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BigWallop
 
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"John" wrote in message
...
I have some coping stones to rebed on a low wall (18" high) in our back
garden. The wall was already there when we moved in, so I know nothing
of it's history. The copings are approx 3 ft by 1 ft and just look like
the concrete paving slabs around my garden. As these stones are all
loose and have come unstuck from the original bed of mortar, which is
still on the bricks below, but I will chip it off with a 4" bolster.
What do I do with the mortar mix to make sure they stick!

Thanks

John



Hi John,

Have a look through the brickwork section on this site:

http://www.pavingexpert.com/pavindex.htm

It should talk you through what you need.


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  #2   Report Post  
Rick Hughes
 
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"John" wrote in message
...
I have some coping stones to rebed on a low wall (18" high) in our back
garden. The wall was already there when we moved in, so I know nothing
of it's history. The copings are approx 3 ft by 1 ft and just look like
the concrete paving slabs around my garden. As these stones are all
loose and have come unstuck from the original bed of mortar, which is
still on the bricks below, but I will chip it off with a 4" bolster.
What do I do with the mortar mix to make sure they stick!



A simple 4;1 mix with some plasticiser will do the job ... you can add lime
if you have it, but for a small job 4:1 will be good enough.

Apply a coat of diluted PVA first (3 parts PVA to 1 part water) and allow
to become tacky before putting down the mortar.

Rick




  #3   Report Post  
Zymurgy
 
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"BigWallop" wrote
"John" wrote ...
I have some coping stones to rebed on a low wall (18" high) in our back
garden.


Hi John,

Have a look through the brickwork section on this site:

http://www.pavingexpert.com/pavindex.htm

It should talk you through what you need.


Nice link, thanks.

Fletton, frogged on my house. Who'd have thought it !

Cheers,

Paul
  #4   Report Post  
Michael McNeil
 
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"Rick Hughes" wrote in message ...
"John" wrote in message
...
I have some coping stones to rebed on a low wall (18" high) in our back
garden. The wall was already there when we moved in, so I know nothing
of it's history. The copings are approx 3 ft by 1 ft and just look like
the concrete paving slabs around my garden. As these stones are all
loose and have come unstuck from the original bed of mortar, which is
still on the bricks below, but I will chip it off with a 4" bolster.
What do I do with the mortar mix to make sure they stick!



A simple 4;1 mix with some plasticiser will do the job ... you can add lime
if you have it, but for a small job 4:1 will be good enough.

Apply a coat of diluted PVA first (3 parts PVA to 1 part water) and allow
to become tacky before putting down the mortar.

Rick


You don't need plasticiser with lime. I'm not sure if using both
together is counter-productive.
  #5   Report Post  
Michael McNeil
 
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"Rick Hughes" wrote in message ...

You don't need plasticiser with lime. I'm not sure if using both
together is counter-productive.



What I said was lime if you had it - plasticiser will still make it more
workable, as it acts as an air entrainer.
But not so important with Lime.

Although I worked as a labourer on sites while through college and Lime was
only ever used when finnings or dashing were going on - never used on
bricking.


Rick


I wasn't contradicting you. I seem to remember rendering with both and
it all went like soap suds until I stopped using the Feb. "If it goes
pear shaped read the instructions." I just don't remember what it said
on the side of the tin.

It was like working with blancmange and we cobbed two mixes and had
problems with the wall we'd already coated. The penny pinching # we
did it for made us use the stuff up with the rest of the job. All his
walls had tiny cracks in all over. It looked like those tiny mosaic
sheets of tiles.

(Ha! Ha!)


  #6   Report Post  
Keith
 
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Don't use plasterziser, its crap. Use 4 to 1 sand/cement with Unibond in
the
water, use the same water and paint both coping and receiving bed of
brickwork prior to spreading mortar.
Sand and Lime were use for century in the building trade. When cement
mortars came used, it was found that this type of mortar was heavy and
didn't
spread very well. So they introduced plasterzier in to the water. This
plasterziser put bubbles in the mortar when mixed. When the bricks are
pressed down the bubbles collapse making it easier to level the material
being laid. The problem arises when the weather starts to ware away the
mortar, its full of dried empty bubbles.
In a recent article in one of the construction mags, There are proposals of
going back to Lime mortar for brickwork. One of the theories behind the
use of Lime mortar is that in the case of any movement in brickwork the
joint gives, in cement mortar the bricks give and snap.



John wrote in message
...
I have some coping stones to rebed on a low wall (18" high) in our back
garden. The wall was already there when we moved in, so I know nothing
of it's history. The copings are approx 3 ft by 1 ft and just look like
the concrete paving slabs around my garden. As these stones are all
loose and have come unstuck from the original bed of mortar, which is
still on the bricks below, but I will chip it off with a 4" bolster.
What do I do with the mortar mix to make sure they stick!

Thanks

John






  #7   Report Post  
Keith
 
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Is the fire in a basket or do the flames actually come in direct contact
with the brick work .
sw wrote in message
...
Do you reckon 4:1 sand:cement mix is ok for the brickwork at
the back of a wood-burning fireplace?





  #8   Report Post  
Michael McNeil
 
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"Keith" wrote in message ...
Don't use plasterziser, its crap. Use 4 to 1 sand/cement with Unibond in
the
water, use the same water and paint both coping and receiving bed of
brickwork prior to spreading mortar.
Sand and Lime were use for century in the building trade. When cement
mortars came used, it was found that this type of mortar was heavy and
didn't
spread very well. So they introduced plasterzier in to the water. This
plasterziser put bubbles in the mortar when mixed. When the bricks are
pressed down the bubbles collapse making it easier to level the material
being laid. The problem arises when the weather starts to ware away the
mortar, its full of dried empty bubbles.
In a recent article in one of the construction mags, There are proposals of
going back to Lime mortar for brickwork. One of the theories behind the
use of Lime mortar is that in the case of any movement in brickwork the
joint gives, in cement mortar the bricks give and snap.


He's just messing with a patch of garden wall. The problem you
highlighted is due to the use of washing up liquid which won't tamp
down. You only use a few ccs -about a large spoonfull of Feb per
bucket of water. Bricklaying mix should be strong enough to suit the
brick and a little softer than the brick -which is controlled by the
ratio of cement to sand.

If you look at the mortar used in old buildings you will see that face
work is very close together. It meant that each brick needed to be
measured for the bonds to work. Modern courses are 1/2" apart allowing
plenty of scope to pull the joints together. Horses for courses. You
couldn't use lime mortar on 1/2" beds could you?

Not the same problems as stone though.
  #9   Report Post  
Michael McNeil
 
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The Natural Philosopher wrote in message ...
sw wrote:

Do you reckon 4:1 sand:cement mix is ok for the brickwork at
the back of a wood-burning fireplace?





Nothing works here execpt an iron fireback. Even bricks erode quite fast.


Wood doesn't burn very hot. You have to wait for the cement to cure
over a few day and I believe you start with a very small fire at first
to temper it. Not sure though.
  #10   Report Post  
The Natural Philosopher
 
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Michael McNeil wrote:

The Natural Philosopher wrote in message ...

sw wrote:


Do you reckon 4:1 sand:cement mix is ok for the brickwork at
the back of a wood-burning fireplace?





Nothing works here execpt an iron fireback. Even bricks erode quite fast.


Wood doesn't burn very hot.




********. Come and see what it has done to my fireplace. The grates are
distortedt (cast irion) and the brickes behind have lost most of the
surface tio a depth of about 1/4" frim the massive heat input. Its not
wuite white hot, but I have had the fire heart well up to yellow hot.

Possibly you meant that teh flue gases aren't quite as hot as coal,
which is true. Coal can easily get hot enough to melt steel, but with
wood its takes a fair draught and a bit of doing.

In the end, tho, you are burnimg carbon.


You have to wait for the cement to cure
over a few day and I believe you start with a very small fire at first
to temper it. Not sure though.



The cement actually seems to be standing up better than the bricks...







  #11   Report Post  
Keith
 
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He's not laying bricks. Concrete copings and concrete do not absorb water.
Therefore Feb crap want do any good what so ever. On the other hand Unibond
will give a better adhesive.

Michael McNeil wrote in message
om...
"Keith" wrote in message

...
Don't use plasterziser, its crap. Use 4 to 1 sand/cement with Unibond

in
the
water, use the same water and paint both coping and receiving bed of
brickwork prior to spreading mortar.
Sand and Lime were use for century in the building trade. When cement
mortars came used, it was found that this type of mortar was heavy and
didn't
spread very well. So they introduced plasterzier in to the water. This
plasterziser put bubbles in the mortar when mixed. When the bricks are
pressed down the bubbles collapse making it easier to level the material
being laid. The problem arises when the weather starts to ware away the
mortar, its full of dried empty bubbles.
In a recent article in one of the construction mags, There are proposals

of
going back to Lime mortar for brickwork. One of the theories behind

the
use of Lime mortar is that in the case of any movement in brickwork the
joint gives, in cement mortar the bricks give and snap.


He's just messing with a patch of garden wall. The problem you
highlighted is due to the use of washing up liquid which won't tamp
down. You only use a few ccs -about a large spoonfull of Feb per
bucket of water. Bricklaying mix should be strong enough to suit the
brick and a little softer than the brick -which is controlled by the
ratio of cement to sand.

If you look at the mortar used in old buildings you will see that face
work is very close together. It meant that each brick needed to be
measured for the bonds to work. Modern courses are 1/2" apart allowing
plenty of scope to pull the joints together. Horses for courses. You
couldn't use lime mortar on 1/2" beds could you?

Not the same problems as stone though.



  #12   Report Post  
BigWallop
 
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"Keith" wrote in message
...
He's not laying bricks. Concrete copings and concrete do not absorb water.
Therefore Feb crap want do any good what so ever. On the other hand

Unibond
will give a better adhesive.


Forget all that Feb Bond and Uni-Bond stuff and use plain and simple thick
paste, fine sand, lots of cement and stick the bugger in place. They didn't
use all that fancy crap a hundred years ago and the buildings are still up
solid today. By Christ, if a house today gets long enough for a mortgage
then it's classed as luxury apartments.


  #13   Report Post  
Keith
 
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Well said and I fully agree

BigWallop wrote in message
...

"Keith" wrote in message
...
He's not laying bricks. Concrete copings and concrete do not absorb

water.
Therefore Feb crap want do any good what so ever. On the other hand

Unibond
will give a better adhesive.


Forget all that Feb Bond and Uni-Bond stuff and use plain and simple thick
paste, fine sand, lots of cement and stick the bugger in place. They

didn't
use all that fancy crap a hundred years ago and the buildings are still up
solid today. By Christ, if a house today gets long enough for a mortgage
then it's classed as luxury apartments.




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