Thank you so much for your videos. You explain everything really well without jargon and without over complicating things. We’re at the beginning of embarking on a barn conversion project in Somerset and as we only have a modest budget, we’ll be doing as much of the work ourselves as we can. We are keen DIYers and have completed an extension on a previous property but the barn is another level. Your videos have inspired us to at least try to have a go ourselves using your tips and patience for each stage. I’ll try an area at the bottom of the back wall on the small barn first and see how it goes and learn from things before working on more visible sections. Thanks again.
Having watched a selection of your other videos I was disappointed to see the use of cement mortar (not certain what mix) over lime mortar for the reasons you previously outlined - ie it is too brittle and also traps moisture. I realise there were budgetary constraints but that does not make it good practice!
@@dportercontracting9974 great to see your techniques ,I’ve just bought a farmhouse in North Yorkshire and am itching to get started in repointing it in lime mortar NH 3.5 . If I started hacking out the joints know would it be detrimental to the property? I have experience with using lime but would appreciate any tips,
@@robertwood4051 Ideally, the wall would be raked out and then left for a couple of months to fully dry out before mortar is out back on the wall. If you have the summer ahead of you then give it a try.
Sadly, here in the US using lime is a bit of a lost art but being in the UK, I was surprised to see you going over lime with cement. Like here in the States, cost has a lot to do with chosen methods. I have watched several of your masonry videos and appreciate the science about how lime sets and the weather considerations that affect it. I have a question which I have not seen any articles or videos about. Because lime mortar allows moisture to pass through it, wouldn't applying a sealer or painting a lime mortared wall be very detrimental to the brick and eventually the integrity of the wall?
Hi Michael. This customer had a rental property so wanted the project cost bringing down as low as possible. I would have much rather lime pointed the wall too. A slaked lime wash with added tallow is the only "paint" I would use on an external wall. It's what has been used for hundreds of years over here to add a waterproofing to walls. There are some modern breathable heritage paints on the market but I haven't personally used any of them so can't comment on the effectiveness of them.
Great instruction m8, shame client couldnt afford lime pointing , cement over lime isnt gr8 , Im currently doin a job with similar client although im pointing a lime mix over portland , its a bit better but not ideal.
Sadly, as with so many other stone buildings the cement will soon be causing the faces of those stones to frass and decay, and the wall to be damp and cold. It should have been repointed in lime, like the mortar it is built out of.
@@dportercontracting9974 got to educate clients about lime, cement is a false economy in this instance. The British Standard now demands lime for such walls, and Building Control should enforce this, they do in some places but unfortunately they are often quite ignorant on this matter too.
How long would it take typically for a gable end that size to break out and repoint? I have an old sandstone property needing done and had thought about trying it myself. Was going to get some practice first on the perimeter wall which is natural stone too
Depends entirely on how many men are on the job and their work rate in the tools.. Have a go at your repoint. You have all spring and summer to complete it.
You say you don't use chemical plasticisers. Have you use ever used hydrated lime powder as a plasticiser (1:1:6 or 1:2:9 mixes), and if so what are your thoughts?
@@dportercontracting9974 - In the days before chemical plasticisers the old school brickies used to use it as an additive in cement mortar to improve workability & durability. Being a DIYer I've only ever used cement mortar on small repairs, but I have a garage to repoint & the original mortar is not just cement & sand (where not eroded, it's formed a hard calcified outer skin over a slightly softer base).
@@molnargabor8689 I would be tempted to look at using a lime mortar mix using NHL 5 and a 2-3 parts sharp sand in repairing and pointing up the foundation course.
Hi Shaun, NHL5 would be a site better than cement which has a compressive strength of around 42nm. It is less breathable than an NHL3.5 but will be more impervious to inclement driven weather. If it is breathability in a damp structure you are after, while keeping out the weather, then a 3.5 with good quality, washed, grit sand/aggregate mix won't go far wrong.
If cement mortar is applied to a sandstone building you should be aware that there will almost certainly be further problems in the future in the form of erosion of the sandstone surface and cement mortar falling off the face of the building. You sound like you know your stuff. Why use cement?
When I see this kind of work is easier to understand why so many properties are in the state that they are , wouldn't touch this "professional" with a barge pole 🤦🤦🤦 "Client says is a rented property and it's cheaper with cement then lime , not in a few years it won't 🤦🤦and you as a trader should know better... You pay peanuts, you get m.....
@@dportercontracting9974 If it's a traditionally constructed building with solid walls, the negative effect will be the same as for historic structures. It's a false economy for the owner, bearing in mind the damage to the stone and future damp problems. Wind driven rain always finds its way in through the hairline cracks that form in cement pointing (due to its inflexibility and brittleness), causing problems to the interior - as I know to my cost.
@@richardwilson9035 the fact that he still says "This is not a historic building" is beyond me 🤦🤦 unfortunately cowboys like this are everywhere now a days, and more and more decent professionals are needed to resolve this people's errors down the line ....
Thank you so much for your videos. You explain everything really well without jargon and without over complicating things. We’re at the beginning of embarking on a barn conversion project in Somerset and as we only have a modest budget, we’ll be doing as much of the work ourselves as we can. We are keen DIYers and have completed an extension on a previous property but the barn is another level. Your videos have inspired us to at least try to have a go ourselves using your tips and patience for each stage. I’ll try an area at the bottom of the back wall on the small barn first and see how it goes and learn from things before working on more visible sections. Thanks again.
Lovely to see someone so proficient and that obviously enjoys, and takes pride in the job - it looks amazing
Good teacher. Keep up the videos 👍🏻
Having watched a selection of your other videos I was disappointed to see the use of cement mortar (not certain what mix) over lime mortar for the reasons you previously outlined - ie it is too brittle and also traps moisture. I realise there were budgetary constraints but that does not make it good practice!
Why aren’t you using lime?
I was wondering the same.
I’m a big fan of your videos, keep up the great work !!
This property is rented out so the landlord opted for cement. The labour costs are less for cementitious repointing, than with lime.
@@dportercontracting9974 great to see your techniques ,I’ve just bought a farmhouse in North Yorkshire and am itching to get started in repointing it in lime mortar NH 3.5 . If I started hacking out the joints know would it be detrimental to the property? I have experience with using lime but would appreciate any tips,
@@robertwood4051 Ideally, the wall would be raked out and then left for a couple of months to fully dry out before mortar is out back on the wall. If you have the summer ahead of you then give it a try.
@@dportercontracting9974 I’ll get started thanks for the advice
Sadly, here in the US using lime is a bit of a lost art but being in the UK, I was surprised to see you going over lime with cement. Like here in the States, cost has a lot to do with chosen methods. I have watched several of your masonry videos and appreciate the science about how lime sets and the weather considerations that affect it. I have a question which I have not seen any articles or videos about. Because lime mortar allows moisture to pass through it, wouldn't applying a sealer or painting a lime mortared wall be very detrimental to the brick and eventually the integrity of the wall?
Hi Michael. This customer had a rental property so wanted the project cost bringing down as low as possible. I would have much rather lime pointed the wall too.
A slaked lime wash with added tallow is the only "paint" I would use on an external wall. It's what has been used for hundreds of years over here to add a waterproofing to walls. There are some modern breathable heritage paints on the market but I haven't personally used any of them so can't comment on the effectiveness of them.
Great instruction m8, shame client couldnt afford lime pointing , cement over lime isnt gr8 ,
Im currently doin a job with similar client although im pointing a lime mix over portland , its a bit better but not ideal.
Sadly, as with so many other stone buildings the cement will soon be causing the faces of those stones to frass and decay, and the wall to be damp and cold. It should have been repointed in lime, like the mortar it is built out of.
Completely agree R but the client requests cement so I pointed with cement. Hense the added perp vents for ventilation.
@@dportercontracting9974 got to educate clients about lime, cement is a false economy in this instance. The British Standard now demands lime for such walls, and Building Control should enforce this, they do in some places but unfortunately they are often quite ignorant on this matter too.
How long would it take typically for a gable end that size to break out and repoint? I have an old sandstone property needing done and had thought about trying it myself. Was going to get some practice first on the perimeter wall which is natural stone too
Depends entirely on how many men are on the job and their work rate in the tools..
Have a go at your repoint. You have all spring and summer to complete it.
You say you don't use chemical plasticisers. Have you use ever used hydrated lime powder as a plasticiser (1:1:6 or 1:2:9 mixes), and if so what are your thoughts?
I haven't used lime as a plasticiser. Is it effective?
@@dportercontracting9974 - In the days before chemical plasticisers the old school brickies used to use it as an additive in cement mortar to improve workability & durability. Being a DIYer I've only ever used cement mortar on small repairs, but I have a garage to repoint & the original mortar is not just cement & sand (where not eroded, it's formed a hard calcified outer skin over a slightly softer base).
Hi! Please tell me what should be used to pointing one stone foundation of the house?
Depends what you want the foundation to look like my friend. Is the work going to be covered with soil or is the foundation exposed?
@@dportercontracting9974it will be under soil, it's about one old house with walls made of stones joined together with clay (some yellow soil).
@@molnargabor8689 I would be tempted to look at using a lime mortar mix using NHL 5 and a 2-3 parts sharp sand in repairing and pointing up the foundation course.
Advice I’m doing a gable in north east Scotland . Granite gable iv been told nhl 5 is fine is that the case ?
Hi Shaun, NHL5 would be a site better than cement which has a compressive strength of around 42nm. It is less breathable than an NHL3.5 but will be more impervious to inclement driven weather.
If it is breathability in a damp structure you are after, while keeping out the weather, then a 3.5 with good quality, washed, grit sand/aggregate mix won't go far wrong.
If cement mortar is applied to a sandstone building you should be aware that there will almost certainly be further problems in the future in the form of erosion of the sandstone surface and cement mortar falling off the face of the building.
You sound like you know your stuff. Why use cement?
Please see comments below..
@@dportercontracting9974 yeah continued watching more videos and read the comments. Apologies. Keep up the awesome work!
When I see this kind of work is easier to understand why so many properties are in the state that they are , wouldn't touch this "professional" with a barge pole 🤦🤦🤦
"Client says is a rented property and it's cheaper with cement then lime , not in a few years it won't 🤦🤦and you as a trader should know better...
You pay peanuts, you get m.....
Thanks for your opinion, Paul.
@Stuart Ogier This isn't a historic building Stuart but thanks for chiming in.
@@dportercontracting9974 If it's a traditionally constructed building with solid walls, the negative effect will be the same as for historic structures. It's a false economy for the owner, bearing in mind the damage to the stone and future damp problems. Wind driven rain always finds its way in through the hairline cracks that form in cement pointing (due to its inflexibility and brittleness), causing problems to the interior - as I know to my cost.
Yep as with so many other stone buildings pointed with cement the faces of those stones will soon be falling apart, and the wall damp and cold.
@@richardwilson9035 the fact that he still says "This is not a historic building" is beyond me 🤦🤦 unfortunately cowboys like this are everywhere now a days, and more and more decent professionals are needed to resolve this people's errors down the line ....