Congratulations!!! Looks brill. I'm still busy procrastinating on mine and winter drawing in..... !!
its that blasted frost isnt it - Ive had to call a halt outside cos I just cant be sure of getting enough frost free mornings now and the wall is too high for me to prop the hessian properly against it, and I have to dampen it every day and so worry about the frost ruining it.
Rain is no problem goosepimple, as long as Ive got it roughed back/tamped in once applied. They say to do that the next day but Ive found it is too hard already by that point so I do it last thing on the same day - by that time the shrinkage points are apparent and I can make sure theres a good seal between the lime and the stones.
The initial set takes approx 36 hours, the as hard as it will get set takes 3 weeks (!). Up to the 36 hours any waste stuff can be re-used (if you put plastic sheet down) tho the sooner the better so it is a lot less waste than cement if you are messy like me!
Im conscious that there is a high mortar to stone ratio but our place is more random granite rubble than fine dressed stone and this matches the previous stuff and also the house is the same, the mortar is just covering pinning stones really. Also, (the whole thing is Grade B listed) the planning permission we have for converting it and the single storey steading linking it to the house described the required pointing as 'rough slapping' (oo-errrr!) so I reckon that pretty much describes it!
Dont talk to me about previous work done, previous farmers have pointed the entire steading in rock hard cement at some point :-((((( and it is going to take months to get it out, with power tools probably needed to get it out. Have left that for now as it is suitably lichen covered and the granite has stood up to it and isnt damaged but that will be a longer term aim......
It has been the most enjoyable things Ive done to date whilst living here!