Previous | Page: 2 of 2 | Next         "When you use sand and lime you're helping the building to breath and preventing damp. It's also a natural product that is very sympathetic to the architecture and design of buildings such as this one," added Ray. The composite of the mixture can vary but at the Temple it is generally two parts sand to one part lime with an amount of horse hair allocated for every cubic metre. The animal hair is not introduced until about 24 hours prior to application as the alkali lime will weaken the hair by attacking the protein. The first or scratch coat of mortar was placed over and between damp wooden laths to an even thickness. Plastering on the laths meant that the drying time was lengthened to around seven days due to their being no absorption of moisture into the background. The same composite of mortar was used for the strengthening or floating coat with a slightly thicker surface which is then keyed lightly in readiness for the finishing coat. The final composite was two parts lime and three parts fine silica sand smoothed with a cross grained wooden float with the setting due to suction from the background. Each surface then underwent troweling with a steel float.   - Newcastle Station - Gibson Mill - Temple of Minerva - Leeds City Station - Aakash Restaurant - Ashton Town Hall - St. Georges Hall - St Mary's Church, Honley   - Private Chapel - Midland Hotel, Manchester - Lyall Street, London - Akbars Restaurant