"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