Q. I am installing flagstone and some paving brick on top of a concrete patio. A book I read suggests mixing sand, cement and hydrated lime in different proportions to make the mortar mix. What is ...

Lime-based mortars are flexible and pervious, allowing for shifts in older foundations and structures and facilitating the movement of moisture in and out walls. This malleability is paramount to ...

There are two basic types of brick: place bricks are used on internal walls and the inner faces of external walls while stock bricks, which are of better quality, are used for facing work. Most bricks ...

You may not know this, but I received a bachelor of science degree in geology many moons ago. I was fascinated by the topic, and it helped me build houses and buildings that would not fail.

The mortar in between these bricks was repaired, but the mix failed. It can be removed and repaired. (Courtesy of Tim Carter) Analysis by Tim Carter It appears I wasted some money five years ago. I ...

Repointing brickwork is usually required at least once or twice per century. Wear, weather and structural stresses cause the mortar between bricks to deteriorate over the decades, until you’re left ...