime Is taken from
the top of the mass, but the lower
portion, which will be used to mix
with the plaetering mortar, remains
un6ist1rbed for years, and acquires
a smooth, pasty quality much priced
by Italian architects, who place a
value upon the lime which they use
for such purposes proportionate to
the length of time which has elapsed
since it was first Stacked. The good
effect of this mode Of preparation ia
seen in the perfect stability Of the
mortar, which never swells or
cracks, and, when used in brickwork
or stone masonry. Is ntver observed
to give rise to thUse dis6guring
ef1orescencas which are almost
inevitable with us. On plastering
mortar thus made there is no
difficulty in laying the fresco
colors which a'e nsed in Italy with
such splendid effect, but which burn
out into pale and unsightly patches
when laid upon our raw, helf-slacked
mortar.
With lime treated in this way
work can be executed which would
be impossible with such materials
as we employ. AS an instance of
this the correspondent of the
Builder quotes the bottEto roofing
which is constantly used to cover
costly and important buildings in
southern Italy, and which consists
simply in a thick coating of lime
mortar spread over the timber work
and beaten continually with heavy
clubs for ten days or two weeks in
order to consolidate it. The climate
of southern Italy is rainy, if
not cold; bat these roofs, which,
if made OF what we consider
good lime mortar, would trans
NIT water like sponge, serve there
to protect for centuries the house
beneath. The same kind OF work is
used for floors, taking the place
which would be filled among US by
cement-concre.e, and the beaten
lime floors appear to be as hard and
smooth as anything we construct
with more costly materials. That this
difference in quality between our
and the italian mortars is due to
the mode of treatment rather than
the original character of the lime
used is indicated by the fact that
many different varieties of lime
stone are employed there, according |
to circumstances of locality or con-
veuience, without any material
variation in the result-the Italian
workmen having learned that art
which we care so little for, the max
ing the best OF poor or Indifferent /
Architect