I just want to point out that at 26:00, the brick were destroyed but the mortar remained. That brick only lasted 50 years? And frankly it's all destroyed. Whereas, the early 1900's buildings with lime mortar are 120+ years old, and need repointed and some brick replaced. A water table would have helped tremendously on those early buildings.. (Lime mortar is a great mortar, I what I'm getting at. But straight Portland for ground contact is a must, or at least Type S. I'm a mason like Mr. Madduck, but he's got about 30 more years experience..lol. I live in western PA, he lives in Eastern PA. Same weather. I do lots of small repair work, same as him, after 20 years in mostly new construction. Stoops and chimneys are the absolute worst with a lot of the modern-ish "cheap" brick. I've had to repair so many. Many times the old timers used incredibly hard mortar, which magnified the problem. Plus...Portland is a hydraulic cement. It forces the water to go through the brick instead of through the mortar, then freezing and expansion destroys the brick, instead of the much easier to repair mortar.. Lime mortar also repairs itself and re-calcifies..
So if you have a concrete foundation with spalding, would you clean and cover that concrete with Portland (if it’s too hard and causes substrate to crac) or just type S? Would you cover with a dry lock or a waterproof mortar?
I Residing in a 500-year-old house in England, United Kingdom, built with lime mortar, stands as a testament to its durability. The decision to use lime mortar or cement mortar hinges on various factors such as the age of the building and specific project needs. Lime mortar is preferable for historical structures due to its breathability, which allows walls to expel moisture and maintain flexibility, whereas cement mortar, being denser, can trap dampness, leading to a colder ambiance. In terms of setting time, cement mortar hardens more rapidly, making it suitable for projects on tight schedules. Lime mortar's flexibility is beneficial for old buildings, allowing them to withstand slight movements without masonry damage. It also offers greater durability, with the ability to self-heal over time by absorbing carbon dioxide, unlike cement mortar, which may cause harm to softer bricks and stones through expansion and contraction. From an environmental perspective, lime mortar is more sustainable, with a lower carbon footprint compared to cement mortar, which requires landfilling post-demolition. Additionally, lime mortar is user-friendly, reducing the likelihood of application cracks, and it effectively draws out wall moisture, preventing salt deposits and spalling, a problem more commonly associated with cement mortar.
Washington monument reference was off the charts , remember when it was scaffold off during those ongoing repairs to completion, information so invaluable from a skilled tradesman , 👍✌️💪🖖🙏 always a pleasure receiving specific knowledge on a home projects to be a success on repair or building...🤔👌☯️
You condensed what could take someone years of self teaching and seeking to figure out and made a wonderful 30 minute lesson out of it Mike, thanks for the video!
His experience and knowledge is spot on saves me a lot of time true skilled craftsman sharing the lessons learned through hands on experience first hand saving a guy costly mistakes down the road from block work to pads...🤔👍✌️💪🖖
Mike…. Master Carpenter, General Contractor here of 40 years . Brilliant video. What an honor it is to be schooled by you . How enlightening it is to be educated by a master. Thank you so much …. I can’t wait to see what you will teach us next …we are all grateful for your proficiency/mastery Cheers Garrett Minneapolis
I'm a landscaping contractor near San Francisco and concrete/masonry can get intimidating for me. I love how you explain the history and all the little details that I always wondered about, but were hard to find. It's hard to find great mentors let alone one who wants to teach a young guy. Thanks all the great content and helping me make stronger and better things for my clients!
This finally has helped me to understand why my old school German brick house has a large layer of stone below the brick. Looks 'busy', but I see the purpose now thank you.
The most important thing for wall longevity (stone or brick)is that the roof of your house hangs over at least two metres away from the exterior walls around the entire house so that the rain and sun never hit the exterior walls at all. I have seen 150 year old stone houses that have no mortar falling out and the stone work remains in place and I am talking about mortar made of lime and clay earth mixed with small stones. The lime stops mildew and mold but the clay/lime mortar though not the strongest works perfectly well since the walls do not get hit by rain and the humidity in the walls does not fluctuate much.
Water is the universal solvent. It's what mother nature uses to reclaim just about everything. It rots wood, destroys foundations, turns brick to powder, destroys windows and doors, breaks big rock into little rocks, turns solid steel into red flakes, and on and on. If you build, a large roof overhang will allow your building to last almost indefinitely as long and you maintain the roof. Your paint won't peel, and your masonry will remain pristine. 2 meters is a BIG overhang!
I can't picture the type of architecture that would have a 6.5 foot overhang from the roof? We have house from 1890 and the overhang is much longer than a modern house but still only about 2-3 ft depending on the part of the house.
Thanks Mike I have a late 1800's house on the New England coast, brick over dry stacked stone, lots of brick spall and mortar MIA... Your explanation of the situation was insightful and much appreciated.
Thanks nice video! You should also point out that there is a difference between "normal" lime and NHL 2 / 3,5 / 5 (and also HL 2 / 3,5 / 5). The NHL 3,5 which the used at the castle, is pretty much as strong as a 50:50 portland-lime mix.
Ahh, I thought only NHL 5 came close to Portland's hardness. I trust Mike's experience. I'm however interested in line still. Basically one of lime's issues was that the old timers had little means of having uniform materials that science could check before Portland took over. There may be a place for lime in freeze/thaw heavy places. But it's most likely a niche not yet found. Mike's making me wonder a little though, I haven't seen anyone in their right mind advise lime for ground work inside or outside the lime mason community. Maybe lime is just for temperate to hot climates, I'm by no means an expert. All it's attributes are known to have frost highest on it's problem list. Lime most definitely needs a good "hat and boots". And any place in PA would have you worried about it's"set". If it's not hotter than hell it suddenly dips into freezing on a spring day, either way it's humid.
Indeed, I am surprised that no word has been bread about NHL 3,5 or 5. NHL 5 would have been better substitution for cement as its more breathable than latter. Here in Europe, when it comes restoring old buildings we still use lime without mixing with Cement, although I have seen failed brickworks pointed with cement instead of lime and it was sad to see old soft bricks spalling and falling asunder. Many of the brickies tend to use cement on old buildings without even knowing that they should not. Has NHL been tested in Pennsylvania Mike? This nevertheless is still very informative video, many thanks for that?
Hi, they don't sell it here, most of buildings are under 100 years old not like Europe, it's either mortar or Portland, if I was to buy it I would have to send away for it, thanks Mike
Mike is so helpful. Thank you. Using "Masonwork" to understand the different mortar contents is great. I will no longer have to scratch my head when looking at the different bags of mortar at the blue or orange stores.
Mike, you got a new subscribers! I landed on your channel by luck, and I'm happy I did. Thanks for sharing your knowledge. I enjoyed this video. It felt like i was in one of my civil engineering classes!
Great video Mike, I’m restoring a medieval tower in the UK, NHL5 all the way and stitching the old stones together and packing out with slate where needed to aid interlocking.
Hi, Mike! I am incredibly impressed with this video tutorial! For MANY years, I have been lost with the whole Type-* thing, more or less... Until now! I also like how you take the time to explain why the different batches are important. Especially to their specific locality, if you will. I have Subscribed, Liked, and will now watch the other videos on your channel!
Great video! I’ve watched most of your stone and mortar videos and I’ve seen the comments questioning your use of 3 sand 1 cement mortar mix. I can see why you did this video to explain to all those people why you use that mix where you are for new work. The “MaSoN wOrK” reminder for the mortar types is great too.
One of the traits of the lime is that if it gets wet it swells enough to close the tiny cracks in the mortar so that it will not absorb water. Lime mortar does not stick to the brick or the stone and that is where the water gets in at. The lime over time gives up and all you really have left is the sand. to day there is hydrated lime and you can get unhydrated lime. The mixing of the portland and the lime works well but I agree that the mortar should not be as strong as the product you are building with be it any kind of brick or stone. If the mortar is to strong the bricks will crack instead of the mortar allowing movement. All brick and mortar walls leak to some extent. In today's construction flashings are used to allow that moisture to get out of the wall with flashing and weep vents. In today's construction type S is used on most structural block walls because of the amount of rebar and grout used to fill the voids in the blocks. A typical Wal Mart store in my area will be built with 12" concrete block with vertical rebar every 24"s and horizontal rebar every 4' in height all of that grouted solid with grout made from 3/8 or less pea gravel, sand and portland cement. This stuff is extremely strong. there is also wire reinforcing like in this video everyl 16" in height. The amount of sand in the mix helps in making the mortar stronger but it also affects the workability of the mortar. To much sand and the mortar will not stick to the mason's trowel, to little and the mix gets to sticky and the mason can not get it off his trowel. The portland is what gives the mortar strength. Type N or 50 50 will still make mortar so hard that you can not drive a line pin into it when it is a month old. There is much to say about these subjects and like Mike geography and experience will teach a lot. I am in the St.Louis Missouri area and know full well what freeze and thaw can do. The architecture in St. Louis has a very large amount of turn of the century homes and buildings made from bricks. PBS television has a great documentary on the history of brick in St. Louis. Some of those old bricks sell for more than new ones.
Critical comment here about hardness. Here in New England we have many buildings still sitting on lime mortared stone foundations. Contractors will routinely repoint the stone work with S or N based cement mortars and within a few years the stones crack due to their lower hardness. Houses which had stood for 200 years are regularly compromised in this way.
@@evancourtney7746 Exactly. There is a lot of benefits of Lime mortar missed. A lot of downsides of Portland omitted. Mike does great work and is informative, but there is a lot overlooked in the benefits of Lime mortar. Specifically, breathability, salt damage, and healing. In addition, the hardness of Portland forces moisture through the brick which is why you get the crumbling brick. The brick damage you see on the lower sections of buildings along the street are from salt. The brick damage is caused by salt crystals forced into the more permeable material i.e. the brick, when Portland is used.
Mike I was also born in the early fifties and have been a mason for over 50 years in the western new york area. Everything you have said through the years has been correct. Thanks for everything and God bless.
Mike - bravo - what a great video. By the way you have a very grounded way of presenting information combined with a wry humor all wrapped up in a calm and encouraging demeanor. Many thanks. I am a landlord with a bunch of old houses built from the 1880's on and your information helps me greatly.
I was always wondering about where lime mortar started and the difference to cement mortar . Great history lesson you are teaching us all. Interesting how the block got holes over time. We figure something out and greed turns a great working product into something useless
I specifically work with lime but it’s a different weather pattern, most cases the mortar is sacrificial so requires work every ten years,good video again Mike
Living between several different regions of France, it's always fascinating to see how the rocks used for housing changes. Nearby we have towns made from rock formed/transformed from a huge meteorite impact millions of years ago, further east it's volcanic rock, to the north its limestone etc. My house and barn is granite rock, which is the local geology, it's about 200 years old. At some point I need to repoint parts of the barn - it's still holding up very well, but aesthetically it doesn't match the house which must have been repointed within the recent decades. All the old houses here are done with a lime mix, and it is what I will be using. The video was very well put together - it's improved my understanding a lot. Thank you.
Thanks so much your video explains ALL my experiences roofing around .masonry work for tge past 25 years. Spot on. My experiences led me to a default of type s. Thanks so much northeast Ohio Cleveland area lots stone brick and slate.
Thanks, Mike for another good one! One of your best. Keep up the good work. PS I remember my dad, putting lime in the mixing trough and adding lots of water. It had to sit like that bubbling for quite awhile before you could do anything with it. I think it was called slaking? I don't know what he did with it when it was done, ( I was something like 4 years old, now I am 80 ). I remember he said don't touch it or go near it that it would eat your flesh and bones. Also said the racketeers would dispose of bodies that way??? Funny what you remember, hahhaha.
I was taught the trade by two old timers who taught me the methods for "Brown and White Coat" interior plastering. "Slaking the lime" was done (in a 55 gallon barrel) to create a putty that when it was ready, you would make a ring of it on a board- about 2' around, and then put water in the center and add Plaster of Paris. You mixed it all thoroughly and got it to the mason who went like crazy to get it on the wall or ceiling before it hardened. The white coat was less that 1/4 thick, so it was very important that the 2 brown coats underneath it were put on accurately. The first brown coat was called the "scratch" coat. The 2nd brown coat was applied and finished with a wooden "float". Then came the white coat- It was troweled smooth and a brush made from Chinese boar bristles was used to wet the plaster ahead of the trowel. There were some neat tools we used- one was called a "darby"... and the wood that was used around doors and windows were called "grounds". It was used to determine the outcome of the finished product so the trim could be applied... The original part of my house (1928) is plaster over wood lath and it's beautiful yet- even though it's almost 100 years old...
@@MikeHaduckWatching all of your videos, trying to figure out a Western Pennsylvania late 1800 to 1900 farm outbuildings mortars, most of the mortar is still strong and intact but areas needs repointed. Its a light to medium brown sand looking mortar with little polished rounded mixed conglomerate tiny and small stones. Whoever mortared this long ago, we wish we could replicate their mix to stand another 90 or 100 years? Any ideas? The old chimney at house is definately lime mortar. It's as you show in this video. Some needs repointed too. The old limestone stone foundation of house use to be white washed, trying to find a recipe to rewhite wash as not sure to use slaked lime, mixed with water and turpentine or hydraulic lime, mixed with water and turpentine and how thick or thin to make it. Any help appreciated. First and last question most important. Going to rewatch your chimney top repair videos as to which mortar to use for top of chimney. Guess use same for inside middle mortar too. ty for all your videos.
Thank you! This finally helped cleared up some things about what to use and where. There are so many variables when it comes to using concrete & mortar. It really DOES take an expert to know what to use in with what materials in what situation!! Thanks for sharing your mason expertise with the rest of us!!
I've been watching a lot of your videos and want to clarify something. I have a stone foundation in NJ built in 1903 (no idea what type of stone) where the mortar is turning to dust in my basement. I started in some small spots on the outside where the plaster over the stone was breaking off. I chipped off anything loose, pulled out any old mortar, wet it, used a portland paint to bond and used 2 parts sand, 1/2 part portland and 1/2 past s mortar. the small spots I did came out surprisingly good. is this the right mixture to use on any type of stone foundation that has old lime mortar. thanks to your videos I had the confidence to give this a shot and now think I can do it. just want get scared when I hear things like "you shouldn't use mortar that is too hard for the stone". why didn't they use a mixture like this in the castle you visited?
Hi John, I did that video called " lime or Portland " what should I use? Mike haduck , that answers a lot of questions, but I almost always use the mix you described, if any other I show it in my videos, thanks Mike
I agree 100 percent. Philadelphia union Bricklayer here. Been at it since 1972 and still doing side jobs. Love the trade and always learning knew things.Keep putting one on top of 2. Like the Scripture at end video. My favorite
Excellent post Mike! Really helpful. Your channel has very quickly become my most helpful of late. I just completed the rebuild of my son's brick chimney and it looks awesome. It is all because of the information you've passed onto people through this channel. Contactors wanted $7500.00 to do this job. My son and I completed it for $1100.00. Two of the guys who bid on the job came by today and commented on the quality of the completed job. They both asked who did the work. When I told them, they didn't believe a machinist and a retired 1st responder could have done it. My son's neighbors confirmed that 2 D.I.Y.ers did in fact do it. It took us a lot longer than a Mason would have but we did it and it was all because of the things I learned watching your channel. Thank you so very much for sharing your skills and experience. 👋🇨🇦👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
This was really well explained Mike, I got a lot out of it. Picking up things video by video is tough to put together in your head but this tied everything together for me.
These videos will be a treasure in 100 years Mike You should go see some old desert stone buildings, I've restored some 150 year old ones with a very soft cement/lime mix out here in the west but I'd love to see some truly ancient desert structures in climates with no humidity. Didn't really know anything about masonry when I traveled through Iraq 15 years ago or I'd have some input lol.
Hi Milo, I spent a year in the middle east, 73 Israel War, I seen a lot, those buildings hold up except for sandstorme and earthquakes , lol thanks mike
Hi Mike...thanks...from NYC I am about to build a paver walkway...I just regret that after years of following, I still don't see a paver video from u...thanks for the knowledge thumps up every time
I'm going to say I agree with you that PA weather destroys everything. There are situations where you just have to use limestone mortar though. There are different strengths of lime mortar that have been developed over the years that are still softer then Portland but can still breath and not harm older brick. Low to the ground for example where you you might get a lot of splashing from a hardscaped ground surface and mortar washing out you would use a harder NHL 5 Lime morter mix as apposed a softer NHL 3.5 mix. I would like to make a rebuttal video and share it with you on my experiences in our area if that's OK with you? Things are very much different in the south. I will keep it friendly.
I'm not a Mason.I live near the Biltmore Mansion in N.C. I was looking up repairing mortar on my house. I watched the whole video and learned a lot am very artistic and appreciate the hard work and artwork you mason's do, you should have a Tv show I would watch every Saturday. God bless
Thank you so much for this video. All the old house experts, blogs, etc. make it out like Portland is the devil and if you repoint your house with Type S, the bricks will fall apart. Thanks for setting the record straight. I have been worried about my circa 1840 house in Kittanning because at some point it was repointed with a hard Portland based mortar. I asked a number of these experts what I should do and they said I needed to rake all the Portland out and repoint with lime or my house would be screwed. I knew I wasn't going to actually do that, as the masonry is in pretty good shape. All of the masons locally told me they don't use lime and most of them recommended Type S. These guys seemed to know what they were talking about, so I knew something didn't add up. Your video needs to be seen by more people. I think the main enemy of old brick is water and probably nothing else.
@@WildlandsRescue yes, I've read the restoration info stuff. With older/softer brick they still don't recommend a lime only mixture. They say something like a N or O (like the interview with the guy at the cathedral). With hard stone (igneous) or modern bricks that have been fired to higher temps you can use a stiffer mortar. I got in to researching this because my basement walls are a soft stone (built about 1900), it was parged at some point in the past and now that is spalling and is growing efflorescence so I know and I'm going to have to have it dealt with. Before I hire professionals to do something I like to know a bit about it first so I know what kinds of questions to ask to see if the people know what they are talking about and aren't just generalists). The curse of living in old houses in expensive parts of the country and not having excess money.
Thanks Mike ! First because you care ! Second , because you take pride in your work...and you make an effort to learn as much as you can so you can do the best job that you can ! Third, you generously share with us , your knowledge that comes from valuable experience...experience that most of us could never get!
Hi Mike, I've been a subscriber for a few years and really enjoy your informative videos and sense of humor. NE PA has been like a second home lately as my son attends Marywood U. in Scranton, beautiful area. I want to repoint the interior of my late 1800's brick foundation walls as the lime mortar is crumbling and falling out in a number of places but the bricks are mostly intact. Based on your videos I was thinking I'd use type N mortar mix, do you agree? I'm a diy'er in the Hudson Valley in NY. Thank You.
Great video and it covers so much, but I disagree with saying that lime mortar doesn't last.(in PA) You're pointing to buildings that are over 100-120 years old, some 140+, and they are still there. Lime calcifies and becomes harder over time. It can also repair itself, as a crack can get wet and re-calcify. Lime mortar is still used all over the world, and does need..maintained, but do does a Portland based mortar over time.
Hi I agree, but I am the guy who has to go re patch it all the time so I use what last and what works in my area, lime is OK till it gets wet and dosent have the strength, and in my time in Europe I watch them constantly repointing, thanks mike
@@MikeHaduck but if you are dealing with old air dried brick and you use mortar that is to hard that brick is going to disintegrate. Congrats you took a building that was standing for hundreds of years and made it so it will be destroyed in 50 years or so.
Hi Mike! Thanks for this video! I've been researching on this topic for a while. My house is built with reclaimed Chicago Brick, and I've had 2 chimney's rebuilt with Chicago common. It's been 3 years and a couple of the bricks have started to spall. They had pointed it with St. Mary's N-type mortar. I looked some stuff up and found some places saying that chicago brick should be pointed with lime because it's a soft breathable brick and any portland makes the mortar too hard for the water to espcape the brick and it cracks. What's your experience with that? what should be used with it? I live in SE MI. The climate is pretty comparable to PA. I should mention, I recently redid my basement window sills with a 1:3 portland/sand mix, and I was worried that it may cause cracking with the bricks it's attached to since I didn't use N or S type mortar cement. Thanks for your help!
Hi ,Mike, the problem is usually the soft brick, I recommend to a customer to cover the whole top with metal and a large overhang, sense then he has had no problems, thanks mike
@@MikeHaduck thanks for the feedback! Luckily most of my brick is doing fine being covered. They’re are some that are spalling on the side of the chimney above the roof facing north, where the sun doesn’t dry it out enough. I’m thinking about spraying a waterproofer on it to help prevent water getting in and causing the bricks to spall.
@@MikeBotrosDIYHomeGarden Not a mason, however if brick has been laid and its a soft brick then a matt or low-sheen waterproofer sure seems like the best/only option.
@@boots7859 I agree! Chimney’s/brickwork should have waterproofing every 3-5 years to keep the moisture out. Only waterproof your chimney if it hasn’t been wet in a week, don’t want to lock in moisture.
@@akaredcrossbow Make sure you use the correct waterproofer as well. A penetrating sealer that allows the brick to breathe is required. Anything that top coat seals it will trap in moisture and destroy it.
Greetings from Uganda. I am not a professional builder but I am gathering as much knowledge about construction as I can and your tutorial has given me clues what to do with laiterite stone which I have in plenty around my intended construction site.
Another great video Mike! I’m tuck pointing spots on a 3 brick thick house built in 1863. Do you ever add lime to your pre mixed mortars, as you’ve shown adding Portland? I bought a type N pre mixed mortar and read it’s approximately 20% by weight of Portland, 7.5% by weight of lime, and 7.5% by weight pulverized limestone, the remainder is sand, silica, quartz.
Thanks I'm 65 bin a carpenter all my life.Im going to do some stone work on the land I purchased you have answered my questions thanks. Never to old to learn if your teachable
Dude !! Speaking man to man,... I could hug you. (Not like a Bud Light hug.) That was a great video I've always wanted to know more about. Thank you for taking the time to show samples, breaking things down and talking straight talk. I salute you and look forward to any additional videos you create.
Thank 🍺 Mike I’ve enjoyed watching your videos for some years now . Your guidance has helped me turn my detearary block patio , into a prize winning backyard. Fish 🐠 pond. Stonewalls your a great teacher. My best regards. Charles
Super educational, very easy to understand, very informative, Good pictures to understand what you are talking about, and you talked in a Good phase. I learned alot!
Good video. I live in a stone church made of limestone and fieldstone that was built in 1878 and have been living in it for 30 years. 20 years ago I built stone columns along the front of the church and did some repair work on the church and I used a 6:1:1 motar mix. It has held up very well over the last 20 years and I was going to do some more repair work on the church and I wanted to confirm my motar recipe. Thanks for confirming my choice.
Hey Mike ln Ireland I come from a long line of stonemason and bricklayers my years 1960 to 2018 when we worked at Church stonework the mix 6sharpsand 1 cement 1 lime wall ties 5mm stainless steel keep doing the videos thank you
Thank you, for this informative video, after some research I decided that I am going to use type N to repoint interior wall that is from fieldstone, I dont know if you have it in US, but we have it in Czech republic, it is stone that is harder than sandstome but softer than granite.
I built a garden walll years ago where after I built 1'4" wall we put a tar vapor barrier inside it the walls inside where the dirt was going to be thrown in for the greenery to grow I left a couple openings in the bottom for water to drain. I used type s Specmix mortar and it has been standing wonderfully for 15 years. Your right I use type s mortar for walls up and down. But I have a old building with super thin mortar joints where I failed rebuilding it. I will rebuild it using bank sand, a fine sand for those super thin joints and probably type n mortar, maybe throw a little more Portland in there Thanks for making this video.
We love your channel and have learned a lot. We are using "hot lime" mortar to rebuild our 1891 stone and brick mansion. The original lime mortar is still in great shape anywhere the water wasn't allowed to keep the mortar moist. The Mooreland House is in Kentucky though so it probably works better.
This is all so interesting, so informative, and so educational. I really appreciate this video. Thank you. I "Liked" and subscribed just because of this one video. Thank you. Will be waching more of your content. Great job.
As a seven year apprenticed Canadian Steeplejack, trained by the scottish and english Steeplejacks, I'd like to confirm that the information in this video is the most accurate I have come across. Thanks Mike , Good video. I had twenty eight years in the industry until I retired from it.
Keep teaching Mike. back in the 50's when I was growing up, I lived in the innercity of Philadelphia Pa.. Many of the row homes where built cheaply. Many of the houses where built with standard solid bricks.and a lot of the row homes have lasted for over one hundred years because of it. Now it seems as if time is catching up to a lot of the lower income row homes and they are falling apart just like your dad said they would. Many inner cities are loosing people because of poorly constructed buildings. I watch houses in the middle of blocks cave in first and then other houses on the same block starts to cave in as well. All cities need people like you to be able to advise them of which houses are going to cave in next. Becoming a property inspector as a national contractor would save a lot of lives and a lot of cities money. Thanks for explaining about stone bricks and mortar and cement now I know exactly which material I need to use for certain jobs that I am doing.
Hi mike your information on metal rebar and tie wire in brick work or concrete rotting away is so true you only have to look at the condo complex in miami it's shocking it would be interesting to hear your thoughts on that cheers
Hi Darren, I did a video called florida building techniques which was residential, but unless I was familiar with those kind of condos I can't comment, thanks, Mike
Good stuff. My dad only used type n, he loved the workability. As you can imagine, not all type n mortar is created equally, he was partial to saylors velvet. Having mixed mortar for my entire childhood and well into my 20s, I began to understand what he was talking about. In the end, to each his own. God bless.
A very informative, useful and well produced video, Thanks Mike! I’m working on my Indian sandstone patio on the south coast of England, UK and your videos have given me the understanding and confidence to know that what I am doing should last.
Just an amazing video, easy to understand from an expert! Will I remember it all? Probably not, but I know enough not to use lime cement without Portland!
Yes your videos are very helpful and fill me in on so many details that I really appreciate it , Also I experiment with the new colorants that are the special cement oxides that come in all colors , it's very creative to use the fill breathe of modern colors available, but soamy of your technical details will helpe in future projects....I know I can use the medium in very artistic and functional ways .....on another project that I'm associated with my boss is trying to save a historic brick building here in the southwest , New Mexico ... The problem is both receding mortar in the joints weak mortar and spading bricks. Many bricks are totally deteriorated leaving holes that need to be filled in. I was thinking that the Reddy mix mortars that harden fast would be helpful . One idea is to fill the gaps with cement and use saltillo tile cut to the brick size and stuffed into the space in line with the wall , the colors are similar but the Saltillo tile does not have the carved out spaces to grab the cement. One way is to make the color mix with colors...... We still have so many bricks that
Are in shambles but still holding together that I'm wondering if some sort of resin could penetrate the bricks and harden them up also be used as a sealer for the building, the final problem is these not to high fired bricks are very hollow
Hi Chris, I would do a bunch of samples and see what works and then ask the old experienced masons in your area what would be the best motars or cements that last, every area of the country is different, thanks Mike
I have a reclaimed brick house, that needs a bunch of mortar replaced/tuck pointed (I love your tutorials). Mike, should I just get mortar type S, or type S PLUS add some more portland, more sand? I want it to be as permanent as possible. Thanks.
Hi Summerday, there is lots of controversy on what to use, my rule of thumb is the mortar should be softer than the brick, some guys use strait lime especially in Europe, I think n is good for brickwork, I would do a little experimenting where it won't be seen and ask some of the locals, thanks Mike
![HOW TO MIX LIME MORTAR [Bricklaying for beginners e.p 6]](/img/n.gif)
Started watching thinking "no way am I going to sit through 30minutes". I was wrong and you have so much good info in this video. Thanks.
Thanks 65, Mike
I just want to point out that at 26:00, the brick were destroyed but the mortar remained. That brick only lasted 50 years? And frankly it's all destroyed.
Whereas, the early 1900's buildings with lime mortar are 120+ years old, and need repointed and some brick replaced.
A water table would have helped tremendously on those early buildings..
(Lime mortar is a great mortar, I what I'm getting at. But straight Portland for ground contact is a must, or at least Type S.
I'm a mason like Mr. Madduck, but he's got about 30 more years experience..lol. I live in western PA, he lives in Eastern PA. Same weather.
I do lots of small repair work, same as him, after 20 years in mostly new construction.
Stoops and chimneys are the absolute worst with a lot of the modern-ish "cheap" brick.
I've had to repair so many.
Many times the old timers used incredibly hard mortar, which magnified the problem.
Plus...Portland is a hydraulic cement. It forces the water to go through the brick instead of through the mortar, then freezing and expansion destroys the brick, instead of the much easier to repair mortar..
Lime mortar also repairs itself and re-calcifies..
Thanks, good to hear from the pros, mike
How far from Westmoreland County?
So if you have a concrete foundation with spalding, would you clean and cover that concrete with Portland (if it’s too hard and causes substrate to crac) or just type S? Would you cover with a dry lock or a waterproof mortar?
I Residing in a 500-year-old house in England, United Kingdom, built with lime mortar, stands as a testament to its durability. The decision to use lime mortar or cement mortar hinges on various factors such as the age of the building and specific project needs. Lime mortar is preferable for historical structures due to its breathability, which allows walls to expel moisture and maintain flexibility, whereas cement mortar, being denser, can trap dampness, leading to a colder ambiance. In terms of setting time, cement mortar hardens more rapidly, making it suitable for projects on tight schedules. Lime mortar's flexibility is beneficial for old buildings, allowing them to withstand slight movements without masonry damage. It also offers greater durability, with the ability to self-heal over time by absorbing carbon dioxide, unlike cement mortar, which may cause harm to softer bricks and stones through expansion and contraction. From an environmental perspective, lime mortar is more sustainable, with a lower carbon footprint compared to cement mortar, which requires landfilling post-demolition. Additionally, lime mortar is user-friendly, reducing the likelihood of application cracks, and it effectively draws out wall moisture, preventing salt deposits and spalling, a problem more commonly associated with cement mortar.
I Do - 3 Sand / 4 Lime / 1 1.5 Portland . . .
One of the most educational videos on masonry work ever
Thanks Juli, Mike
Washington monument reference was off the charts , remember when it was scaffold off during those ongoing repairs to completion, information so invaluable from a skilled tradesman , 👍✌️💪🖖🙏 always a pleasure receiving specific knowledge on a home projects to be a success on repair or building...🤔👌☯️
Mike…outstanding education, sir…30 minutes well spent, without a wasted breath. 🤔☕️🎩🎩🎩
Thanks John, Mike
I really enjoy this information.
You condensed what could take someone years of self teaching and seeking to figure out and made a wonderful 30 minute lesson out of it Mike, thanks for the video!
Thanks Jamie, Mike
I agree, mike is tremendous
Thanks Mike for your great videos
His experience and knowledge is spot on saves me a lot of time true skilled craftsman sharing the lessons learned through hands on experience first hand saving a guy costly mistakes down the road from block work to pads...🤔👍✌️💪🖖
Brilliant. What else can you say? This is beyond thorough. Thank you Mike.
Mike….
Master Carpenter, General Contractor here of 40 years .
Brilliant video. What an honor it is to be schooled by you . How enlightening it is to be educated by a master. Thank you so much …. I can’t wait to see what you will teach us next …we are all grateful for your proficiency/mastery
Cheers
Garrett
Minneapolis
Thanks Garrett, I appreciate the kind words, Mike
I'm a landscaping contractor near San Francisco and concrete/masonry can get intimidating for me. I love how you explain the history and all the little details that I always wondered about, but were hard to find. It's hard to find great mentors let alone one who wants to teach a young guy. Thanks all the great content and helping me make stronger and better things for my clients!
Thanks Sam, I appreciate the kind words, Mike
@@MikeHaduck you are so very helpful. Thank you so much. For Mr. Your videos have been the best thing to come from youtube
I grew up in Stroudsburg Pennsylvania love watching your shows
Thanks donald,, Mike
This finally has helped me to understand why my old school German brick house has a large layer of stone below the brick. Looks 'busy', but I see the purpose now thank you.
Thanks Laguna,, Mike
The most important thing for wall longevity (stone or brick)is that the roof of your house hangs over at least two metres away from the exterior walls around the entire house so that the rain and sun never hit the exterior walls at all. I have seen 150 year old stone houses that have no mortar falling out and the stone work remains in place and I am talking about mortar made of lime and clay earth mixed with small stones. The lime stops mildew and mold but the clay/lime mortar though not the strongest works perfectly well since the walls do not get hit by rain and the humidity in the walls does not fluctuate much.
Thanks ,I agree, Mjke
Water is the universal solvent. It's what mother nature uses to reclaim just about everything. It rots wood, destroys foundations, turns brick to powder, destroys windows and doors, breaks big rock into little rocks, turns solid steel into red flakes, and on and on. If you build, a large roof overhang will allow your building to last almost indefinitely as long and you maintain the roof. Your paint won't peel, and your masonry will remain pristine. 2 meters is a BIG overhang!
Doest it erode just because of the water or the C02 and air entrained in the water over recarbonises it into an imbrittled state?
@@ryanbeard1119 Does it matter? Can you control what's in the rain? If so, let me know ASAP!
I can't picture the type of architecture that would have a 6.5 foot overhang from the roof? We have house from 1890 and the overhang is much longer than a modern house but still only about 2-3 ft depending on the part of the house.
Thanks Mike I have a late 1800's house on the New England coast, brick over dry stacked stone, lots of brick spall and mortar MIA... Your explanation of the situation was insightful and much appreciated.
Thanks, Mike
Thanks nice video! You should also point out that there is a difference between "normal" lime and NHL 2 / 3,5 / 5 (and also HL 2 / 3,5 / 5).
The NHL 3,5 which the used at the castle, is pretty much as strong as a 50:50 portland-lime mix.
Thanks, Mike
Ahh, I thought only NHL 5 came close to Portland's hardness.
I trust Mike's experience.
I'm however interested in line still. Basically one of lime's issues was that the old timers had little means of having uniform materials that science could check before Portland took over.
There may be a place for lime in freeze/thaw heavy places. But it's most likely a niche not yet found.
Mike's making me wonder a little though, I haven't seen anyone in their right mind advise lime for ground work inside or outside the lime mason community.
Maybe lime is just for temperate to hot climates, I'm by no means an expert.
All it's attributes are known to have frost highest on it's problem list.
Lime most definitely needs a good "hat and boots". And any place in PA would have you worried about it's"set". If it's not hotter than hell it suddenly dips into freezing on a spring day, either way it's humid.
Indeed, I am surprised that no word has been bread about NHL 3,5 or 5. NHL 5 would have been better substitution for cement as its more breathable than latter. Here in Europe, when it comes restoring old buildings we still use lime without mixing with Cement, although I have seen failed brickworks pointed with cement instead of lime and it was sad to see old soft bricks spalling and falling asunder. Many of the brickies tend to use cement on old buildings without even knowing that they should not. Has NHL been tested in Pennsylvania Mike? This nevertheless is still very informative video, many thanks for that?
Hi, they don't sell it here, most of buildings are under 100 years old not like Europe, it's either mortar or Portland, if I was to buy it I would have to send away for it, thanks Mike
@@MikeHaduck in Austria .. NHL 3,5 - 25kg -> ~25€, Portland 25kg -> 3€ ... and you need more NHL than portland for the same job.
Mike is so helpful. Thank you. Using "Masonwork" to understand the different mortar contents is great. I will no longer have to scratch my head when looking at the different bags of mortar at the blue or orange stores.
Thanks Nicholas, Mike
your videos are absolutely priceless. one of my favorite qualities about your channel is you consistently review the art of masonry ... thanks Mike!
Thanks Thor, Mike
Thanks for all the deep knowledge of masonry, Mike! Another incredible and insightful video. Much appreciated 👍🏼
Thanks Nicholas, Mike
Hey, Mike! I started building a pretty crappy 2' high rock foundation. Thanks to your videos, its a bit less crappy!
Thanks Anna, that's a good thing, Mike
Mine as well.
Mike, this channel is a true treasure 😊 Amazing to see you using examples from around the world.
Greeting from Denmark
Thanks, nice to hear from Denmark, Mike
Mike, you got a new subscribers! I landed on your channel by luck, and I'm happy I did. Thanks for sharing your knowledge. I enjoyed this video. It felt like i was in one of my civil engineering classes!
Thanks Wally, Mike
Great video Mike, I’m restoring a medieval tower in the UK, NHL5 all the way and stitching the old stones together and packing out with slate where needed to aid interlocking.
Thanks , it's good to hear that, Mike
Thanks Mike for taking the time to explain.
Thanks Eric, Mike
Love the videos, Mike. Keep them coming!
Thanks Geno, Mike
Hi, Mike! I am incredibly impressed with this video tutorial! For MANY years, I have been lost with the whole Type-* thing, more or less... Until now! I also like how you take the time to explain why the different batches are important. Especially to their specific locality, if you will. I have Subscribed, Liked, and will now watch the other videos on your channel!
Thanks Joe, I appreciate it, Mike
You sir, are a library of knowledge. Master of your craft.
Thanks Rafael, Mike
Love these technical videos, and this has snippets from lots of old ones, nice.
Thanks Spen, Mike
this combination of new and old videos really works!! the flow is really nice
Thanks, Mike
Great useful video... Thanks so much. I'm repairing an old house in Spain and want to preserve the stone work and needed info on morters... Excelente!
Thanks James, there is still lots of controversy on the subject, Mike
Great video! I’ve watched most of your stone and mortar videos and I’ve seen the comments questioning your use of 3 sand 1 cement mortar mix. I can see why you did this video to explain to all those people why you use that mix where you are for new work. The “MaSoN wOrK” reminder for the mortar types is great too.
Thanks ,Mike
Amazing job explaining lime vs portland!
Thanks sam,, Mike
One of the traits of the lime is that if it gets wet it swells enough to close the tiny cracks in the mortar so that it will not absorb water. Lime mortar does not stick to the brick or the stone and that is where the water gets in at. The lime over time gives up and all you really have left is the sand. to day there is hydrated lime and you can get unhydrated lime. The mixing of the portland and the lime works well but I agree that the mortar should not be as strong as the product you are building with be it any kind of brick or stone. If the mortar is to strong the bricks will crack instead of the mortar allowing movement. All brick and mortar walls leak to some extent. In today's construction flashings are used to allow that moisture to get out of the wall with flashing and weep vents. In today's construction type S is used on most structural block walls because of the amount of rebar and grout used to fill the voids in the blocks. A typical Wal Mart store in my area will be built with 12" concrete block with vertical rebar every 24"s and horizontal rebar every 4' in height all of that grouted solid with grout made from 3/8 or less pea gravel, sand and portland cement. This stuff is extremely strong. there is also wire reinforcing like in this video everyl 16" in height. The amount of sand in the mix helps in making the mortar stronger but it also affects the workability of the mortar. To much sand and the mortar will not stick to the mason's trowel, to little and the mix gets to sticky and the mason can not get it off his trowel. The portland is what gives the mortar strength. Type N or 50 50 will still make mortar so hard that you can not drive a line pin into it when it is a month old. There is much to say about these subjects and like Mike geography and experience will teach a lot. I am in the St.Louis Missouri area and know full well what freeze and thaw can do. The architecture in St. Louis has a very large amount of turn of the century homes and buildings made from bricks. PBS television has a great documentary on the history of brick in St. Louis. Some of those old bricks sell for more than new ones.
Hi Bricky, it's always good to hear a professionals opinion, thanks for the comment, Mike
Critical comment here about hardness. Here in New England we have many buildings still sitting on lime mortared stone foundations. Contractors will routinely repoint the stone work with S or N based cement mortars and within a few years the stones crack due to their lower hardness. Houses which had stood for 200 years are regularly compromised in this way.
@@evancourtney7746 Exactly. There is a lot of benefits of Lime mortar missed. A lot of downsides of Portland omitted. Mike does great work and is informative, but there is a lot overlooked in the benefits of Lime mortar. Specifically, breathability, salt damage, and healing. In addition, the hardness of Portland forces moisture through the brick which is why you get the crumbling brick. The brick damage you see on the lower sections of buildings along the street are from salt. The brick damage is caused by salt crystals forced into the more permeable material i.e. the brick, when Portland is used.
Mike I was also born in the early fifties and have been a mason for over 50 years in the western new york area. Everything you have said through the years has been correct. Thanks for everything and God bless.
Thanks Leo, I appreciate hearing that from a professional, God bless, Mike
Mike, you make this topic so interesting and there is always much we can learn.
Thanks Juliet, Mike
Mike - bravo - what a great video. By the way you have a very grounded way of presenting information combined with a wry humor all wrapped up in a calm and encouraging demeanor. Many thanks. I am a landlord with a bunch of old houses built from the 1880's on and your information helps me greatly.
Thanks Andrew, I appreciate that, Mike
Thank you Mike, for another high class video, i appreciate your efforts, Len
Thanks Len, Mike
Thanks and appreciated! Now I'm well informed and more confident for my future cementing DYI projects
Thanks M, Mike
I was always wondering about where lime mortar started and the difference to cement mortar . Great history lesson you are teaching us all. Interesting how the block got holes over time. We figure something out and greed turns a great working product into something useless
Thanks Richard , Mike
I specifically work with lime but it’s a different weather pattern, most cases the mortar is sacrificial so requires work every ten years,good video again Mike
Thanks Matt, Mike
Great videos Mike! Better than any TV program ever made.
You keep up the great work, and I’ll keep watching!
Thanks, I appreciate it, Mike
You are a national treasure!! You contain centuries of knowledge on this stuff and I am here to absorb it thank you so much!!!
Thanks, I appreciate the kind words, Mike
Living between several different regions of France, it's always fascinating to see how the rocks used for housing changes. Nearby we have towns made from rock formed/transformed from a huge meteorite impact millions of years ago, further east it's volcanic rock, to the north its limestone etc. My house and barn is granite rock, which is the local geology, it's about 200 years old. At some point I need to repoint parts of the barn - it's still holding up very well, but aesthetically it doesn't match the house which must have been repointed within the recent decades. All the old houses here are done with a lime mix, and it is what I will be using. The video was very well put together - it's improved my understanding a lot. Thank you.
Thanks Gavin, sounds interesting, Mike
Hi Gavin, which NHL did you use for your granite buildings? 5? Thanks.
u are one of the nicest guys i have seen in a long time ,i watch your vidios over and over really lerned alot , god bless u
Thanks John, God bless also, Mike
To the point with no BS….thank you for producing these great videos. You are helping us build stuff the right way.
Thanks NED, Mike
Thanks so much your video explains ALL my experiences roofing around .masonry work for tge past 25 years. Spot on. My experiences led me to a default of type s. Thanks so much northeast Ohio Cleveland area lots stone brick and slate.
Thanks Robert, Mike
Thanks, Mike for another good one!
One of your best.
Keep up the good work.
PS I remember my dad, putting lime in the mixing trough and adding lots of water. It had to sit like that bubbling for quite awhile before you could do anything with it. I think it was called slaking? I don't know what he did with it when it was done, ( I was something like 4 years old, now I am 80 ). I remember he said don't touch it or go near it that it would eat your flesh and bones. Also said the racketeers would dispose of bodies that way??? Funny what you remember, hahhaha.
Hi Jim, I wish I could have seen it, by my time things had already changed, good memory, thanks mike
I was taught the trade by two old timers who taught me the methods for "Brown and White Coat" interior plastering. "Slaking the lime" was done (in a 55 gallon barrel) to create a putty that when it was ready, you would make a ring of it on a board- about 2' around, and then put water in the center and add Plaster of Paris. You mixed it all thoroughly and got it to the mason who went like crazy to get it on the wall or ceiling before it hardened. The white coat was less that 1/4 thick, so it was very important that the 2 brown coats underneath it were put on accurately. The first brown coat was called the "scratch" coat. The 2nd brown coat was applied and finished with a wooden "float". Then came the white coat- It was troweled smooth and a brush made from Chinese boar bristles was used to wet the plaster ahead of the trowel. There were some neat tools we used- one was called a "darby"... and the wood that was used around doors and windows were called "grounds". It was used to determine the outcome of the finished product so the trim could be applied... The original part of my house (1928) is plaster over wood lath and it's beautiful yet- even though it's almost 100 years old...
@@MikeHaduckWatching all of your videos, trying to figure out a Western Pennsylvania late 1800 to 1900 farm outbuildings mortars, most of the mortar is still strong and intact but areas needs repointed. Its a light to medium brown sand looking mortar with little polished rounded mixed conglomerate tiny and small stones. Whoever mortared this long ago, we wish we could replicate their mix to stand another 90 or 100 years? Any ideas?
The old chimney at house is definately lime mortar. It's as you show in this video. Some needs repointed too.
The old limestone stone foundation of house use to be white washed, trying to find a recipe to rewhite wash as not sure to use slaked lime, mixed with water and turpentine or hydraulic lime, mixed with water and turpentine and how thick or thin to make it. Any help appreciated. First and last question most important. Going to rewatch your chimney top repair videos as to which mortar to use for top of chimney. Guess use same for inside middle mortar too. ty for all your videos.
Great educational video. I'm about to repoint some brickwork for the first time and I have watched your video three times now. Thank You.
Thanks Mann, watch my video " repoiting brickwork" Mike haduck, it might help, thanks Mike
Thank you! This finally helped cleared up some things about what to use and where. There are so many variables when it comes to using concrete & mortar. It really DOES take an expert to know what to use in with what materials in what situation!! Thanks for sharing your mason expertise with the rest of us!!
Thanks Angela, Mike
Thank you so much for the clear explanation of masonry components.
Thanks freddy,, Mike
I've been watching a lot of your videos and want to clarify something. I have a stone foundation in NJ built in 1903 (no idea what type of stone) where the mortar is turning to dust in my basement. I started in some small spots on the outside where the plaster over the stone was breaking off. I chipped off anything loose, pulled out any old mortar, wet it, used a portland paint to bond and used 2 parts sand, 1/2 part portland and 1/2 past s mortar. the small spots I did came out surprisingly good. is this the right mixture to use on any type of stone foundation that has old lime mortar.
thanks to your videos I had the confidence to give this a shot and now think I can do it. just want get scared when I hear things like "you shouldn't use mortar that is too hard for the stone". why didn't they use a mixture like this in the castle you visited?
Hi John, I did that video called " lime or Portland " what should I use? Mike haduck , that answers a lot of questions, but I almost always use the mix you described, if any other I show it in my videos, thanks Mike
Very helpful! Thank you for great videos! It helps me to avoid many mistakes.
Thanks, Mike
great video mike..could you someday do a video on how they made concrete buildings from the 1880's -1940's ..how did they pour the walls etc..
Hi Dave, I might someday, good idea, some of the old timers used everything, mine rock, coal, bank run, lol, thanks, mike
@@MikeHaduck thank you mike !
I agree 100 percent. Philadelphia union Bricklayer here. Been at it since 1972 and still doing side jobs. Love the trade and always learning knew things.Keep putting one on top of 2. Like the Scripture at end video. My favorite
Thanks James, I appreciate it, Mike
This is really well explained. Thank you very much for doing this video Mike👍
Thanks Barry, Mike
Great video! Most informative explanation I've ever seen. There's a hell of a lot more to it than I ever knew. Thanks for this.
Thanks Mike, Mike
Excellent post Mike! Really helpful. Your channel has very quickly become my most helpful of late. I just completed the rebuild of my son's brick chimney and it looks awesome. It is all because of the information you've passed onto people through this channel. Contactors wanted $7500.00 to do this job. My son and I completed it for $1100.00. Two of the guys who bid on the job came by today and commented on the quality of the completed job. They both asked who did the work. When I told them, they didn't believe a machinist and a retired 1st responder could have done it. My son's neighbors confirmed that 2 D.I.Y.ers did in fact do it. It took us a lot longer than a Mason would have but we did it and it was all because of the things I learned watching your channel. Thank you so very much for sharing your skills and experience. 👋🇨🇦👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
Thanks Steven, I appreciate hearing that, Mike
Can I ask how big the job was they bid on? Did the job include repointing the house? I ask because I need to have my chimney and house repointed.
The job required the removing of the top of the chimney down about 18' then replacing it, including repointing.
Best video and most information I’ve ever seen at one time. Awesome video thanks
Thanks Josh, Mike
This was really well explained Mike, I got a lot out of it. Picking up things video by video is tough to put together in your head but this tied everything together for me.
Same here…connecting the dots. ✌️
Thanks, I appreciate it, Mike
Really appreciate you explaining things and sharing your experience.
Thanks Steven, Mike
These videos will be a treasure in 100 years Mike
You should go see some old desert stone buildings, I've restored some 150 year old ones with a very soft cement/lime mix out here in the west but I'd love to see some truly ancient desert structures in climates with no humidity. Didn't really know anything about masonry when I traveled through Iraq 15 years ago or I'd have some input lol.
Hi Milo, I spent a year in the middle east, 73 Israel War, I seen a lot, those buildings hold up except for sandstorme and earthquakes , lol thanks mike
Arizona…Wupatki & Wukoki (spelling???) stone buildings been there for centuries, still looking good! Been there many times, lived a few miles away.
@@johndeggendorf7826 different weather, thanks Mike
Milo, how soft n or o
Hi Mike...thanks...from NYC I am about to build a paver walkway...I just regret that after years of following, I still don't see a paver video from u...thanks for the knowledge thumps up every time
I do, I have a series called paver installation, Mike haduck, thanks Mike
I'm going to say I agree with you that PA weather destroys everything. There are situations where you just have to use limestone mortar though. There are different strengths of lime mortar that have been developed over the years that are still softer then Portland but can still breath and not harm older brick. Low to the ground for example where you you might get a lot of splashing from a hardscaped ground surface and mortar washing out you would use a harder NHL 5 Lime morter mix as apposed a softer NHL 3.5 mix. I would like to make a rebuttal video and share it with you on my experiences in our area if that's OK with you? Things are very much different in the south. I will keep it friendly.
Hi Mike, all information and input, area tradition and experience is a good thing, thanks Mike
I'm not a Mason.I live near the Biltmore Mansion in N.C. I was looking up repairing mortar on my house. I watched the whole video and learned a lot am very artistic and appreciate the hard work and artwork you mason's do, you should have a Tv show I would watch every Saturday. God bless
Thanks jeep, I appreciate it, God bless Mike
Thank you so much for this video. All the old house experts, blogs, etc. make it out like Portland is the devil and if you repoint your house with Type S, the bricks will fall apart. Thanks for setting the record straight. I have been worried about my circa 1840 house in Kittanning because at some point it was repointed with a hard Portland based mortar. I asked a number of these experts what I should do and they said I needed to rake all the Portland out and repoint with lime or my house would be screwed. I knew I wasn't going to actually do that, as the masonry is in pretty good shape. All of the masons locally told me they don't use lime and most of them recommended Type S. These guys seemed to know what they were talking about, so I knew something didn't add up. Your video needs to be seen by more people. I think the main enemy of old brick is water and probably nothing else.
Hi , I agree, the enemy is water and freezing, I never seen any problem but with that, thanks Mike
I’ve seen Portland explode old brick. The brick was early 1800’s a bit earlier than yours. Im sure your house is fine, lots of variables.
@@WildlandsRescue yes, I've read the restoration info stuff. With older/softer brick they still don't recommend a lime only mixture. They say something like a N or O (like the interview with the guy at the cathedral). With hard stone (igneous) or modern bricks that have been fired to higher temps you can use a stiffer mortar. I got in to researching this because my basement walls are a soft stone (built about 1900), it was parged at some point in the past and now that is spalling and is growing efflorescence so I know and I'm going to have to have it dealt with. Before I hire professionals to do something I like to know a bit about it first so I know what kinds of questions to ask to see if the people know what they are talking about and aren't just generalists). The curse of living in old houses in expensive parts of the country and not having excess money.
Thanks Mike ! First because you care ! Second , because you take pride in your work...and you make an effort to learn as much as you can so you can do the best job that you can ! Third, you generously share with us , your knowledge that comes from valuable experience...experience that most of us could never get!
Thanks Mark, I appreciate the kind words, Mike
Hi Mike, I've been a subscriber for a few years and really enjoy your informative videos and sense of humor. NE PA has been like a second home lately as my son attends Marywood U. in Scranton, beautiful area. I want to repoint the interior of my late 1800's brick foundation walls as the lime mortar is crumbling and falling out in a number of places but the bricks are mostly intact. Based on your videos I was thinking I'd use type N mortar mix, do you agree? I'm a diy'er in the Hudson Valley in NY. Thank You.
Hi Guy, it sounds right, if the bricks are hard I go a little stronger if they are soft I go a little softer, thanks, Mike
Love your videos. Been watching them for a few years now. Very educational!
Thanks Sam, Mike
Great video and it covers so much, but I disagree with saying that lime mortar doesn't last.(in PA)
You're pointing to buildings that are over 100-120 years old, some 140+, and they are still there.
Lime calcifies and becomes harder over time. It can also repair itself, as a crack can get wet and re-calcify.
Lime mortar is still used all over the world, and does need..maintained, but do does a Portland based mortar over time.
Hi I agree, but I am the guy who has to go re patch it all the time so I use what last and what works in my area, lime is OK till it gets wet and dosent have the strength, and in my time in Europe I watch them constantly repointing, thanks mike
@@MikeHaduck but if you are dealing with old air dried brick and you use mortar that is to hard that brick is going to disintegrate. Congrats you took a building that was standing for hundreds of years and made it so it will be destroyed in 50 years or so.
Thank you Mike, for an informative video. Sounds like you have a similar climate to us here in sunny Scotland. I find you very easy to listen to.
Thanks Martyn, Mike
Hi Mike! Thanks for this video! I've been researching on this topic for a while. My house is built with reclaimed Chicago Brick, and I've had 2 chimney's rebuilt with Chicago common. It's been 3 years and a couple of the bricks have started to spall. They had pointed it with St. Mary's N-type mortar. I looked some stuff up and found some places saying that chicago brick should be pointed with lime because it's a soft breathable brick and any portland makes the mortar too hard for the water to espcape the brick and it cracks. What's your experience with that? what should be used with it? I live in SE MI. The climate is pretty comparable to PA.
I should mention, I recently redid my basement window sills with a 1:3 portland/sand mix, and I was worried that it may cause cracking with the bricks it's attached to since I didn't use N or S type mortar cement.
Thanks for your help!
Hi ,Mike, the problem is usually the soft brick, I recommend to a customer to cover the whole top with metal and a large overhang, sense then he has had no problems, thanks mike
@@MikeHaduck thanks for the feedback! Luckily most of my brick is doing fine being covered. They’re are some that are spalling on the side of the chimney above the roof facing north, where the sun doesn’t dry it out enough. I’m thinking about spraying a waterproofer on it to help prevent water getting in and causing the bricks to spall.
@@MikeBotrosDIYHomeGarden Not a mason, however if brick has been laid and its a soft brick then a matt or low-sheen waterproofer sure seems like the best/only option.
@@boots7859 I agree! Chimney’s/brickwork should have waterproofing every 3-5 years to keep the moisture out. Only waterproof your chimney if it hasn’t been wet in a week, don’t want to lock in moisture.
@@akaredcrossbow Make sure you use the correct waterproofer as well.
A penetrating sealer that allows the brick to breathe is required. Anything that top coat seals it will trap in moisture and destroy it.
I like rocks and stone for the study and building. good show. big thanks. wonder if the flintstone house was made of granite
Hi Terrie, maybe lol, Mike
Greetings from Uganda. I am not a professional builder but I am gathering as much knowledge about construction as I can and your tutorial has given me clues what to do with laiterite stone which I have in plenty around my intended construction site.
Thanks, nice to hear from Uganda, Mike
Another great video Mike!
I’m tuck pointing spots on a 3 brick thick house built in 1863. Do you ever add lime to your pre mixed mortars, as you’ve shown adding Portland?
I bought a type N pre mixed mortar and read it’s approximately 20% by weight of Portland, 7.5% by weight of lime, and 7.5% by weight pulverized limestone, the remainder is sand, silica, quartz.
Check out my video " repointing brickwork, part 1, Mike haduck, that should help, thanks Mike
Thanks I'm 65 bin a carpenter all my life.Im going to do some stone work on the land I purchased you have answered my questions thanks. Never to old to learn if your teachable
Thanks John, I appreciate hearing that, Mike
Dude !! Speaking man to man,...
I could hug you. (Not like a Bud Light hug.)
That was a great video I've always wanted to know more about. Thank you for taking the time to show samples, breaking things down and talking straight talk. I salute you and look forward to any additional videos you create.
Thanks, I appreciate it, Mike
Thank 🍺 Mike I’ve enjoyed watching your videos for some years now . Your guidance has helped me turn my detearary block patio , into a prize winning backyard. Fish 🐠 pond. Stonewalls your a great teacher. My best regards. Charles
Thanks Charles, I appreciate it, Mike
Super educational, very easy to understand, very informative, Good pictures to understand what you are talking about, and you talked in a Good phase. I learned alot!
Thanks Joseph, Mike
Good video. I live in a stone church made of limestone and fieldstone that was built in 1878 and have been living in it for 30 years. 20 years ago I built stone columns along the front of the church and did some repair work on the church and I used a 6:1:1 motar mix. It has held up very well over the last 20 years and I was going to do some more repair work on the church and I wanted to confirm my motar recipe. Thanks for confirming my choice.
Thanks Dave, Mike
Hey Mike ln Ireland I come from a long line of stonemason and bricklayers my years 1960 to 2018 when we worked at Church stonework the mix 6sharpsand 1 cement 1 lime wall ties 5mm stainless steel keep doing the videos thank you
Thanks Patrick, I always appreciate that kind of information, then I can compare what others are using, I appreciate it, Mike
I bought an Old brick House in St Louis , this video was very helpful
Thanks, Mike
Your videos are extremally educative, thank you for sharing your knowledge!
Thanks Jomar, Mike
Wow I learned so much!!!! Thank you for sharing this knowledge!! 😊
Thanks organ, Mike
Very informative video. Thank you for documenting this type of information., God bless you
Thanks NA, God bless, Mike
Thank you, for this informative video, after some research I decided that I am going to use type N to repoint interior wall that is from fieldstone, I dont know if you have it in US, but we have it in Czech republic, it is stone that is harder than sandstome but softer than granite.
Thanks, Mike
I built a garden walll years ago where after I built 1'4" wall we put a tar vapor barrier inside it the walls inside where the dirt was going to be thrown in for the greenery to grow I left a couple openings in the bottom for water to drain. I used type s Specmix mortar and it has been standing wonderfully for 15 years. Your right I use type s mortar for walls up and down. But I have a old building with super thin mortar joints where I failed rebuilding it. I will rebuild it using bank sand, a fine sand for those super thin joints and probably type n mortar, maybe throw a little more Portland in there
Thanks for making this video.
Thanks, Mike
We love your channel and have learned a lot. We are using "hot lime" mortar to rebuild our 1891 stone and brick mansion. The original lime mortar is still in great shape anywhere the water wasn't allowed to keep the mortar moist. The Mooreland House is in Kentucky though so it probably works better.
Thanks, I a happy it's working out, Mike
This is all so interesting, so informative, and so educational. I really appreciate this video. Thank you. I "Liked" and subscribed just because of this one video. Thank you. Will be waching more of your content. Great job.
Thanks mal, Mike
As a seven year apprenticed Canadian Steeplejack, trained by the scottish and english Steeplejacks, I'd like to confirm that the information in this video is the most accurate I have come across. Thanks Mike , Good video. I had twenty eight years in the industry until I retired from it.
Thanks doug,, I appreciate hearing that, Mike
Keep teaching Mike. back in the 50's when I was growing up, I lived in the innercity of Philadelphia Pa.. Many of the row homes where built cheaply. Many of the houses where built with standard solid bricks.and a lot of the row homes have lasted for over one hundred years because of it. Now it seems as if time is catching up to a lot of the lower income row homes and they are falling apart just like your dad said they would. Many inner cities are loosing people because of poorly constructed buildings.
I watch houses in the middle of blocks cave in first and then other houses on the same block starts to cave in as well.
All cities need people like you to be able to advise them of which houses are going to cave in next. Becoming a property inspector as a national contractor would save a lot of lives and a lot of cities money. Thanks for explaining about stone bricks and mortar and cement now I know exactly which material I need to use for certain jobs that I am doing.
Thanks Dax, I appreciate hearing that, Mike
MH,
This is a beautiful compilation. So so beautiful. You are so very important. Bravo. Of God. Thanks
Thanks Mike, Mike
Sir, very experienced and knowledgeable in your field of work. Cheers.
Thanks David, Mike
Hi mike your information on metal rebar and tie wire in brick work or concrete rotting away is so true you only have to look at the condo complex in miami it's shocking it would be interesting to hear your thoughts on that cheers
Hi Darren, I did a video called florida building techniques which was residential, but unless I was familiar with those kind of condos I can't comment, thanks, Mike
@@MikeHaduck thanks mike i will watch it cheers again
Good stuff. My dad only used type n, he loved the workability. As you can imagine, not all type n mortar is created equally, he was partial to saylors velvet. Having mixed mortar for my entire childhood and well into my 20s, I began to understand what he was talking about. In the end, to each his own. God bless.
Thanks Louie, God bless, Mike
A very informative, useful and well produced video, Thanks Mike! I’m working on my Indian sandstone patio on the south coast of England, UK and your videos have given me the understanding and confidence to know that what I am doing should last.
Thanks Bryan, Mike
Just an amazing video, easy to understand from an expert! Will I remember it all? Probably not, but I know enough not to use lime cement without Portland!
Thanks Margery, Mike
Thank you Mike. Nice tp see that there still are people who think hundreds of years ahead.
Thanks John, Mike
Yes your videos are very helpful and fill me in on so many details that I really appreciate it , Also I experiment with the new colorants that are the special cement oxides that come in all colors , it's very creative to use the fill breathe of modern colors available, but soamy of your technical details will helpe in future projects....I know I can use the medium in very artistic and functional ways .....on another project that I'm associated with my boss is trying to save a historic brick building here in the southwest , New Mexico ... The problem is both receding mortar in the joints weak mortar and spading bricks. Many bricks are totally deteriorated leaving holes that need to be filled in. I was thinking that the Reddy mix mortars that harden fast would be helpful . One idea is to fill the gaps with cement and use saltillo tile cut to the brick size and stuffed into the space in line with the wall , the colors are similar but the Saltillo tile does not have the carved out spaces to grab the cement. One way is to make the color mix with colors...... We still have so many bricks that
Are in shambles but still holding together that I'm wondering if some sort of resin could penetrate the bricks and harden them up also be used as a sealer for the building, the final problem is these not to high fired bricks are very hollow
And we're fired to a saltillo tile temp or not much higher so water penetration is a big issue I think the bottom rocks are a sandstone
Hi Chris, I would do a bunch of samples and see what works and then ask the old experienced masons in your area what would be the best motars or cements that last, every area of the country is different, thanks Mike
Thank you for SUCH a good explanation …that includes WHY!❤ I love learning things like this 👍🏻
Thanks again, Mike
One of your best videos,very educational
Thanks William, Mike
Nice job Mike, always enjoy the thorough info. Get more of that early American work in your videos, its beautiful.
Thanks, Mike
Studying for my Architecture board exams and appreciate this video :) thank you !
Thanks Ciao,, Mike
18:57 The "Mason Work" diagram is wonderful. Thank you!
Thanks BRoll, Mike
I have a reclaimed brick house, that needs a bunch of mortar replaced/tuck pointed (I love your tutorials).
Mike, should I just get mortar type S, or type S PLUS add some more portland, more sand? I want it to be as permanent as possible. Thanks.
Hi Summerday, there is lots of controversy on what to use, my rule of thumb is the mortar should be softer than the brick, some guys use strait lime especially in Europe, I think n is good for brickwork, I would do a little experimenting where it won't be seen and ask some of the locals, thanks Mike