# Cold Weather Defense



## beleive (Oct 6, 2008)

I put a electric bucket heater in water trough, I keep sand covered, I heat the wall up after layed and put plastc over it, to keep wind off it. (have used electric blanket) We can lay in 27 degrees with sun out and little wind. Clouds and alot of wind 30 degrees plus. If real cold I used to tarp job in, wasted alot of time and money,25 and below I sit at home.


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## wazez (Oct 25, 2008)

If real cold I used to tarp job in, wasted alot of time and money,25 and below I sit at home.[/quote]
And that's why I'm home today:clap:....although if it doesn't warm up we may have to shelter again.:sad:


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## Jagged Sky (Dec 5, 2009)

Do you guys back east ever use spec mix, or do they even sell it there?


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## wazez (Oct 25, 2008)

Does anybody make a heated mudboard....like maybe a steel plate with an electric heating coil.


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## Rockmonster (Nov 15, 2007)

Heated mudboard? You'd have to throw your mud away every ten minutes....heat the sand, heat the water,heat your enclosure, and try to get 30 hours a week in the winter....


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## dakzaag (Jan 6, 2009)

If your mud is freezing on the board, a heated board isn't going to help much as the mud will dry out cause it is sitting too long. 

Keeping the units warm and heating the water is the only thing that makes sense. I put a 55 gal. barrel in the sand (when I use sand) fill it with water and put a heater in it. You can usually get about six or seven batches out of a barrel full of warm water, but you usually don't keep the mixer very clean. 

Spec mix is available world wide as far as I know. Lots of different names, but just add water and you have mortar. You can hire cheaper labor when all they have to know is more water or more mix. I personally still prefer the old fashion sand and mortar or even better, sand and Lime.

There is a company that sells a heated blanket the holds a cube or maybe two of brick. (they are designed to hold a pallet of whatever you want to heat.) Velcrow closures and pretty durable insulated fabric. runs off of 120/240 Volt. Just plug them in. 

I think I got an email from them a while back...

Well I can't seem to find it. If anyone wants info on the heated pallet blankets, I will dig through my file of worthless info and find my literature about the company.


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## Moneypit (Dec 1, 2009)

Does anyone else use anti-hydro in their mortar? 
This is the end of my first year laying brick and that is what I have been using.


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## 6stringmason (May 20, 2005)

Moneypit said:


> Does anyone else use anti-hydro in their mortar?
> This is the end of my first year laying brick and that is what I have been using.


Never used anti-hydro. I've never personally used any chemicals in my mortar on my jobs, but some guys I work with helping out once in awhile use fast set and chloride during winter.

I find keeping sand, water, and brick at good warm temperatures, as well as a secure, warm, and fairly hole free tent will reduce your need for the chemicals.


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## concretemasonry (Dec 1, 2006)

6string -

Good choice on eliminating chemicals whenever possible by using properly warmed materials. The chemicals can cause long term problems (corrosion, bond, etc.), especially since the measuring and use on the job site is usually very sloppy and uneducated.

Everyone knows that the compressive strength of mortar is not that important in comparison to uniformity and workability. - Even the ASTM mortar spec recommends using the weakest mortar possible to carry the loads, since other properties are more important.

The critical item is making sure the mortar is set enough and the moisture content of the mortar is below the "saturated" about 7-8% before it first freezes. Using warmed and protected materials makes it possible to minimize the protection below the MCAA/BIA/NCMA limits. Hard, low absorption brick brick can cause problems because they do not suck enough water out of the mud.

Today I went by a basement being built at 4F on protected footings poured last Saturday. the steam form the sand when they removed the blanket from the sand/culvert and from the 55 gallon water was dramatic at 7:00 AM. they figured they would have the 1200 sf basement up and covered by 5:00 pm. tomorrow will be a little bit of grouting with heated grout. Block are a little more forgiving than brick.

As long as a basement is braced properly, it can be backfilled in a few days and capped. Interior heat and Mother Nature and interior heat during construction will provide the heat and moisture to complete the curing. Taking proper care of material and planning allows much construction to proceed when needed for schedule purposes. Everyone knows it costs a little more for cold weather construction, but it minor in the big picture when it come to completing the job when needed.


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## Bigbricklayer (May 14, 2006)

This is what I did today. It was 25degrees when I laid my first brick but it got up to 41 degrees.


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## Bigbricklayer (May 14, 2006)

This is it after I got done. Worked by myself crazy hoddy got thrown in jail. Sucks working by yourself in the winter.


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## CJKarl (Nov 21, 2006)

Hoddy in jail, sounds familiar. Sent the help out for coffee once. He never returned, call me from jail an hour later, asked me if I would bring him his shirt. Seems he had a warrant and got pulled over for a traffic stop.


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## dakzaag (Jan 6, 2009)

This has nothing to do with cold weather.

Big, what did you use to support the brick that extend above the roof line in the middle of that wall? The picture appears to suggest that the roof coming down from the left when your standing on the saffold is attached to the wall on the right. 

Did you lag an iron to the wall or what exactly. Also how did you flash the junction of the brick and roof?

This detail is a real problem for me, I am looking for a good waterproof solution.

Thanks


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## lukachuki (Feb 11, 2005)

dakzaag said:


> This has nothing to do with cold weather.
> 
> Big, what did you use to support the brick that extend above the roof line in the middle of that wall? The picture appears to suggest that the roof coming down from the left when your standing on the saffold is attached to the wall on the right.
> 
> ...


Good eye and good question! I noticed that there is almost a smiley face in the wall.

Nice Brickwork BTW


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## 6stringmason (May 20, 2005)

In my case I would make sure the roofer had flashed it with step flashing, Then I would put up some vinyl and lay it right on the roof. There is so little weight there I dont see any need for lagging.


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## Stone (Mar 23, 2009)

Most of you don't seem to like adding chemicals to your mortar for winter work, but for those who do use them, what are your favorites, especially for exterior cultured stone? I only use non-chloride accelerators which are pretty pricey compared to the chloride variety. I personally like one called Accelguard 80 but it is becoming harder to get in my area (Northwest Ohio) and I'm experimenting with a dry powder N/C accelerator sold in little bags that are called, I believe, Fritz Paks. Of course I still cover and heat when necessary but pretty much I use an accelerator from the first cold weather on through the winter. So what do others use?


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## Bigbricklayer (May 14, 2006)

There is step flashing behind the house wrap. And like 6string said I just laid it right on the roof. Right or wrong that's what I did.:thumbsup:


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## A W Smith (Oct 14, 2007)

Bigbricklayer said:


> There is step flashing behind the house wrap. And like 6string said I just laid it right on the roof. Right or wrong that's what I did.:thumbsup:



Roofer should have held back 4 1/2 inches and step flashed to the brick veneer. If that roof begins to fail, particularly in that vally above, water will get between the brick and the tyvek.


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## Tscarborough (Feb 25, 2006)

Had it not been laid over the shingles, it shouldn't be a problem, but it will be on the first re-roof. Arch action will pretty much support it, but it is a flashing nightmare from now on out.


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## dakzaag (Jan 6, 2009)

I had a builder leave the framing out about 5 inches so the brick could run on through. He had a 2 x 6 attached that we had to go around, but no big deal because it was behind the structure. 

That was the best method I have encountered. Here I probably would have lagged an iron and left it off the roof a half inch or so. And flashed properly. I see that could be a problem down the road.


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## brickstretcher (Dec 18, 2009)

My brother buys the 5 gal bucket of masonary anti-freeze. Depending on wind conditions with heated sand(culvert pipe) and heated water, we can get some decent hours around here. If we tarp in, and the builder pays for the heat...a full week if the temp doesn't drop into the single digits


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## masonryworks (Dec 24, 2009)

*Heating Sand and Water*

When we are required to heat the sand and water, I usually throw some reinforced plastic over our mortar silo with a 55 gallon barrel of water inside under the plastic with a fruit cooker torch under the barrel, this keeps the water warm and the mortar also. When making mortar from scratch using sand lime and cement, I usually bury a 12 inch steel pipe under the sand leaving both ends open with a torch in the pipe this keeps the sand warm.

-masonryworktools.com :thumbsup:


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## CJKarl (Nov 21, 2006)

dakzaag said:


> This has nothing to do with cold weather.
> 
> Big, what did you use to support the brick that extend above the roof line in the middle of that wall? The picture appears to suggest that the roof coming down from the left when your standing on the saffold is attached to the wall on the right.
> 
> ...



The masonry should have run up completely behind to carry the brick above. That's the architects fault.


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## CJKarl (Nov 21, 2006)

Threw this up in about 10 minutes. Did a little 2 day job under it. :thumbup:


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