Author Topic: How do I make good this wall?  (Read 5329 times)

LittleWheelsandBig

  • Whimsy Rider
Re: How do I make good this wall?
« Reply #25 on: 15 March, 2020, 10:54:06 pm »
Not even close to a problem then, even with a couple of burly blokes to move it.
Wheel meet again, don't know where, don't know when...

Re: How do I make good this wall?
« Reply #26 on: 16 March, 2020, 09:59:00 am »
No expert on those repairs (although it looks bad to me and replacing with galvanised steel sounds good to me).

I agree that tanalised decking is a slippery death trap. Nothing wrong with using those boards though, but put yacht non-slip decking on top. Hard wearing, non-slip and cleanable.
<i>Marmite slave</i>

Mrs Pingu

  • Who ate all the pies? Me
    • Twitter
Re: How do I make good this wall?
« Reply #27 on: 16 March, 2020, 05:06:55 pm »
So galvanised steel round the edges and support and GRP 'floor' if you like?
Do not clench. It only makes it worse.

LittleWheelsandBig

  • Whimsy Rider
Re: How do I make good this wall?
« Reply #28 on: 16 March, 2020, 05:10:02 pm »
Sounds reasonable, assuming no complicating factors.
Wheel meet again, don't know where, don't know when...

Mrs Pingu

  • Who ate all the pies? Me
    • Twitter
Re: How do I make good this wall?
« Reply #29 on: 16 March, 2020, 05:29:07 pm »
Next stupid question. Can I just get a fabricator & builder to do that or do I need to get an architect involved?
Do not clench. It only makes it worse.

LittleWheelsandBig

  • Whimsy Rider
Re: How do I make good this wall?
« Reply #30 on: 16 March, 2020, 05:31:09 pm »
I only do large scale stuff, mostly overseas, and I have no idea how things work in this country with regards to domestic work.
Wheel meet again, don't know where, don't know when...

Aunt Maud

  • Le Flâneur.
Re: How do I make good this wall?
« Reply #31 on: 16 March, 2020, 09:06:59 pm »
You may need the building regs bloke.

Gattopardo

  • Lord of the sith
  • Overseaing the building of the death star
Re: How do I make good this wall?
« Reply #32 on: 16 March, 2020, 09:58:05 pm »
I'd wait to dry out the wall as I am wary of trapping moisture in the wall, especially with render on the outside and plaster on the inside.

With regards to the flat entrance, what does the lease say who owns it and liable for costs.

Mrs Pingu

  • Who ate all the pies? Me
    • Twitter
Re: How do I make good this wall?
« Reply #33 on: 16 March, 2020, 10:13:29 pm »
The mortar is just on an outhouse, there is no plaster inside it. The flats are owned, we don't do leasehold in Scotland.
Do not clench. It only makes it worse.

andytheflyer

  • Andytheex-flyer.....
Re: How do I make good this wall?
« Reply #34 on: 17 March, 2020, 08:24:57 am »
Next stupid question. Can I just get a fabricator & builder to do that or do I need to get an architect involved?
Undoubtedly the Building Regs will apply, so you need someone to design the steelwork who knows the Regs.  I'd talk to Building Control in your local authority and they will know an appropriate person, or a small company to do the steelwork and who can get the Regs sorted at the same time.  Try to keep the design, construction and erection in one company, or with someone who will co-ordinate the lot, otherwise you end up with "a he said - she said" approach.

Re: How do I make good this wall?
« Reply #35 on: 17 March, 2020, 09:39:50 am »
I'd wait to dry out the wall as I am wary of trapping moisture in the wall, especially with render on the outside and plaster on the inside.
"dry out"; you do realise that this is in Aberdeen, right?
<i>Marmite slave</i>

Re: How do I make good this wall?
« Reply #36 on: 17 March, 2020, 06:35:40 pm »

"dry out"; you do realise that this is in Aberdeen, right?
[/quote]

Which may be grey  but is dry realtive to the rest of Scotland.

ian

Re: How do I make good this wall?
« Reply #37 on: 17 March, 2020, 07:14:27 pm »
That's like saying it's dry relative to the ocean.

Mrs Pingu

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Re: How do I make good this wall?
« Reply #38 on: 17 March, 2020, 08:54:42 pm »
Just realised the surveyor I had round from the company I linked to upthread said he was going on holiday to Barcelona last week.
God knows how long it'll be before I hear from him then...
Do not clench. It only makes it worse.

LittleWheelsandBig

  • Whimsy Rider
Re: How do I make good this wall?
« Reply #39 on: 17 March, 2020, 09:50:38 pm »
Damp substrate is good for placing cementitious material (concrete, mortar). Technically ‘saturated surface dry’ prevents too much water being sucked out of the repair material into a too dry substrate. Water is needed to hydrate cement to become full strength concrete/ mortar over several days. Flowing water is bad news though, particularly very early on.
Wheel meet again, don't know where, don't know when...

Re: How do I make good this wall?
« Reply #40 on: 17 March, 2020, 10:22:22 pm »
Looking at the balcony pic, the steel cantilever support beam beneath the slab(RSC ?) is also quite corroded - assume it is somehow 'built in' and the extent of the corrosion would need to be determined.
The slab distress at the front edge - has the waterproofing around the baluster bars broken down letting water in and corroding the rebar - as has been noted repairs are some times possible. If only the front  portion is damaged a structural repair may well be possible but would need to be carried out by specialists with experience of this type of work and the waterproofing membrane repaired/replaced.
There also looks to be cracking of render on the right of the pic ?

As you noted the balcony is the only entrance to two flats, any replacement  is likely to require to be of fire rated construction  - best discuss with Building control - Scottish Regs are often different to us down South !

Gattopardo

  • Lord of the sith
  • Overseaing the building of the death star
Re: How do I make good this wall?
« Reply #41 on: 18 March, 2020, 10:06:46 am »
The mortar is just on an outhouse, there is no plaster inside it. The flats are owned, we don't do leasehold in Scotland.

Yeah the infamous freehold flats.

Gattopardo

  • Lord of the sith
  • Overseaing the building of the death star
Re: How do I make good this wall?
« Reply #42 on: 18 March, 2020, 11:05:47 am »
I wouldn't bother waiting for it to dry out, cement will take better to a damp surface.

As above, prise out all the loose stuff with an old screwdriver (or better still a thin masonry chisel)  and then repoint with may be a 4:1* soft sand / cement. (add a drop of washing up liquid to the mix, it will make it more workable)

*those bricks look quite soft so may be a weaker mix ?

By the looks of the wall you won't make it look any worse, and you may give it another decade before a proper job needs done.

Yup. Wet is better. Rake out junk and start again with a 6:1 mix. Plug chisel and mortar pick useful. For such a small area an SDS might do more damage. You can also chock the bricks up with slithers of slate slipped in between the mortar.

I have a mortar gun available for free if anyone could use it. (bought thinking it would make pointing easier, ended up using a float and a trowel, as ever)

Anther vote for float+ trowel instead of mortar gun; even easier to get the mortar well into deep joints is a float + a bamboo chopstick, then finish off with the trowel.

Finger trowel + plasterers hawk + mortar + beer (I like lime mortar as you know, but you have cement mortar)

(mortar = 1 part cement:5 parts sand + a bit of water)


Put the mortar on the hawk then stuff it in the hole with the finger trowel................................. then drink beer.

It really is that simple.

So, we can't even agree on a mortar mix nor can we agree on how to rake the mortar. 

Mortar guns are brilliant but you have to know the proper prep and be careful with the sand, (fine sieve) and the mix is better mixed with a paddle. It really is a time saver.  Mortar rake on an angle grinder, I made dust attachment that is great at keeping the dust and mess down and controls how deeply you rake.

Am interested about the idea of wetting an area before in this damp climate, saying that i have never done any repairs in sunny/warm weather where the mortar is in danger of drying out too quickly.  It has been to avoid trapping moisture.


Gattopardo

  • Lord of the sith
  • Overseaing the building of the death star
Re: How do I make good this wall?
« Reply #43 on: 18 March, 2020, 11:26:51 am »
Yeah I'm sure I can manage that wee bit of mortar. It's this that's worrying me:
2020-03-15_10-38-07 by The Pingus, on Flickr

Glad you're enjoying your course  :thumbsup:

I agree with LittleWheelsandBig - When I have been involved in reinforced concrete repair (either as the project manager or surveyor for either party)  I have always recommended getting specialist surveyor in to a report with any and all exposure (hacking at bits to be sure what work is needed and extent of work needed to rectify the problem)  Also insurance against anything going wrong so we can pass the buck.

Mrs Pingu

  • Who ate all the pies? Me
    • Twitter
Re: replacement entrance platform
« Reply #44 on: 23 February, 2021, 06:47:22 pm »
Yeah I'm sure I can manage that wee bit of mortar. It's this that's worrying me:
2020-03-15_10-38-07 by The Pingus, on Flickr

Glad you're enjoying your course  :thumbsup:

Thread resurrection - not the mortar in the 1st post, but this entrance platform here.
This *finally* got ripped down today and replaced with a galvanised steel jobbie. It's also been a bit of a saga. Richardson & Starling recommended I got a structural engineer to look at it back in lockdown mk I. Finally got his report in August. He offered me 2 options with a recommended firm for each.
1 was concrete repair of unknown lifespan.
2 was galvanised steel replacement (which I prodded for).

His recommended firm for quote 1 (concrete repair) got back first with a quote for £11,000! (At which point I was thinking OMG what is the new steel one going to be).
Eventually firm 2 gave me a quote of £2500. Been waiting for them since November and they've just done it today, hooray.
Pics tomorrow when it's daylight and not pishing with rain.
Do not clench. It only makes it worse.

Mrs Pingu

  • Who ate all the pies? Me
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Re: How do I make good this wall?
« Reply #45 on: 24 February, 2021, 09:19:43 am »
Do not clench. It only makes it worse.

Jaded

  • The Codfather
  • Formerly known as Jaded
Re: How do I make good this wall?
« Reply #46 on: 24 February, 2021, 09:25:36 am »
 :thumbsup:
It is simpler than it looks.

Mrs Pingu

  • Who ate all the pies? Me
    • Twitter
Re: How do I make good this wall?
« Reply #47 on: 24 February, 2021, 12:59:21 pm »
I may need a bit of advice from Aunt Maud on how to patch a couple of bits up with (lime?) mortar.
I'm thinking this bit on the right of the downpipe.

2021-02-24_09-15-09 by The Pingus, on Flickr
Do not clench. It only makes it worse.

Aunt Maud

  • Le Flâneur.
Re: How do I make good this wall?
« Reply #48 on: 25 February, 2021, 04:32:54 pm »
You'll have to wait for the frost to go away first. But my first thoughts were about rain splashing up the wall, as there's little gap between the flooring and the house.


Anyways, my recipe is 1 part NHL 3.5 to two parts sharp sand. Mix to a putty like consistency and stuff it in the joint.

You'll have to rake out the joint first if the old stuff is loose. Over fill the joint and scrape it level with the stonework the next day.

Don't do it in the rain, or you'll get wet.

Mrs Pingu

  • Who ate all the pies? Me
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Re: How do I make good this wall?
« Reply #49 on: 25 February, 2021, 04:39:57 pm »
They've been and done something about it themselves, without bring asked.
Do not clench. It only makes it worse.