Influence of Lime Solution on the Bonding Strength of a Mortar Coating Base

Mortar bond covering systems are multilayered and applied to a base, composed of render mortars (stucco, plaster) followed by some decorative element for a finishing touches (paint, ceramic plate, ornamental stones, etc.). In order to homogenize the characteristics of the base material and to increase the bond with the render mortar, it is a common practice to apply some type of preparation, either an even, smooth solution such as wetting the walls, or roughened solution utilizing roughcast. Studies have shown that the presence of calcium ions in ceramic bases results in the formation of a more dense crystalline structure at the interface, which culminates with higher mechanical bond strength. In this light, the present study presents an experimental investigation, the purpose of which is to evaluate, in a comparative way, the direct tensile strength of bond of a mortar coating applied to the same base, preceded in its application by five different preparation techniques. It can be concluded from this study that the preparation of the mortar base is of fundamental importance for bonding strength and, therefore, the addition of a lime solution to the roughcast is economically feasible and a satisfactory alternative in order to obtain positive results in environments where bond strength is critical.