Cocciopesto Deumidificante MGN
Ancient Roman humidity regulator and heat resistant plaster since ca. 500BC, for internal and external use
Typical applications: Dehumidifying damp masonry, including severe damp and high salt concentrations, as well as marine environments. Ideal for the restoration and renovation of historic buildings, barn conversions and farm buildings. Based on an original Roman recipe, it provides excellent humidity regulation and helps improve air quality in cellars, shower rooms and other humid environments.
– A 100% natural and breathable/porous humidity regulator for external and internal works
– Strong humidity regulator and anti-mould
– A great choice of plaster for bio buildings, too
– Gentle to the building fabric: suitable for plastering soft materials, such as wattle and daub or timber frame construction
– Its stable and even colours, ranging from yellow ocher to light red, are holding up longer than painted plasters.
Cocciopesto plasters can be found in many historic buildings throughout Europe as the Romans have “exported” and used this plaster all over the former Roman Empire.
The lightness and elasticity makes this mix capable of supporting large thicknesses and movements of masonry, thus providing an ideal substrate for fine finishes, based on natural lime.
In this video you can see how to apply, how it feels and looks like.
Cocciopesto Deumidificante MGN is a dehumidifying system consisting of two products: Rinzaffo MGN + Cocciopesto Deumidificante MGN capable of resisting salts, (sulphates, chlorides and nitrates), which would attract moisture in the masonry, eroding and ruining it, eventually.
Sulphates are typically yellow salt deposits around fire places, chimneys or sulfur gases washed into the buildings by rain in polluted big cities.
Chlorides come from seawater, mist, fog, rising damp and frost prevention of the roads by salts, or from modern cement coats.
Nitrates are typical in farm environments and essentially are decomposed waste matter, manure or fertilisers.
Roman Waterproofing
in a Grade I Listed Church
Cocciopesto plasters can be found in many archaeological areas and historic buildings all over Europe as the Romans “exported” and used cocciopesto plasters throughout the former Roman Empire.
The lightness and elasticity makes this mix capable of supporting large thicknesses and movements of masonry, thus providing an ideal substrate for fine finishes, based on natural lime.
In this video you can see how to apply, how it feels and looks like.
How is Cocciopesto produced?
The process starts with firing limestone in large kilns, at 850-900 C temperatures, and as a result, limestone turns into a powder: quicklime. If you add water gradually to quicklime, it’s transforming into the soft and white lime putty, while exerting strong heat and steam.
Now add powdered bricks or terracotta (essentially clay shards) instead of sand. These mixes are referred to as “Cocciopesto” by today’s Italian Masters.
Adding either or both, the result is a quickly setting mix.
Romans extensively applied these plasters in very demanding environments, e.g., sewers, ports, spas, and aqueducts.
For structural waterproofing they preferred to replace sand in the mix with Pozzolans – the mixes with volcanic ashes see at Rinzaffo MGN – and Cocciopesto.
Thus developing extreme strength, while retaining the breathability of lime putty plasters. E.g. in harbour works, basements and foundations.
These Cocciopesto Plasters are popular ever since, in the world heritage site of Venice, the Venetian Lagoon, partly due to their aesthetic virtues.
Why replace something perfect with new?
We vote for Cocciopesto against modern plasters
It is based on the ancient concept that the porosity of the lime and crushed terracotta give the product high vapour permeability and an exceptional ability to regulate the humidity of the masonry.
Milled terracotta or brick (in Italian: cocciopesto) was the solution for acquiring dryer and warmer buildings, in the antique times.
Earthenware plasters had been used extensively in Roman heating plants due to their ability to accumulate heat and absorb the moisture from hot flue gases.
Cocciopesto plasters have been in use since about 500 BC, traditionally made of pure slaked lime mixed with crushed tile or brick powder.
Initially a Phoenician plaster was adopted by the Romans, proven extraordinary success in the construction of aqueducts, Roman Baths, roads and underfloor areas.
Ancient Roman underfloor heating system: Hypocaust
Oxfordshire, UK
Specifications
Composition
- Hydrated lime, with more than 90% calcium hydroxide (CL90S as per EN459-1 standard)
- NHL3.5 natural hydraulic lime (UNI EN 459-1)
- Brick powder / crushed bricks (cooked at low temperature, 0-3 mm)
- Volcanic soils – pozzolans (per UNI EN 197-1)
- Natural additives to improve workability
Colour: antique rose
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