pointing

[adlplumbing]

hi removed the plaster from my spare room
and discovered brick works mortar etheir rotten or missing
any tips on repointing missing bricks

 

[noseall]

Any loose bricks or fist size lumps can be fixed back in place with mortar (4 soft sand to 1 cement). Mix a few trowels of muck, wet the area first then re-mortar the masonry back in place.

Dodgy pointing won't be much of an issue if you are re-plastering...?

 

[andyb30]

use grit sand in your mix,there will be less shrinkage than with normal mortar.

 

[noseall]

use grit sand in your mix,there will be less shrinkage than with normal mortar.

Under no circumstances use grit sand. Most will end up on the floor and what you may get in place will be practically unworkable.

Wet the area first and pack the mortar. Shrinkage will be virtually non existent, not that a little would matter in any case.

 

[andyb30]

use grit sand in your mix,there will be less shrinkage than with normal mortar.

Under no circumstances use grit sand. Most will end up on the floor and what you may get in place will be practically unworkable.

Wet the area first and pack the mortar. Shrinkage will be virtually non existent, not that a little would matter in any case.

grit sand/sharp sand is a national heratige standard when working with large gaps,especially stonework.it not only adds strength to the mortar
without having to add too much opc but it also reduces shrinkage.
i agree that with small gaps its a pain in the rear to work but it really is
needed for fist size gaps if its going to last.
yes,always wet the area first.

 

[noseall]

Andy, whilst i fully agree with you regards the merits of sharper sands and shrinkage, (i use a mixture myself when dealing with large beds of mortar) it would be pointless and unworkable in this case.

 

[stuart45]

Sharp sand is fine with lime mortar, but not so easy with a cement one.
That's why the old books say use washed sand.

 

[joe-90]

Use Plasterer's sand.

 

[noseall]

For heavens' sake, we are talking about re-laying a couple of bricks and filling some holes, in a wall that is likely to be plastered!!!!

Use building sand/soft sand and forget it!

 

[andyb30]

i thought it was about filling wide holes in a wall with gobbo,thats why i mentiond sharp sand.
when you fill in round a pipe outside you do not use a mix of building sand and opc,why?because it will not last a year without shrinking and cracking.
all im saying is surley the same theory applys to inside when its a large
gap,fist size.

 

[theoldun]

adl plumbing.

Do what noseall suggsests. Believe me, he is 100% right.

Forget all about sharp sand, grit sand, lime, toffee apples chewing gum and shrinkage.

Soft sand, opc and splash of admix will meet all your requirements.

oldun

 

[andyb30]

But if its a large gap it will fail!

Andyb30 Runs for cover and hides!

 

[stuart45]

Andy,
It shouldn't fail if the large pieces are filled in with bits of brick and mortar.
I have often dubbed out old walls like this before the spreads came in, and have never known there to be any problem with it.