What is the knack for cementing in a single brick. When I do this all I seem
to manage to do is push all the cement into the void behind.I want to put
plastic airbricks inplace of the terracotta ones so don't want to block them
up with the cement falling behind it.

Kevin

Zen83237 wrote:
What is the knack for cementing in a single brick. When I do this all
I seem to manage to do is push all the cement into the void behind.I
want to put plastic airbricks inplace of the terracotta ones so don't
want to block them up with the cement falling behind it.

Kevin

If the gap is fairly tight then it's much easier, if the gaps are big then
it's not so easy, so if the plastic vents are smaller than the clay ones,
try to leave the existing mortar in place.

put a fairly deep bed of mortar at the bottom, leaving a much smaller gap at
the top, also, smear some mortar up the sides of the opening, but not too
much.
Then put some mortar on top and sides of the new vent and offer it up to the
hole, keeping it on top of the deep bed at the bottom, then work it
downwards into the mortar until top and bottom beds are fairly equal and
then point up as normal.
Use plasticiser in your mortar and don't have it too wet - it should be dry
enough that you can make a tight ball of it with your hands

--
Phil L
RSRL Tipster Of The Year 2008

On Sep 28, 2:52*pm, "Phil L" wrote:
Zen83237 wrote:
What is the knack for cementing in a single brick. When I do this all
I seem to manage to do is push all the cement into the void behind.I
want to put plastic airbricks inplace of the terracotta ones so don't
want to block them up with the cement falling behind it.

Kevin

If the gap is fairly tight then it's much easier, if the gaps are big then
it's not so easy, so if the plastic vents are smaller than the clay ones,
try to leave the existing mortar in place.

put a fairly deep bed of mortar at the bottom, leaving a much smaller gap at
the top, also, smear some mortar up the sides of the opening, but not too
much.
Then put some mortar on top and sides of the new vent and offer it up to the
hole, keeping it on top of the deep bed at the bottom, then work it
downwards into the mortar until top and bottom beds are fairly equal and
then point up as normal.
Use plasticiser in your mortar and don't have it too wet - it should be dry
enough that you can make a tight ball of it with your hands

--
Phil L
RSRL Tipster Of The Year 2008

As above but left the brick in on a trowel at the bottom,

Zen83237 wrote:
What is the knack for cementing in a single brick. When I do this all I seem

You shouldn't be using cement, you should be using mortar, one part
cement to four parts sand should suffice.

--
JGH

"jgharston" wrote in message
...
Zen83237 wrote:
What is the knack for cementing in a single brick. When I do this all I
seem

You shouldn't be using cement, you should be using mortar, one part
cement to four parts sand should suffice.

--
JGH

I was going to type mortar but then wasn't sure if it was mortor and
couldn't be bothered to reach for the dictionary so typed cement. I think a
mortor goes bang. Having now seen mortor it is obviously mortar, but I'm not
a builder so never use the word, except here.