Repointing side wall

stuart45

Sounds like you are getting the method correct. All a learning curve. Knowing when the mortar is right for rubbing up soon comes with experience. 

danrv

Have done some more repointing on the wall with the new Amtech pointing tool. Should have got this at the start. 
What I notice is that the textured brick does seem to end up with a lighter colour than before.

The mortar doesn’t run when I dampen down but it may be washing onto the brickwork and drying out to a lighter colour. 
Also when it is damp, the appearance is more like the original.
I’ve seen clear waterproof products for walls. Maybe a coating would darken the wall slightly.

stuart45

Those kind of bricks are often lighter after the rake out, as the dust always seems to stick to them.

danrv

stuart45 said:

Those kind of bricks are often lighter after the rake out, as the dust always seems to stick to them.

Yes, won’t brush off either.

danrv

Hi
Just picking up this again and not too sure if cement tends to lose a bit of bonding strength over time.
Just did few more rows yesterday and the mortar seems a bit weaker. Maybe didn’t quite get mix right (5/1/1 sand, cement, hydrated lime).
It’s stored on the garage floor and sometimes can be a couple of months or more before I use it again.
I can’t really do it in one go.
I usually get the smallest available bag (12.5kg) and it’s quite cheap.
Any help appreciated.

FreeBear

Get yourself a 25l plastic bucket with a lid (the type used for bulk paint) - They can often be found in the home brewing section in some stores.

Do not store bags of cement in direct contact with a concrete floor - In a garage, moisture will wick up through the floor. Store unopened bags of cement on a pallet. Opened bags will absorb moisture from the air, so should be stored in a sealed tub if it is not used within a few weeks (depending on weather & humidity).

The same applies to hydrated lime - It will carbonate (turn back to limestone) if exposed to moist air, so should be stored in an airtight bucket.

stuart45

The problem with storing cement is that the hydration process can have started, but it's hard to see if it hasn't gone too far. The cement at first glance can still be powdery without any large lumps.
What you find is that when you do a mix the colour shows it to be slightly weaker than with fresh cement. With experienced people they can tell straight away if the mix is too weak. 
You can add extra cement to achieve the correct colour, or keep the cement for any rough work you do and get a fresh bag for the repoint. With all the work you put into pointing it's not worth the chance of it failing.

danrv

Thanks.
Maybe it hasn’t quite cured yet, only doing it yesterday.
There’s some small lumps on the top of the cement but when mixed in the bag a little, it’s smoother powder.
Maybe can mix it?
I can get another bag when next out but there’s a lot left. May try another small section.


 

stuart45

When the see that in the cement bag, even if you sieve it out, you are taking a chance for good work.

danrv

FreeBear said:

Get yourself a 25l plastic bucket with a lid (the type used for bulk paint) - They can often be found in the home brewing section in some stores.

Do not store bags of cement in direct contact with a concrete floor - In a garage, moisture will wick up through the floor. Store unopened bags of cement on a pallet. Opened bags will absorb moisture from the air, so should be stored in a sealed tub if it is not used within a few weeks (depending on weather & humidity).

The same applies to hydrated lime - It will carbonate (turn back to limestone) if exposed to moist air, so should be stored in an airtight bucket.

I’ll see if B&Q have the buckets when I pick up another Mastercrete handy bag.
The bag of lime is 25kg and way more than I need. I can get this off the floor and into a plastic sack.
Hope that the cement will last longer now that I know a bit more about keeping it. 
It is a big job for DIY, especially the top half of the wall. Just a case of trying to preserve the materials as it’s being done a bit at a time.