Hello,
I’m currently working on finishing the exterior of a house with a natural ledgerstone wainscoat, building up from grade to approx. 48″ with some 8′ columns). As the temps are dropping (mid 40’s in day, mid 20’s at night) I have noticed a white etching on the grout and edges of the stone. Accordingly, I have been covering the fresh mortar with concrete curing blankets to help keep the stone/joints warm.
Are ther any tricks to consider for cold weather masonry?
Are there any additives to include in the cement to reduce the etching?
Any input would be appreciated. I’ve got a good bit of rock to complete and the temps are only getting cooler.
Thanks, Jeremy
Replies
The Portland Cement Association has a whole series of pamplets on various technical subjects. I'd guess the answer to your question can be found in one of them:
http://www.cement.org/bookstore/index.asp
http://www.cement.org/bookstore/results_category.asp?store=main&featured=true&id=7
Keep the materails above freezing qas much as possible BEFORE using them. If you use warm water but have sand, portland, and stone all at 20° you won't get a bond.
Here's how my masons do it. A torpedo heater is aimed over the day's supply of briuck or stone as soon as they get on the job each day.
I make a space where they can stack the bags of portland in a heated zone.
The sand stays warm from the day it is delivered. They put down a ground tarp, then seet a 55gal drum in the center of that, fill it with water, and pile the sand all around trhe drum. Then a rod or coil is plugged in and dreoppped into the water. Heavy tarp over alll that and one corner lifted to get water or sand when needed. Each night the days progress is covered with plastic and insulated.
In Colorado, I saw another way of keeping the sand warm. A length of conduit was laid on the ground cover tarp, then the delivery of sand was dumped righ on top of it and a tarp overall. The heat would be either a small electric inside the pipe around the clock, or a torpedo heater blazing away on a more ocasional basis. temps would get well below zero so this would be modified accordingly and usually a tent with heat built around whatever wall was going up, not only to protect the masonry, but also the masons.
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