"Gaffar" wrote in message
...
I am having an extension built with the work likely to start bang on in
the middle of winter.
Are there any precautions I need to take or things to check or be wary
about.
I have heard that bricks can't be laid if the temperature drops to a
certain level, is this true? and what is that temparature.

If wet mortar freezes, then it'll be damaged. My recollection is that it
ought to be 5C or above for building work, there are limitations on various
things, for example if your extension has an flat roof with a bitumenised
covering, it may crack if unrolled below a certain temperature, and you'd
have to check on that. Paint is usually limited to a minimum temperature
as well.

Andy.

I am having an extension built with the work likely to start bang on in
the middle of winter.
Are there any precautions I need to take or things to check or be wary
about.
I have heard that bricks can't be laid if the temperature drops to a
certain level, is this true? and what is that temparature.

Is the likelihood of damp higher if the building work is done in winter?
Do I need to wait longer for the plaster to dry before I sand down and
start painting? If so how long do I wait and is there any way of
speeding up drying?

Apologies for all the barrage of questions but as you can probably tell,
am a complete novice
when it comes to the building trade, but hoping to start dabbling in DIY
activities with help from people on this board

Thanks
G

Gaffar wrote:
I am having an extension built with the work likely to start bang on in
the middle of winter.

Silly comment?

Do it inside.
Call a few marquee hire companies.
Alternatively, you can knock up a weatherproof structure out of 2*6 and
galvanised sheet pretty fast, then work under it.
Or, even cheaper, tarpaulins held off the structure by a minimal
framework.

andrewpreece wrote:

"Gaffar" wrote in message
...

I am having an extension built with the work likely to start bang on in
the middle of winter.
Are there any precautions I need to take or things to check or be wary
about.
I have heard that bricks can't be laid if the temperature drops to a
certain level, is this true? and what is that temparature.


If wet mortar freezes, then it'll be damaged. My recollection is that it
ought to be 5C or above for building work, there are limitations on various
things, for example if your extension has an flat roof with a bitumenised
covering, it may crack if unrolled below a certain temperature, and you'd
have to check on that. Paint is usually limited to a minimum temperature
as well.

Andy.


Above confirmed.

You can use winter mix in the mortar to reduce freezing point, but
brickwork takes a long time to set at 5C and below - several days really
as against 'more or less solid after 24 hours'

Once weatherproof tho, space heaters can be used to raise internal temps.

The chief downside is the hours of daylight, and the cold and the wet,
which reduce the amount of man hours you can realistically put in by
day. Also you can't lay mortar in the pouring rain without getting very
sodden jonts and risking the cement washing out.


Also timber will get wet and need drying before plastering etc, or you
will see cracking.

Do-able, but not the most efficient time of year.

On Sun, 24 Oct 2004 15:50:55 -0500, Ian Stirling
wrote:

Gaffar wrote:
I am having an extension built with the work likely to start bang on in
the middle of winter.

Silly comment?

Do it inside.
Call a few marquee hire companies.
Alternatively, you can knock up a weatherproof structure out of 2*6 and
galvanised sheet pretty fast, then work under it.
Or, even cheaper, tarpaulins held off the structure by a minimal
framework.

You can use visqueen and scaffold to make a tent.

Rick

"andrewpreece" wrote in message ...
"Gaffar" wrote in message
...

I am having an extension built with the work likely to start bang on in
the middle of winter.
Are there any precautions I need to take or things to check or be wary
about.
I have heard that bricks can't be laid if the temperature drops to a
certain level, is this true? and what is that temparature.

If wet mortar freezes, then it'll be damaged. My recollection is that it
ought to be 5C or above for building work,

weaker yes, but the building will still work ok. You'll just be
looking at needing to repoint in a few decades rather than 70 years.
Thats if theyre using a good quality mix anyway, which is unlikely.

Its not something I'd moan about.


there are limitations on various
things, for example if your extension has an flat roof with a bitumenised
covering, it may crack if unrolled below a certain temperature, and you'd
have to check on that.

Store it indoors before laying so it unrolls warm. Where it needs
bending and folding once on the roof, a quick play with a blowtorch
makes it nice and soft. Alternatively use a decent quality of felt
based on slightly different stuff to bitumen, they stay soft in the
cold. Its perfectly possible to felt a roof below freezing, even with
the old bitumen stuff.


Paint is usually limited to a minimum temperature
as well.

I wonder what the developers do about that? I presume the paint will
work at lower temps, just be slow drying, and so pick up dust etc
before dry. Maybe they just choose low temp paints, I dont know.


NT

I wonder what the developers do about that? I presume the paint will
work at lower temps, just be slow drying, and so pick up dust etc
before dry. Maybe they just choose low temp paints, I dont know.

Or just heat the room? With insulation behind the walls, the entire plaster
and inner leaf masonry will soon be well above the temperature required.

Christian.

Christian McArdle wrote:

I wonder what the developers do about that? I presume the paint will
work at lower temps, just be slow drying, and so pick up dust etc
before dry. Maybe they just choose low temp paints, I dont know.


Or just heat the room? With insulation behind the walls, the entire plaster
and inner leaf masonry will soon be well above the temperature required.

Christian.


Yes. Its exterior work that is bad news in winter. Bricklaying, ground
work, roofing, and of course exterior deciration and or rendering.

Once the shell is up, the envirtonment inside is what you are prepared
to make it.

Rick Dipper wrote:

On Sun, 24 Oct 2004 15:50:55 -0500, Ian Stirling
wrote:

Gaffar wrote:
I am having an extension built with the work likely to start bang on in
the middle of winter.

Silly comment?

Do it inside.
Call a few marquee hire companies.
Alternatively, you can knock up a weatherproof structure out of 2*6 and
galvanised sheet pretty fast, then work under it.
Or, even cheaper, tarpaulins held off the structure by a minimal
framework.

You can use visqueen and scaffold to make a tent.

Rick

Thanks for the comments and ideas, tarpaulin looks like the cheapest and
easiest option as I have
a whole load of this sitting idle in the shed.

Regards