Re-Pointing now, ok or not?

[happyhero]

Hi I need to repair some pointing on my house mainly at the damp proof layer and on a base for a shed that is bricked in the back garden, is now an ok time to do this?

I live in Surrey and looking at the weather forecast its about 8 deg C at night and 15 deg C during the day, although it was a little frosty last night.

Can I do it now without getting involved with special additives etc?

Also how far would you rake anything out to insure the new stuff is more than just a thin layer etc, I assume you need a thickness to it rather than just trying to make a skin in some places which seems wrong to me but please put me straight on this?

Any advice appreciated.

 

[tim00]

1. Yes, now is ok. No special additives req.
2. Rake out to 18-25mm, use an angle grinder if possible.
3. Practice pointing in an obscure area. If you feel confident enough, do your perps first, and then your beds. Dont strike-off until it's begun to set. Constantly clean your tools.

 

[happyhero]

Cheers tim00, need to ask a bit more, around my shed the base is about 500mm bigger than the shed so that there are bricks to walk on covering the 500mm bit and then facing bricks 4 or 5 stacks high at the edge. I have seen people use a dry mix before with no water involved and brush the mixture into the gaps, is this an ok method to use as it seems a much easier method for pointing the walk on bit?

Hope I made sense.

Also on the house could it be a lime mortar and if so do I need to then use lime mortar to repoint, its a 1930's house?

How can I tell if it is a lime mortar?

 

[tim00]

Yes, your dry mix of 3 or 4 grit sand, and 1 cement can be brushed and packed in (some mix 6:1 ) to the walkway, and struck off. It will pick up ambient moisture and set without, potentially, messy watering.

1930's house should be a s&c mortar. A lime mortar is more easily crumbled.