Very nice wall indeed! It needs more elbow grease than many would expect. We really learned here that this work is not done with just pressing mortar into the crevices, thank you, I hope you are paid lavishly!
Reading through some of the comments here, I have to say that D Porter is a natural teacher/instructor. He explains clearly and demonstrates well. However, the key things are in my view (as someone who has worked in teacher education and education for the past 30 years) is that he explains why you need to do the things he is demonstrating (not just what to do), he explains at a level where non-specialists can understand (and this is not always easy) and he has this enthusiasm for his work and subject areas which is almost infectious. I hope he will continue with this great work....
I'm an electrical engineer by trade, I seriously underestimated the skill required and how time consuming pointing a wall is. You make it look so easy. I'm finding it very satisfying learning how to point from your videos and putting into action. Thank you
iv learned more in the 26 minutes the i have in a long time !! thank you for sharing so so much. blown away . that wall will last its great there are people like you keeping our country original Roofer by trade
@@chrisdavies7973 Cheers for the comment chris. I think it will say in the video how long before the finishing process starts. Usually it's 24-36 hours before the line has reached the Green hard set.👍
Great video. This is the standard that tradesmen should aspire to be! Doing things right. Explaining everything. Teaching everyone. Going to have a go myself now :)
This was perfect thank you. Ive got a very old stone house that requires pointing. Ive had a new roof and my builder was going to do it but he's an absolute spanner and simply would not listen when i told him it needed lime. It even got a bit heated so u told him id do it.
Great video's. I'm a total novice. Have struggled to get a tradesman so having to do it myself. Fantastic information and really easy to follow. Thanks again
I really appreciate the real understanding of the materials here. Such expertise very logically explained. To see that level of craft and artisanal skill raises my spirits. Bring on apprenticeships with this level of knowledge. Government be aware that these skills must be supported. Method so well explained. Thank you.
True craftsman. I can tell you love your job. True commitment to quality preservation. If I could afford to fly you guys over to the United states, I'd have you restore the walls of my old house. John C. Bielik Bethel, Missouri. USA
Nice video very useful. Im looking at having to remove a whole pile of Portland cement pointing and repoint in lime to solve a damp issue so something like this is exceptionally useful, even if the thoughts of taking half the mortar out the wall makes me think its going to just fall down on me! Top video and explanations. Very much appreciated.
You are so knowledgeable. Thank you so much for explaining in length. Watching you I’m feeling more confident to remove concrete and point my walls with lime all by myself 😂 amen to that 😂
How beady eyed of you Martin. Caught in the act! That 300 property is a beatiful one with plenty of character. It'll be interesting to see how it develops in the coming year or two.
Really really good video! I've got a good 200 year old wall to point and I've never used lime before..or repointed such an old wall..hopefully I'll be able to use some of your advice and knowledge to get the job done
Good luck with the pointing in Portugal. There's some beautiful heritage buildings out there. I'd throw the pipe gun in the bin though when it arrives. They are alright for tight joints with a runny cement mix but you need a much stiffer mix when using lime mortar. A wetter mix will bleed lime out of the mortar and cause cracking to form in the mortar.
Probably the best lime pointing video on TH-cam. Nice one guys. Only thing I would question is the filling stones, in my experience not necessary on such small joints. Putty or NHl ?
Cheers for the props pal! Some of the joints on this wall were over an inch wide, especially where the perps meet the horizontals. The wall gets blasted with sun all day too so we thought it best to put the packers in to allow for the flex without cracking of the mortar. We used NHL 5 in this mix as it is an exposed site. The clays in the NHL will aid water repellency in the mortar, over using a putty.
@@dportercontracting9974 You won't get any issues with cracking with the NHLs, irrespective of size of the joints. As long as you are using a well graded medium/course sand. Personally I would say a 3.5 is more than strong enough at 1:2.5 mix for everything other than chimney. NHL 5 is proven to be really very strong and actually not so breathable, more like weak cement. Putty is the way forward !!!
@@tomgargrave6032 totally agree with you there pal so long as it’s course sand me personally in my experience iv always used limestone packers where needed but I also agree with another comment on this video in my opinion it’s actually a really decent video explains himself well enough can’t fault the lad but you learn new things in this game all the time Keep up the good work mukka
Great degree of detail! I hate to think how difficult it was to remove the old render & mortar without damaging the soft stone. And the use of weep vents in that way is v.unusual. Are they the standard ones used to drain cavity trays, or more like the porous tube idea but with holes in the sides to let the moisture enter?
Thanks for the comment @Benzknees. The laborious task of removing the render and mortar without winding up the neighbours is quite a mission! The weep vents are specific tubes for such a job. I guess you could use the standard prep vent ones but you would have to ensure that driving rain couldn't track up and through them upon installation 👍
Excellent video thank you. It’s great to see a true craftsmen doing it properly. I’m repointing my house at the moment and it’s seeming to take forever but it’s reassuring to see from your videos that it’s the right ways to do it. How much typically would you charge per square meter for a job like what you’re doing here? Cheers, Tom
"cementitious" - it's actually a word, I've just Googled it. This is so in depth with his explanations it's like watching my videos I do for Uni explaining my assessment processess for treating patients. Good stuff bro! 👌
@@Dan_TheMedic Cheers for the props Dan! The humble tradesman is often tagged with being "thick in the ear" as we say up north. A bit of wordsmithery can explain a notion better than flapping around with work site lingo. Glad you liked the video!
Hello mate, enjoyed the video thank you. Would you recommend using an plasticiser when laying a brick? Got some hand made brick to lay 👍🏼 Thanks mate Matty
Cheers Matty! I would stay away from using any plasticiser in a lime mortar mix. It's simply a case of using more water in the mix to make it more malleable. Using a lime putty in your mortar, rather than a NHL will make a creamier mix that is more suitable for a constructional mortar. I've another video on how to mix lime putty that will explain all for you.
Very educational. Only bit I don’t get is why does it only carbonate to about 25mm. What happens when a wall is built from scratch. Does that mean that the mortar doesn’t carbonate the full depth of the bed?
Good question. When constructional lime mortar is used, it is usually of a lime putty constituent. Like putty is more breathable than an NHL lime due to the absence of argillaceous clays. You would normally aim to reduce the depth of your beds to less than 25mm. If you take down or work on a well built random stone structure then you will observe the use of packers in between the joints whereas in a cementitious mortar, the joints are just gobbed up.
That explains all the little stones in my mortar, and also why the inner mortar is so crumbly. The house is built in late 30s with old school lime mortar so probably the brick and visible joint were finished separately.
Help! Repointing a vaulted cellar, lots of rotten bricks, cracks, moisture, movement..and cement render which is painful to remove. . but very old house. The old mortar has large aggregate, so I'm just wondering if you would add those little stones to the brick pointing on an internal wall/ceiling. Looks like you only did it to a stone wall, is it practice to do the same to brick? Old, damaged brick? From what I understood, you said it was for the mix to cure on an external wall, but maybe a damp cellar needs that help too. Glad I found you friend, thanks for sharing your knowledge. I laboured one year for bricklayers but have to put my hand up and say I'm glad to learn from your vid, just how lost I am. Really beautiful, quality job you and your mate have done. Such hard work and a great attitude that goes with it. The customer must be stoked.
Hello there! Thanks for the props! With regards to your vaulted ceiling pointing, i would be tempted to go for a lime putty mortar mix. The breathability of the finished mortar would be far more suitable than using a hydraulic lime. I can only presume that the dampness is caused by the cement based mortar/render locking moisture into the structure. Any damaged brickwork (by that, I mean the bricks that have been structurally compromised) can be patch replaced. This enhances the structural integrity of the project. Any joints that are wider than an inch can be packed out with stone chippings. You may find these wider joints where the face of the brickwork has been spelched off. Hope these little titbits of info help out?
@@dportercontracting9974 Awesome to see your detailed replies! Would be curious to see a basement video (maybe you have one! I'll subscribe and look around)
@@dportercontracting9974 Thanks a million. I'm Australian, have no experience with lime, stone, and ancient odd shaped curves and bricks. I laboured with blocks, steel and concrete back home, which gave me dangerous confidence. This house, is the oldest in a Slovene town. I'm in between jobs at the moment and thought I'd start on that cellar as we had a few weeks of wet weather predicted. The facade of the house was taken off because of damp problems so there is work to do on drainage. I have the cream of making a terrace once these are sorted. This is a place full of handymen, really capable people, and I admire that mindset and dilligence. However, as hard as things are for money, I think my ego got in the way of respect for this art, thinking I could do it all. Pointing new block walls is no comparison. Thanks for the advice, my understanding is lime putty is the most gentle option. We found a craftsman with a family business who will come for advice. I had been advised not to use mechanical tools on the stone and brickwork which I have followed. Worn out scrapers and shoulders, but expanded vocab: omet, obok, razpoke. Watching your clip I was reminded that it is not my trade and I don't know where those lines are. Thanks again, I was in danger of the poor man paying twice if you are familiar with that expression. Let me know if you're ever on your way to Greece and need somewhere to rest. Respect. Scott
Cheers @swiggy03. Glad you got some use from the video. I tend to buy second hand towels off eBay that already have some use in them by previous tradesmen. I always go for wooden handled trowels as plastic handles will tend to give you blisters with sustained use.. Keep an eye out for Tyzek or Marshalltown trowels. They are solid trowels that don't tend to flex.
You would be best mixing your own NHL 5 mix for a structure such as a chimney that is getting an onslaught from whatever angle it is blowing from. You'll have to contact a supplier such as Limestuff to make you a ready mix up.
Hi I love the connection you have with your work man. I’m a truck driver not my calling really. I’m thinking if making the switch to limestone repointing if I can make it happen sometime. Where do you pick up your churn brush from I’m doing a bit on our house the one I got is falling to bit’s. Cheers man loads
Crack the whip and throw him a bread and dripping sandwich every now and then and he is happy.. The churn brush can be found on eBay, Amazon or most heritage building material stores. I use limestuff.co.uk You can also get longer handled churn brushes which are less toil on the arms when tamping back a larger section of pointing. I use a natural bristle brush for the final polish as it shines the aggregate better than a nylon brush. The nylon brush lasts way longer for the tamping back part of the finish.
Love these videos! Three questions for you: 1) am I right in thinking that in this job there wasn't backpointing+finish pointing, it was just one application to finish? 2) if so, is there a reason for that? 3) would you quote for a job repointing a millhouse in Fife from circa 1730?! Thank you!
Hi there. Thanks for the props! With the narrow joints on the Yorkshire point style of stonework, there is no need to backpoint as the joints are few and far between over 25mm deep. Any joints that are, can be filled with packers to allow for a proper and full hydrolysis of the cured mortar.
ah ok, that makes sense, so for most stonework it is required, i.e. larger and rounder stone. Thanks for the super quick reply also. @@dportercontracting9974
Hi king, thanks for all the super content. Is there a trick to stop mortar going green ? My joints were cleaned out well. Double size of lines. Do I need to blast the joints with weed fire blaster to kill bacteria ?
Great video…can you recommend a stone for pinnings that can be bought online? I looked up flint like you mentioned but didn’t look the same colour as what you were using Thanks for any advice in advance!
Excellent video. My house was built in 1870 and has a very soft sandstone. In 1985 I pointed it with Portland cement. Builders at the time said that was the way to go. I now realize the mistake I made. I have taken much of the cement pointing out. Some of the joints are very deep. Will NHL 3.5 be the best mortar to use? Would it be possible to send me your email so I can send you some photos?
Thanks for the props! Apparently, the reason that we now predominantly use cement mortars, is because so many of the lime craftsman went to France after the WW1 and never came back. The construction industry needed a material that anyone can use, with very little training or knowhow. Cementitious pointing, when correctly applied, should last 30-40 years. Yours has performed well to last the duration. Your house will thank you for pointing it up with lime. NHL 3.5 would be ideal for pointing. Great air permeability, whilst keeping out the weather. My email is porter2012@hotmail.com. It will be interesting to see how your renovation comes along!
Great video. Since moving into our 200 year old west wales cottage I have learnt a lot about breathable materials such as lime based products. The cottage has a roughcast/pebbledash type of external render. Is there any way of knowing whether it is breathable or not? Any tips on how to tell the difference? Love your work!
Hi Paul, thanks for the props! Any kind of pebbledash will be cementitious. If you break a section off, you will see the constituents of the mix. Render seemed to be used as a cure all for damp ingress, in properties, from the 1950s onwards. This is fine until moisture gets behind the system.. You will be lucky enough to find stonework under the render. Once the render is broken off, a sandblast will take the stone back to new. Then a lime mortar repoint will have a breathable, yet water tight property.
@@dportercontracting9974 thanks for the reply! - I hope that the stones won’t be too badly damaged behind the render. The stonework around the inglenook is thin long stones like rubble stone, yet the fireplace wall in the middle of the room is more a larger clean cut block stone. We do suffer from staining, marks and some mould appearing on the external walls in the bedroom and living room. Even little mites… so the internal plaster is probably not the breatheable type. Shame I can’t add some pics on here to show you. Anyways thanks for the help matey!
@@Simply_Ryan7409 I would wait six months before a lime wash is applied to the wall. Anything polymer based will remove the breathability of the mortar in the wall.
You sure can do S. S. No additives apart from any pozzolan should be added to a lime mortar as it will reduce its permeability capacity. Even a pozzolan will do to a certain degree. If you are building with a lime mortar then I would advise using a lime putty mortar.
@@dportercontracting9974 Thank you! I have a house with stone basement, 2 brick barns, a grainery with mud walls and an extension with mud walls to renovate - and they are all original with lime (where it is still existent).
This is brilliant. I have watch a few of your videos now. Is it a similar process for repointing brickwork? and is there any difference in the mix of the mortar? cheers
Cheers for the props Ben. The process is exactly the same for repointing brickwork. You might want to adjust your mortar constituents to suit the width of your joints if you are working with verniced brickwork. Keep the sand sharp though!
Thanks for the advice. Its a really soft victorian red brick from the last steam powered brick plant in hampshire. Someone has previously done some dodgy concrete repair work. I’m researching how to repoint the front of my house. Your video have been the most helpful by far.
@@empathyrevolution it would depend on how much weather exposure you are getting on the wall. Without looking, I would be tempted to go for a straight 2.5 grit sand to 1 part NHL 3.5. A lime putty pointing mix would also be an option if there is a substantial amount of moisture behind that cementitious mortar. You get a more permeable mortar with putty over NHL.
I just removed my potining to about 30/35mm lol hope I don't need pack the joints, You obviously know your stuff and been very useful for me, But I was thinking do you really need to pack the joints? because when the bed stone or no bricks it's gonna be a few inch bed init so what the difference? Hope your reply buddy haha, Where are you based im South Wales UK Swansea
Hi buddy. I'm glad you have found some use from the vids. Lime mortar tends to shrink more than cementitious mortar so the stone packers reduce the risk of cracks forming in your mortar. The watter will find its way in to the cavity, then. Lime mortar cures optimally at less that 25mm thickness of bed. Apart from lime bedded brick and architectural masonry, all other joints would ideally have packers in their structure.
Hi, your videos are really helping me out, thanks. I am repointing a 1920 building with London Yellow Stock Imperial bricks. Can you use the stones in a standard bag of gravel instead of the flint?
I'm more of a fan of the clay in the NHL and the aggregate, for weather resistance. Especially in these wild and soggy, Lancashire, winters. Putting the packers in the joints seems to be a meditative process too.
Great video! What happens to the places the scaffolding was attached to the house? It looks like there were bolts drilled into some of the stones-do those just stay in place, or are the removed and filled with something (mortar?) as the scaffolding is removed?
Cheers for the comment Mighty Hal! The eye bolts have stayed in the property for future use (way into the future!) The bolts are into the stone instead of the joints so they have stayed put.
hi,i have an 1880 brick built cottage,which has damp issues in the living room,and the chimney breast,the suveyor has said the chimney needs repointing,new lead flashing put on,and replace the chimney pots,as he thinks the chimney has not been vented properly.i have asked a builder to sort it out,it has cement pointing at the moment,when i asked him if they were using lime to redo the chimney stack,he said they use a 50/50 mix,is this acceptable,or will it still give the house issues? thnx bob
@@dportercontracting9974 thnx for the update,i was there today,and i noticed the front wall has had those dry rods inserted,can they be taken out,as theres still damp in the front room,i will go back to the builder,and see if they will do a total lime mortar instead.thnx bob.
@@63boblondon Hi Bob. If the repoint is done to a high standard then there will be no need for the damp treatment as a 3.5 NHL will allow the stack to breath, without hampering the water repellency. The old ways of doing work seems to be a far better practice than the modern methods.
@@dportercontracting9974 i think thats why the house has a damp problem in the first place,they have removed 1 of the chimney pots,and its not been vented properly,plus a replacment pot has been used which is the wrong 1,and they have used cement around the lead flashing which has to be replaced,my gable end wall needs completely repointing,but i dont want cement used,and i think the front of the house has cement pointing right the way across.thnx for your replies,its very welcome.bob.
Phenomenal video! I'd be curious about your proportions in the mortar mix - I tried to follow along with the dialogue but sometimes your accent gets pretty thick : )
Because cement doesn't let the building breathe Shankar. The moisture is trapped in the building because of the cement render used in part one. Destroying the building from the inside out.
I would wait until March, Sheldon. Don't risk wasting energy by lime pointing at this time of year. It will blow with the frosts, before spring arrives.
If you are careful with your application, there is no reason why the lime mortar would stain brickwork. If you do get some residual staining. A weak acid mix painted onto the affected areas of brick, would disolve the calcium carbonate. Be careful not to get any on the pointed up joint though..
Hi, please don't take this as criticism, but I was always taught to fill the perps first. Wasn't on this kind of pointing though. Any specific reason, or is it just personal preference?
Hi matey. Thanks for the comment. I guess it is down to the craftsman how he operates his trowel. I personally feel that filling the joints up from the ground to the wall plate ensures that there are no pockets of air bubbles that potentially blow the pointing once the job is complete and the weather is doing its thing as the pointing has been applied from the back of the joint to the arris on every joint upwards from the ground.
No cement at all in this mix, matey. Cement prevents the breathability aspect of the lime mortar. This wall was sodden with ingressed water so breathability was a key, required, aspect of the project.
Very nice wall indeed! It needs more elbow grease than many would expect. We really learned here that this work is not done with just pressing mortar into the crevices, thank you, I hope you are paid lavishly!
Reading through some of the comments here, I have to say that D Porter is a natural teacher/instructor. He explains clearly and demonstrates well. However, the key things are in my view (as someone who has worked in teacher education and education for the past 30 years) is that he explains why you need to do the things he is demonstrating (not just what to do), he explains at a level where non-specialists can understand (and this is not always easy) and he has this enthusiasm for his work and subject areas which is almost infectious. I hope he will continue with this great work....
Such a cherishing comment. Many thanks for your insight and syllogism.
No worries. I had to look up 'syllogism' 🙂@@dportercontracting9974
I'm an electrical engineer by trade, I seriously underestimated the skill required and how time consuming pointing a wall is. You make it look so easy. I'm finding it very satisfying learning how to point from your videos and putting into action. Thank you
You don’t hold your knowledge back. Thank you for this incredible education!
Cheers buddy! It would be a shame if it was taken to the grave with me, without sharing..
@@dportercontracting9974 The world needs more craftsmen/teachers of your caliber! I’m so glad your videos showed up on my TH-cam feed!
iv learned more in the 26 minutes the i have in a long time !! thank you for sharing so so much. blown away . that wall will last its great there are people like you keeping our country original
Roofer by trade
@@dportercontracting9974great video👍👍 how long do you leave the lime before you start the beating with a brush process?
@@chrisdavies7973 Cheers for the comment chris. I think it will say in the video how long before the finishing process starts. Usually it's 24-36 hours before the line has reached the Green hard set.👍
The most explicit video I’ve ever looked at on any subject in YT. This chap knows his job and can explain it in great detail, excellent!
Really great video, thank you so much for sharing your knowledge, so helpful.
Beautiful work and fabulous explanation 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Great video. This is the standard that tradesmen should aspire to be! Doing things right. Explaining everything. Teaching everyone.
Going to have a go myself now :)
These are the best instructive videos on lime mortar that I've found. A great help. Thanks.
This was perfect thank you. Ive got a very old stone house that requires pointing. Ive had a new roof and my builder was going to do it but he's an absolute spanner and simply would not listen when i told him it needed lime. It even got a bit heated so u told him id do it.
Got a barn to do and this video is super useful. Great communicator. Thank you.
Great video's. I'm a total novice. Have struggled to get a tradesman so having to do it myself. Fantastic information and really easy to follow. Thanks again
I really appreciate the real understanding of the materials here. Such expertise very logically explained. To see that level of craft and artisanal skill raises my spirits. Bring on apprenticeships with this level of knowledge. Government be aware that these skills must be supported. Method so well explained. Thank you.
Very nice demonstration! Nice close ups as well! Thank you!
True craftsman. I can tell you love your job. True commitment to quality preservation. If I could afford to fly you guys over to the United states, I'd have you restore the walls of my old house.
John C. Bielik
Bethel, Missouri. USA
Nice video very useful. Im looking at having to remove a whole pile of Portland cement pointing and repoint in lime to solve a damp issue so something like this is exceptionally useful, even if the thoughts of taking half the mortar out the wall makes me think its going to just fall down on me!
Top video and explanations. Very much appreciated.
Brilliant.Really interesting-the sort of job you would have to get “in the zone” I would imagine.
You Sir are a fucking knowledgeable legend! Take a bow 🙇♀️
Thank young sir
You are like the Fred dibhnah of pointing 👌
You are so knowledgeable. Thank you so much for explaining in length. Watching you I’m feeling more confident to remove concrete and point my walls with lime all by myself 😂 amen to that 😂
Nigel Copsey is knowledgeable. I recommend to read his book
Very interesting I enjoyed this ! Well done!
Spotted you in sabden , good to see that house being done in traditional lime.
How beady eyed of you Martin. Caught in the act!
That 300 property is a beatiful one with plenty of character.
It'll be interesting to see how it develops in the coming year or two.
Used to have that hand hawk, got a hod now. Think I’ll get one again for next job in Queensbury, Bradford. Great vids pal.
What a wonderful video. Very informative and interesting. Thank you for taking the time to make this video.
Very nice job, thanks for the explanations.
Really really good video! I've got a good 200 year old wall to point and I've never used lime before..or repointed such an old wall..hopefully I'll be able to use some of your advice and knowledge to get the job done
Really informative video. Very professional fella. Thanks for sharing your experience.
I’m just going to be doing this job for the 1st time in Portugal thank you for sharing this 😊 I just ordered a pipe gun to try out 🤔
Good luck with the pointing in Portugal. There's some beautiful heritage buildings out there. I'd throw the pipe gun in the bin though when it arrives. They are alright for tight joints with a runny cement mix but you need a much stiffer mix when using lime mortar. A wetter mix will bleed lime out of the mortar and cause cracking to form in the mortar.
@@dportercontracting9974 thank you for heads up
Superb video. Great job!
Absolutely brilliant video. Thank you
Thanks for the demo and tips very useful.
Job well done pal.
Great. Hopefully my small wall will look this good
I grind points onto the front of my lime trowels like the host does. It helps the mortar mix into the existing material.
I’ve got that handhawk and finger trowel it’s brill!
I enjoyed that, very much so.
Probably the best lime pointing video on TH-cam. Nice one guys. Only thing I would question is the filling stones, in my experience not necessary on such small joints. Putty or NHl ?
Cheers for the props pal!
Some of the joints on this wall were over an inch wide, especially where the perps meet the horizontals. The wall gets blasted with sun all day too so we thought it best to put the packers in to allow for the flex without cracking of the mortar.
We used NHL 5 in this mix as it is an exposed site. The clays in the NHL will aid water repellency in the mortar, over using a putty.
@@dportercontracting9974 You won't get any issues with cracking with the NHLs, irrespective of size of the joints. As long as you are using a well graded medium/course sand. Personally I would say a 3.5 is more than strong enough at 1:2.5 mix for everything other than chimney. NHL 5 is proven to be really very strong and actually not so breathable, more like weak cement. Putty is the way forward !!!
@@tomgargrave6032 totally agree with you there pal so long as it’s course sand me personally in my experience iv always used limestone packers where needed but I also agree with another comment on this video in my opinion it’s actually a really decent video explains himself well enough can’t fault the lad but you learn new things in this game all the time
Keep up the good work mukka
Well played lad ❤
Great degree of detail! I hate to think how difficult it was to remove the old render & mortar without damaging the soft stone.
And the use of weep vents in that way is v.unusual. Are they the standard ones used to drain cavity trays, or more like the porous tube idea but with holes in the sides to let the moisture enter?
Thanks for the comment @Benzknees.
The laborious task of removing the render and mortar without winding up the neighbours is quite a mission!
The weep vents are specific tubes for such a job. I guess you could use the standard prep vent ones but you would have to ensure that driving rain couldn't track up and through them upon installation 👍
Excellent video thank you. It’s great to see a true craftsmen doing it properly. I’m repointing my house at the moment and it’s seeming to take forever but it’s reassuring to see from your videos that it’s the right ways to do it. How much typically would you charge per square meter for a job like what you’re doing here? Cheers, Tom
@Mark Slack 5:2 Blaenavon aggregate to NHL 3.5
"cementitious" - it's actually a word, I've just Googled it. This is so in depth with his explanations it's like watching my videos I do for Uni explaining my assessment processess for treating patients.
Good stuff bro! 👌
@@Dan_TheMedic Cheers for the props Dan! The humble tradesman is often tagged with being "thick in the ear" as we say up north. A bit of wordsmithery can explain a notion better than flapping around with work site lingo. Glad you liked the video!
Hello mate, enjoyed the video thank you.
Would you recommend using an plasticiser when laying a brick? Got some hand made brick to lay 👍🏼
Thanks mate
Matty
Cheers Matty!
I would stay away from using any plasticiser in a lime mortar mix. It's simply a case of using more water in the mix to make it more malleable.
Using a lime putty in your mortar, rather than a NHL will make a creamier mix that is more suitable for a constructional mortar. I've another video on how to mix lime putty that will explain all for you.
I hope you have an apprentice, these skills and work ethic should be passed on.
Amazing...
Very educational. Only bit I don’t get is why does it only carbonate to about 25mm. What happens when a wall is built from scratch. Does that mean that the mortar doesn’t carbonate the full depth of the bed?
Good question. When constructional lime mortar is used, it is usually of a lime putty constituent. Like putty is more breathable than an NHL lime due to the absence of argillaceous clays. You would normally aim to reduce the depth of your beds to less than 25mm. If you take down or work on a well built random stone structure then you will observe the use of packers in between the joints whereas in a cementitious mortar, the joints are just gobbed up.
That explains all the little stones in my mortar, and also why the inner mortar is so crumbly. The house is built in late 30s with old school lime mortar so probably the brick and visible joint were finished separately.
Fascinating, thank you.
Despite being very working clarhss I found this chap to be very informative
Amazing
Help! Repointing a vaulted cellar, lots of rotten bricks, cracks, moisture, movement..and cement render which is painful to remove. . but very old house. The old mortar has large aggregate, so I'm just wondering if you would add those little stones to the brick pointing on an internal wall/ceiling. Looks like you only did it to a stone wall, is it practice to do the same to brick? Old, damaged brick? From what I understood, you said it was for the mix to cure on an external wall, but maybe a damp cellar needs that help too.
Glad I found you friend, thanks for sharing your knowledge. I laboured one year for bricklayers but have to put my hand up and say I'm glad to learn from your vid, just how lost I am.
Really beautiful, quality job you and your mate have done. Such hard work and a great attitude that goes with it. The customer must be stoked.
Hello there!
Thanks for the props! With regards to your vaulted ceiling pointing, i would be tempted to go for a lime putty mortar mix. The breathability of the finished mortar would be far more suitable than using a hydraulic lime. I can only presume that the dampness is caused by the cement based mortar/render locking moisture into the structure.
Any damaged brickwork (by that, I mean the bricks that have been structurally compromised) can be patch replaced. This enhances the structural integrity of the project. Any joints that are wider than an inch can be packed out with stone chippings. You may find these wider joints where the face of the brickwork has been spelched off.
Hope these little titbits of info help out?
@@dportercontracting9974 Awesome to see your detailed replies! Would be curious to see a basement video (maybe you have one! I'll subscribe and look around)
@@dportercontracting9974 Thanks a million. I'm Australian, have no experience with lime, stone, and ancient odd shaped curves and bricks. I laboured with blocks, steel and concrete back home, which gave me dangerous confidence. This house, is the oldest in a Slovene town. I'm in between jobs at the moment and thought I'd start on that cellar as we had a few weeks of wet weather predicted.
The facade of the house was taken off because of damp problems so there is work to do on drainage. I have the cream of making a terrace once these are sorted.
This is a place full of handymen, really capable people, and I admire that mindset and dilligence. However, as hard as things are for money, I think my ego got in the way of respect for this art, thinking I could do it all. Pointing new block walls is no comparison.
Thanks for the advice, my understanding is lime putty is the most gentle option. We found a craftsman with a family business who will come for advice. I had been advised not to use mechanical tools on the stone and brickwork which I have followed. Worn out scrapers and shoulders, but expanded vocab: omet, obok, razpoke.
Watching your clip I was reminded that it is not my trade and I don't know where those lines are. Thanks again, I was in danger of the poor man paying twice if you are familiar with that expression. Let me know if you're ever on your way to Greece and need somewhere to rest. Respect. Scott
excellent video
AMAZING!
Great vid , so informative, what make are your trowels and where from ?
Cheers @swiggy03. Glad you got some use from the video. I tend to buy second hand towels off eBay that already have some use in them by previous tradesmen. I always go for wooden handled trowels as plastic handles will tend to give you blisters with sustained use..
Keep an eye out for Tyzek or Marshalltown trowels. They are solid trowels that don't tend to flex.
Cheers mate , yes , I’ve used old WHS brick trowels for 40 yrs , doing more pointing now ,(better on my Knackered knees !, )
What’s the best ready mixed mortar for pointing a parapet wall and chimney
You would be best mixing your own NHL 5 mix for a structure such as a chimney that is getting an onslaught from whatever angle it is blowing from. You'll have to contact a supplier such as Limestuff to make you a ready mix up.
Hi I love the connection you have with your work man. I’m a truck driver not my calling really. I’m thinking if making the switch to limestone repointing if I can make it happen sometime. Where do you pick up your churn brush from I’m doing a bit on our house the one I got is falling to bit’s. Cheers man loads
Crack the whip and throw him a bread and dripping sandwich every now and then and he is happy..
The churn brush can be found on eBay, Amazon or most heritage building material stores. I use limestuff.co.uk
You can also get longer handled churn brushes which are less toil on the arms when tamping back a larger section of pointing. I use a natural bristle brush for the final polish as it shines the aggregate better than a nylon brush. The nylon brush lasts way longer for the tamping back part of the finish.
@@dportercontracting9974 you absolute beauty thanks amigo !!!
Real beautiful work, how di you mix your lime mortar?
can you do a hot lime mix with hydrated lime?
Thanks for the comment! Have a look at my other lime vids for mixing advice. I stay clear of hot likes so don't have any videos for you on that.
Love these videos! Three questions for you: 1) am I right in thinking that in this job there wasn't backpointing+finish pointing, it was just one application to finish? 2) if so, is there a reason for that? 3) would you quote for a job repointing a millhouse in Fife from circa 1730?! Thank you!
Hi there. Thanks for the props! With the narrow joints on the Yorkshire point style of stonework, there is no need to backpoint as the joints are few and far between over 25mm deep. Any joints that are, can be filled with packers to allow for a proper and full hydrolysis of the cured mortar.
Unfortunately for you, I'm booked up for the next three years so am currently not taking on any other projects.
I thought that might be the case, but wanted to check anyway, I can imagine your skills are in high demand!@@dportercontracting9974
ah ok, that makes sense, so for most stonework it is required, i.e. larger and rounder stone. Thanks for the super quick reply also.
@@dportercontracting9974
great info thanks
Hi king, thanks for all the super content. Is there a trick to stop mortar going green ? My joints were cleaned out well. Double size of lines. Do I need to blast the joints with weed fire blaster to kill bacteria ?
Nice video
Great video…can you recommend a stone for pinnings that can be bought online? I looked up flint like you mentioned but didn’t look the same colour as what you were using
Thanks for any advice in advance!
Excellent video. My house was built in 1870 and has a very soft sandstone. In 1985 I pointed it with Portland cement. Builders at the time said that was the way to go. I now realize the mistake I made. I have taken much of the cement pointing out. Some of the joints are very deep. Will NHL 3.5 be the best mortar to use? Would it be possible to send me your email so I can send you some photos?
Thanks for the props!
Apparently, the reason that we now predominantly use cement mortars, is because so many of the lime craftsman went to France after the WW1 and never came back. The construction industry needed a material that anyone can use, with very little training or knowhow.
Cementitious pointing, when correctly applied, should last 30-40 years. Yours has performed well to last the duration.
Your house will thank you for pointing it up with lime. NHL 3.5 would be ideal for pointing. Great air permeability, whilst keeping out the weather. My email is porter2012@hotmail.com. It will be interesting to see how your renovation comes along!
Very soft sandstone cries for waterglas. Did you consider that?
You are a master!!
Great video.
Since moving into our 200 year old west wales cottage I have learnt a lot about breathable materials such as lime based products.
The cottage has a roughcast/pebbledash type of external render.
Is there any way of knowing whether it is breathable or not?
Any tips on how to tell the difference?
Love your work!
Hi Paul, thanks for the props!
Any kind of pebbledash will be cementitious. If you break a section off, you will see the constituents of the mix.
Render seemed to be used as a cure all for damp ingress, in properties, from the 1950s onwards. This is fine until moisture gets behind the system..
You will be lucky enough to find stonework under the render.
Once the render is broken off, a sandblast will take the stone back to new. Then a lime mortar repoint will have a breathable, yet water tight property.
@@dportercontracting9974 thanks for the reply! - I hope that the stones won’t be too badly damaged behind the render.
The stonework around the inglenook is thin long stones like rubble stone, yet the fireplace wall in the middle of the room is more a larger clean cut block stone.
We do suffer from staining, marks and some mould appearing on the external walls in the bedroom and living room.
Even little mites… so the internal plaster is probably not the breatheable type.
Shame I can’t add some pics on here to show you.
Anyways thanks for the help matey!
Do you have a Facebook page or a website?
@@paulpearson4613I'm afraid not Paul, I'm too busy with stuff asides to market meself.
Any plans to learn Welsh or just here on the rinse out?
3:17
How soon can you paint freshly pointed bricks
@@Simply_Ryan7409 I would wait six months before a lime wash is applied to the wall. Anything polymer based will remove the breathability of the mortar in the wall.
Lime hero
Can I do that with any red brick type? Inside and outside? Should I add anything?
You sure can do S. S. No additives apart from any pozzolan should be added to a lime mortar as it will reduce its permeability capacity. Even a pozzolan will do to a certain degree. If you are building with a lime mortar then I would advise using a lime putty mortar.
@@dportercontracting9974 Thank you! I have a house with stone basement, 2 brick barns, a grainery with mud walls and an extension with mud walls to renovate - and they are all original with lime (where it is still existent).
This is brilliant. I have watch a few of your videos now. Is it a similar process for repointing brickwork? and is there any difference in the mix of the mortar? cheers
Cheers for the props Ben. The process is exactly the same for repointing brickwork. You might want to adjust your mortar constituents to suit the width of your joints if you are working with verniced brickwork. Keep the sand sharp though!
Thanks for the advice. Its a really soft victorian red brick from the last steam powered brick plant in hampshire. Someone has previously done some dodgy concrete repair work. I’m researching how to repoint the front of my house. Your video have been the most helpful by far.
What mix would you recommend? Soft red brick, west facing, light grey mortar. Will be repointing in the summer.
@@empathyrevolution it would depend on how much weather exposure you are getting on the wall. Without looking, I would be tempted to go for a straight 2.5 grit sand to 1 part NHL 3.5.
A lime putty pointing mix would also be an option if there is a substantial amount of moisture behind that cementitious mortar. You get a more permeable mortar with putty over NHL.
@@dportercontracting9974 thanks a lot for your help. 👍
I just removed my potining to about 30/35mm lol hope I don't need pack the joints,
You obviously know your stuff and been very useful for me,
But I was thinking do you really need to pack the joints? because when the bed stone or no bricks it's gonna be a few inch bed init so what the difference? Hope your reply buddy haha,
Where are you based im South Wales UK Swansea
Hi buddy. I'm glad you have found some use from the vids.
Lime mortar tends to shrink more than cementitious mortar so the stone packers reduce the risk of cracks forming in your mortar. The watter will find its way in to the cavity, then.
Lime mortar cures optimally at less that 25mm thickness of bed. Apart from lime bedded brick and architectural masonry, all other joints would ideally have packers in their structure.
@@dportercontracting9974 thanks mate
Hi, your videos are really helping me out, thanks. I am repointing a 1920 building with London Yellow Stock Imperial bricks. Can you use the stones in a standard bag of gravel instead of the flint?
Sure thing Chris, any stone that isn't porous can be used as packers.
@@dportercontracting9974 Thanks alot of getting back to me.
Is the process different when doing standard brickwork?
Exactly the same process matey. Perhaps put a little less large diameter aggregate in the brickwork mix.
Thank. I’ve done hundreds of sand and cement jobs but I recently moved into a solid wall property which need lime pointing
Good skills
Try hotlime mix won't need the small stones in it
I'm more of a fan of the clay in the NHL and the aggregate, for weather resistance. Especially in these wild and soggy, Lancashire, winters.
Putting the packers in the joints seems to be a meditative process too.
Great video! What happens to the places the scaffolding was attached to the house? It looks like there were bolts drilled into some of the stones-do those just stay in place, or are the removed and filled with something (mortar?) as the scaffolding is removed?
Cheers for the comment Mighty Hal!
The eye bolts have stayed in the property for future use (way into the future!) The bolts are into the stone instead of the joints so they have stayed put.
hi,i have an 1880 brick built cottage,which has damp issues in the living room,and the chimney breast,the suveyor has said the chimney needs repointing,new lead flashing put on,and replace the chimney pots,as he thinks the chimney has not been vented properly.i have asked a builder to sort it out,it has cement pointing at the moment,when i asked him if they were using lime to redo the chimney stack,he said they use a 50/50 mix,is this acceptable,or will it still give the house issues?
thnx bob
Hi Bob. I would steer clear of a 1:1 mix and it would likely form cracks as it cures.
@@dportercontracting9974 thnx for the update,i was there today,and i noticed the front wall has had those dry rods inserted,can they be taken out,as theres still damp in the front room,i will go back to the builder,and see if they will do a total lime mortar instead.thnx bob.
@@63boblondon Hi Bob. If the repoint is done to a high standard then there will be no need for the damp treatment as a 3.5 NHL will allow the stack to breath, without hampering the water repellency.
The old ways of doing work seems to be a far better practice than the modern methods.
@@dportercontracting9974 i think thats why the house has a damp problem in the first place,they have removed 1 of the chimney pots,and its not been vented properly,plus a replacment pot has been used which is the wrong 1,and they have used cement around the lead flashing which has to be replaced,my gable end wall needs completely repointing,but i dont want cement used,and i think the front of the house has cement pointing right the way across.thnx for your replies,its very welcome.bob.
Phenomenal video! I'd be curious about your proportions in the mortar mix - I tried to follow along with the dialogue but sometimes your accent gets pretty thick : )
Srry that you're getting spammed on this comment.
Hi, I have another video, explaining the mixing and ratios of aggregate to lime binder. Hope it helps?
It doesn’t look as if it goes white. When I use hot lime it just looks white and you hardly see the aggregate at all.
What if you don't want a white finish and would rather see the aggregate?
Y u all not using cement ?
Because cement doesn't let the building breathe Shankar. The moisture is trapped in the building because of the cement render used in part one. Destroying the building from the inside out.
Is it safe to Repoint brink wall with lime in January were temperature is 5-7° in Wiltshire ?
I would wait until March, Sheldon. Don't risk wasting energy by lime pointing at this time of year. It will blow with the frosts, before spring arrives.
@@dportercontracting9974 that was a quick response. Thanks for that. Ya will wait till march as you recommend.
@@sheldondesouza99 we have a job at the moment that has been put on hold till March. Such is life.
Now is the time to hibernate..
whats the mix on nhl5?gota 1930s hard slate house to do with black lime.
Have a look at the "Mixing Lime Mortar" video on the channel. Its content should cover many of your queries.
Where did you get your hod from?
Why are they called horizontal and perps not verts? I hear this all over the shop but never understand actually WHY
Perp joints are perpendicular to the horizontal joints matey..
@dportercontracting9974 yea I get that but they're also vertical in comparison so makes me wonder why it's not verts lol
Would that mix stain red brick 👍
If you are careful with your application, there is no reason why the lime mortar would stain brickwork. If you do get some residual staining. A weak acid mix painted onto the affected areas of brick, would disolve the calcium carbonate. Be careful not to get any on the pointed up joint though..
@@dportercontracting9974 Thank You!
Hi, please don't take this as criticism, but I was always taught to fill the perps first. Wasn't on this kind of pointing though. Any specific reason, or is it just personal preference?
Hi matey. Thanks for the comment. I guess it is down to the craftsman how he operates his trowel. I personally feel that filling the joints up from the ground to the wall plate ensures that there are no pockets of air bubbles that potentially blow the pointing once the job is complete and the weather is doing its thing as the pointing has been applied from the back of the joint to the arris on every joint upwards from the ground.
@dportercontracting9974 Makes sense. Cheers for the feedback bud. Got a lot out of that video that I never knew before. Best of luck👍👍
educational video worth to watch as im an Restoration Contractor in Singapore can we avail materials from your side please message me thanks
What hell is going on with the cat in hat - hat? What are keeping in there- your lunch?
No lunch, just a sleeping, friendly, cat.
U use hotlime or what nhl stregth u used here?
Like my old boss used to say. Extra 10p per meter and you could of rendered it
Is it just hydrated lime mate or is there any Portland in it at all?
No cement at all in this mix, matey. Cement prevents the breathability aspect of the lime mortar. This wall was sodden with ingressed water so breathability was a key, required, aspect of the project.
Ty
How do you price a job like this? Do you charge per m2? Just curious because that’s how a stonemason has quoted for work on my house?
With experience, you can charge a square meter price for the application, then allow for a day rate to break out and rake the joints out.
Don't use a plastic brush ,use a bristle brush on it
Thanks for your valued opinion my friend..😂
I found it on ebay 😂😂😂
Hi
Where about s are you ?
Hi Iftikhar, I live not far from Burnley, Lancashire.
I’m not too far away from you Blackburn do you do Damproofing?
@@iftikharali2541 No, I specialise in traditional building works.
Hi Dan
Thanks however can you recommend someone for me any help would be appreciated.
@@iftikharali2541 If you have a look online for a chap called Mark Salmon from Colne, he will be able to help you out.
Are you kidding me
Yep