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Tried lime mortar on a 1900s row house repoint in Baltimore and instantly regretted not using type N
Lime mortar is a nightmare to work with in cold weather, took me 3 times longer to set and it still crumbled in a spot. Has anyone else switched back to modern mix for historical jobs just to save your hands?
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josephb353d ago
Did you see that article from the National Park Service about historic brick conservation? They did a study on a bunch of old row houses and found the soft brick actually holds up better with lime mortar because it lets the moisture breathe out. Type N is way too hard and can trap water behind the brick, making it pop off later. I've heard stories from older masons in Philly who say they've seen whole facades fail because someone used modern mix on 1910s brick. It's a pain to work with for sure, but the brick itself staying intact is worth the extra time.
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josephf101mo ago
1907 house with original soft brick here, the lime mortar actually saved me from replacing a dozen busted bricks that would've cracked with type N. I'd rather deal with slow curing than chase down period replacements.
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Wait, you actually had soft brick that didn't turn to dust the second you looked at it wrong? Because I've seen that stuff crumble if you sneeze near it. My buddy's 1910 place had a whole corner collapse after a storm and the mason said the lime was the only thing holding it together. But you're telling me you had bricks that were actually salvageable? I've been told for years that anything from that era is basically a lost cause if you touch it. That's wild, man. I've seen new guys try to put modern cement on old brick and the results are always a disaster.
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