Repointing side wall

stuart45

Sorry, I see you're using a tint, not a dye.

danrv

stuart45 said:

Can be tricky doing a test mix with dye, as you have to get the same proportion of dye with the bigger mix.

Thanks.
Yes, that could be a problem.
I think best to try and tint the different coloured area and look for some yellow builders sand for further repointing.
It’s all on hold at the mo as I don’t want patchy pointing.

danrv

I’ve bought some buff Mortar Tone to try. There’s no other option. 
Spoke to someone else looking at the mortar additives in the builders merchants. 
Said he had the same problem with the mortar drying grey.

stuart45

All you can do is play around with the colour to try and get a match. With some of the lighter colours white cement is often used to give a sharper colour. 
You find with buff you need to put a fair amount in with ordinary OPC to get it noticeable. Unlike black.

hangryconsumer

Been following this thread for a while. Any idea if the following bricks need re-pointing?

https://ibb.co/album/fdZz0W

Mortar not so loose that it falls out when poked; it would have to be raked out with a tool. Last year's ants were crawling in/out of those holes. Interior appears sealed so no risk of ants on the inside!

danrv

stuart45 said:

All you can do is play around with the colour to try and get a match. With some of the lighter colours white cement is often used to give a sharper colour. 
You find with buff you need to put a fair amount in with ordinary OPC to get it noticeable. Unlike black.

Thanks for the reply.
It’s strange how the mortar appearance has changed. I’m using the reddy/brownish builders sand as before. Five parts of that to one cement/hydrated lime.
When dry, it’s grey cement colour. Almost as though no sand has been added.

FreeBear

Are you mixing it the same way and for the same length of time ?

If you are mixing a bucket at a time and mixing it by hand, that could be part of the problem. It is also difficult to guage the quantities exactly when mixing a small amount.

stuart45

You did start the pointing quite a while ago, so the new work will be greyer.
When you first joint up using a metal tool it brings cement laitance to the surface which forms a water resistant skin and is grey. As the skin weather's back the aggregate is exposed and the colour changes. Lots of things can affect the colour slightly.
If you do the joints too early it brings more cement to the surface. Too late when they are a bit dry and the jointer burns the joints and they go black.
The trouble now is that you are changing the mix and adding dye.

stuart45

hangryconsumer said:

Been following this thread for a while. Any idea if the following bricks need re-pointing?

https://ibb.co/album/fdZz0W

Mortar not so loose that it falls out when poked; it would have to be raked out with a tool. Last year's ants were crawling in/out of those holes. Interior appears sealed so no risk of ants on the inside!

Need a shot further back really for a better idea.

hangryconsumer

stuart45 said:

hangryconsumer said:

Been following this thread for a while. Any idea if the following bricks need re-pointing?

https://ibb.co/album/fdZz0W

Mortar not so loose that it falls out when poked; it would have to be raked out with a tool. Last year's ants were crawling in/out of those holes. Interior appears sealed so no risk of ants on the inside!

Need a shot further back really for a better idea.

Those are the only areas that need re-pointing. You need shots further back to show the rest of the acceptable non-crumbling pointing?