mortar

  1. S

    Removing mortar

    I've got a stone wall 2.5ft high and 4m long to pull down and rebuild but I need to work with the existing chunks. They are 50mm concrete slabs broken up. Is there a quick way to remove the old mortar than using hammer and chisel? Reason I can't use fresh pieces are due to location. Garden...
  2. S

    Thermal expansion?

    Morning all.I have noticed holes appearing in a uniform fashion in verticals of my pointing..they are situated on a South facing wall , start about 2ft below gutter and appear in every other course for about 5 ft..3 holes to the left and 7 holes to right. (Hope I've explained that ok!)..the grey...
  3. D

    Repointing inaccessible walls

    Hi there, my first post here so hope I've posting this in the right place I recently bought a Victorian house that needs a lot of work doing to it, having been left to go to seed by the previous owners. Its technically a detached house, but for reasons we'll never know, the neighbouring house...
  4. Rob broom

    Minor cracks in mortar

    Hi. There are few photos attached. Can I get some advise on what cause these cracks please? the blocks have been in place for about 2 or 3 months. the cracks are less than hairline. mortar mix was 4:1 sand cement with additive. Is it any if the following reasons? Thermal. Shrinkage. Drying...
  5. BBBerks

    Separated and Eroded Mortar: Concerning, or just in need of some repointing / TLC?

    Hi all, first post here after a bunch of research and probably going a bit stir crazy. We're scoping out some projects for our 1970s mid-terrace townhouse, which had me looking at the walls. I've noticed a few issues, which I'm hoping are just normal ageing for a near 50 year old house and...
  6. Rob broom

    Do moist blocks shrink enough to explain my hairline cracks?

    Hello again! Quick question about laying moist dense blocks? I laid 3 courses of 10.4 dense (Dennis May) blocks about three weeks ago. I layed one course per day over three days. The weather was cool, damp and the odd bit of rain and snow was around. The blocks were stored on a pallet in my...
  7. Rob broom

    Freaking out about cracks while I’m still building!

    Hi! I have a few concerns about some cracks on my self build that I am half way through. This is my first project, I might add! I have found a few hairline cracks and wonder if I should be freaking out? Here is the story: the site is 8m x 7m I dug the foundations myself! I dug down...
  8. R

    Lintel below a lintel - opening a fireplace

    Afternoon guys, I am opening up an old chimney breast that was blocked up years ago. The reason is twofold - ventilation (it wasnt vented!) And decoration. The new opening will be 400mm wide x 600mm high which is smaller than the original so I'm only knocking out 'infill bricks' and not any of...
  9. S

    Replacing damaged brick at corner of house

    Hello, We've got a damaged brick at the corner of our house, which was recently made worse when my 5 year old started picking at it with a stick! Photo attached. I can't imagine we'll be able to get a builder interested in fixing it as it's not worth their time, but I know a very good...
  10. A

    Mortar Mix

    Hi all, I can see there are lots of threads on Mortar but I couldn't see any which fully answered my questions. I am looking to patch up some brickwork in a fireplace in a 1926 house, I have gently wire brushed the face of the bricks and can with certainty say the mortar is lime based as quite...
  11. R

    Can I use sand came underneith old patio for cement mix

    Hi, We have removed some of the old stone patio which was layed on top of a sand bed. (the patio could be about 20-30 years old). I need to create some cement mix to lay some new patio elsewhere in the garden. I am planning to use as mortar bed. My question is , can I just use this sand...
  12. J

    Improve driveway concrete slab without spending a fortune. Any tips welcomed

    Got my driveway which is in concrete at moment with a lot of cut due of work and repair been done during the years. I was thinking to resin bond but quote are sky high and don`t have money for it. I was wondering if there is a cheap way to improve the look with some think paintable product or...
  13. S

    Mortar setting when freezing temperatures forecast (-1 to - 3C)

    Hello, We just had some brick work done to fill a small hole left by an old gas extractor fan. Should I be worried that within 12 hours of this being done the temperature is forecast to get as low as - 1 to - 2C? It's also forecast to get as low as - 3C within 24 hours. Could this cause any...
  14. R

    Dry verge over mortar ?

    Can anyone explain why you need to remove mortar / undercloak when fitting a dry verge?. Is it because of ventilation (Why if the ridge is currently mortared and ventilation is not an issue) or to fix the dry ridge (into mortar, but if the batten is behind it it will be secure using suitable...
  15. D

    Ridge tile - mortar bed along full length each side?

    Marley modern conc. slates (large flat interlocking 420x290). Are the ridge tiles supposed to be bedded on mortar full length each side as well as ends? I had to take a load off to replace slates and they were bedded/pointed at the ends but apart from that no mortar along most of each side?
  16. bettz1

    Remove mortar stains Indian sandstone

    Hi any advice on what I could use to remove a few mortar stains from the edges of Indian sandstone kandla grey? I bought some bostik mortar remover which a few people recommended watered down but noticed it says not to use on sandstone :mad::cry: Any idea?
  17. L

    Ready mixed mortars

    Need a small quantity of mortar for some repair work on the house. Anyone had any experience with it? Looking for one to match below as close as
  18. B

    Brick work around windows

    Hey guys - newbie here. Just started decorating the living room and since we moved in, there has always been a slight draught above the architraves. Decided today to pull the architraves off (we was just going to strip the paint and repaint) and all the sand and lime just fell to the floor as...
  19. S

    Fix roof ridge tile to fill gaps

    Hello, I noticed some pretty large gaps in our roof in one of the roof tiles, which was recently repaired a couple of years ago. Please see photo. I was considering getting a roofer out to fix it but then I'm thinking it might be possible for me to do this myself as the tiles look fine, it's...
  20. M

    What to use for garden wall repair?

    I have a low garden wall that has lost a few bricks because the mortar has failed. It's not a particularly high quality wall and I am considering revamping the garden in a few years so a solution that lasts a few years (rather than decades) will be OK. Being an idiot DIY'er I don't know what...
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