Earth

Mortar
and earth
buildings
Introduction
Whilst lime is often thought of as the
“traditional” binder material in a mortar,
for many hundreds of years before
lime came into common use, earth
was in fact employed on the majority
of buildings. This INFORM seeks to
provide guidance on clay mortars and
the repair and maintenance of structures
in which they are used. There is also a
note regarding other uses of earth based
building materials.
Fig. 1: Cross section of a clay bonded wall showing the
significant amounts of such material often used
Identifying clay mortar
Where clay was used as a bedding
material the wall was often re-pointed
in lime mortar. This, coupled with
later repointing in both lime and
inappropriate cement materials makes
the identification of clay mortared walls
difficult.
Colour can be one indication of the
presence of clay mortar, as clay is often
darker than lime although this is by
no means a sure guide as many lime
mortars can be similar in appearance.
Texture may also be a guide; earth based
mortars have a smoother feel if a small
piece is wetted and rubbed between the
fingers. However, the only sure way to
establish if a mortar is earth based is to
have a proper mortar analysis carried
out on a sample of the material.
Fig. 2: Clay mortared stone work with small pinning
stones still in place
Clay mortar mixes
Clay mortars were formed in much the
same way as their lime equivalents with
the addition of an aggregate of sand
or fine gravel. When forming repair
mortars it is important to ensure that
the aggregate size matches as far as
possible that which was used originally.
Additionally, enough clay should be
used to fill all the voids between the
grains of aggregate whilst being careful
that there is not a surplus of clay which
could result in the masonry elements
slipping or “floating” on the mortar.
Only enough water to make the mixture
workable should be used as an excess of
water will cause the mortar to run down
the face and will lead to hairline cracks as
the mortar dries.
In addition to aggregates, vegetable matter
is also sometimes added. This normally
takes the form of chopped straw although
depending on the area of the country other
plant types may be used. Animal hair was
likewise added to mortar on occasion
although this was more common in
plasters. The addition of vegetable matter
or hair provides tensile strength to clay rich
mortars and reduces problems which may
be encountered due to shrinkage as the
mortar dries. Should any material of this
sort be found in an original mix it should
be included in the replacement.
Mixing clay mortar that does not contain
vegetable fibre can be achieved in a
standard belle mixer. Mortars which do
contain some form of fibrous material
are best mixed with a spade to ensure full
integration of the clay and fibre or in some
instances a plaster drill may be used.
Fig. 3: Mixing earth building material containing plant
fibres by hand
In most cases the mason will give the
mortar a final mix by hand to ensure the
correct consistency and mix is achieved.
This is very much down to the skill and
experience of the mason.
Sourcing materials
During original construction earth building
materials would have been sourced close to
the site. It may be possible to do this during
repair work but all materials proposed for
use should be carefully analysed first to
ensure they are suitable. Further advice
on suitable earths for mortars is contained
in the further reading section of this
guide. With the rise of eco building there
are a number of companies who now
supply earth based building materials and
where no local sources can be identified
replacement mortars may be sourced
from them. However, the compatibility of
these materials is important and should be
verified before use.
Applying the mortar
Before applying clay mortar it is good
practice to lightly spray the masonry with
a fine mist of water to dampen it down
and provide a better adhesion between
the mortar and the masonry. Clay mortar
is applied in the same way as lime mortar
using an appropriately sized trowel or
pointing iron to insert the material into the
open joint. It may be that the clay mortar
made up a significant proportion of the
wall and due to losses over time a large
quantity of mortar may be required to fill
these voids. It is vital during repair work
to clay mortared masonry that the repair
material is pushed right to the back of the
void in order to make the wall as sound
as possible. Where voids are very large it
may be that small pinning stones of the
type seen in fig. 1 have been lost over time.
These should be replaced during repair
work to ensure that mortar does not make
up a disproportionate amount of the wall
structure.
After care Likewise clay mortared masonry was
sometimes coated in lime harling.
Clay mortar solidifies through drying Where this exists it may be appropriate
rather than setting (as is the case with to re-instate the lime finish after repairs
cement or hydraulic limes) and this to the clay mortar have taken place. If
therefore takes a longer period of time. this is the case sufficient time should be
After application clay mortar should be allowed for the clay mortar to set before
protected from rain. Equally, in very dry the lime harling is applied. Cement
conditions it may be necessary to put harling should never be applied to a
damp hessian over the work to avoid too clay mortared building and where this
rapid drying. is present it may be appropriate during
repair work to remove this and replace it
Lime pointing and harling with a lime based alternative.
As mentioned previously, buildings
which utilise clay as a bedding material
were often pointed in lime. Where this
is the case it is appropriate to re-instate
this lime pointing after the clay mortar
has been put in place. If this is to be
done it is important to rake out the clay
mortar to a sufficient depth to allow
the lime pointing to be effective. As a
rough guide this should be two and a
half times the width of the joint and
should generally be no less than 40mm.
Cement mortar should never be used to
point a clay bonded structure as this will
trap moisture in the clay possibly leading
to increased decay in the future.

Fig 5: Clay bedded masonry (clay and bool) behind

inappropriate cement harling

Other applications of earth in

Fig. 4: Small patches of lime pointing in a clay mortared
building
building
In addition to earth used as a mortar
there are a wide range of other
techniques in which it is used as a
building material.
• Turf: Earth in the form of blocks of
turf was used to form walls either on
its own or alternating with stone.
• Mudwall: Formed of earth mixed
with straw this type of construction
was built in “lifts” of between 15
and 55cm depending on the material
properties.
• Pise: Walls formed of rammed earth
formed in shuttering.
• Clay and bool: A variation of
mudwall construction where
rounded stones of a type unsuitable
for other forms of building are set in
rows between the earth material.
• Claywall: This involves the insertion
of stones into a mudwall mixture
formed between shuttering. The
best stones were used on the outside
face to present an impression of clay
mortared masonry.
• Puddle clay: Clay was often used
in engineering structures such
as bridges and harbours as a
waterproofing layer.
Fig. 6: Mudwall built up in short lifts, Dumfriesshire
Fig. 7: Clay and bool construction
Caring for earth structures
The most important aspect of caring for
any structure which employs earth as a
building material is to ensure that water
is prevented from entering the fabric
as far as possible. Probably of most
importance is ensuring that the roof
is in good condition and all rainwater
goods are kept free of blockages and
function well. This prevents rain water
penetrating the structure which can have
disastrous consequences. Often a roof
would project quite far from an earth
wall to provide additional protection
(originally this would often have been
a thatched roof ). Earth structures were
almost always constructed on a plinth
of stonework to minimise dampness
penetrating from the ground. This
should always be maintained when earth
structures are being repaired. Where
earth construction has been coated in
lime harling and/or lime wash such a
finish should be maintained in line with
guidance for these materials. Likewise,
internal finishes should be moisture
permeable lime or clay plasters. Finally,
it is important to ensure that the site on
which an earth structure sits is kept well
drained.
 Where replacement of an earth based
material is unavoidable this should be
done using materials as close as possible
to the original. Earth block repairs can
be a good solution as used in the repair
of Logie Schoolhouse. Pests such as mice
and rats can present difficulties to earth
structures although this is usually where
decay is already present. Vegetation should
be removed as soon as it is seen in an earth
structure as it can quickly establish itself
and cause considerable damage.

Fig. 8: The damage that can be caused by roof defects

allowing water to penetrate an earth structure

Fig. 9: A turf gable with stone base course, lime wash and
good roof detailing all keeping unwanted water out Fig. 10: Earth block repair

Contacts and Further Reading

Walker B., Scottish Turf Construction, (HS, Edinburgh, 2006)
APS Group Scotland 173600 (03/11) Produced from sustainable material

Morton T., Earth Masonry Design and Construction, (BRE, Bracknell, 2008)
Walker B. and McGregor C., Earth Structures and Construction in Scotland, (HS, Edinburgh, 1996)

Principal author: Moses Jenkins

Published by Historic Scotland, Longmore House, Salisbury Place, Edinburgh EH9 1SH
Tel: 0131 668 8638 Fax: 0131 668 8669
www.historic-scotland.gov.uk email: hs.cgpublications@scotland.gsi.gov.uk