best mortar mix for repairing bad blockwork

[chunkolini]

My builder is, no was a moron.
I was an idiot not to have kicked him off the job ages ago.
a few days back I explained quite forcibly that there is no more F money for him and will he please go and F himself and get orr moi laaaand.
'is that how it is?' he asked. I explained that is indeed how it is.
Started off working well but lately it's been tragic. No more profanity from me now.
A coke addled pot smoking Twin Towner
I'm going to make the best of a crap job.
The walls are straightish and most of the block work is messy but sound.
but there are a few disastrous spots. Huge gaps between blocks where the moron has not pointed or has filled with 'Stuff' I think its a mix of sand cement but it disintegrates and scrapes out easily.
this started when I told him to get it fixed. Like a teenager told to make it's bed. Rubbish
So what is my best mix? I reclaimed the 8 bags of mortar that he took home with him so plenty of that to play with
There is general messy pointing to tidy up, and some spaces you slide a little finger in down the side of blocks.
I can get photos tomorrow but you mustn't laugh

 

[Bobtail4x4]

for blockwork dont make the mistake of too strong a mix, it wont flex when the blocks expand,
go with a 4 to 1 mix, with a bit of plasticiser, not fairy liquid,

 

[gaz1]

The walls are straightish and most of the block work is messy but sound.
but there are a few disastrous spots. Huge gaps between blocks where the moron has not pointed or has filled with 'Stuff' I think its a mix of sand cement but it disintegrates and scrapes out easily.
So what is my best mix? I reclaimed the 8 bags of mortar that he took home with him so plenty of that to play with
There is general messy pointing to tidy up, and some spaces you slide a little finger in down the side of blocks.
I can get photos tomorrow but you mustn't laugh

ive seen all of them often

what you have is a 5-1 or 6-1 mix its crap used for internal walls

mix a 3-1 or 4-1 for a stronger mix

bad gaps ive seen or non filled between the bricks also known as speed building but theres not enough motor to fillin between the bricks on the next layer so they fill in the perps

i dont like this method and speed building is not liked with me however if the labourer had his stuff ready he would also fill in while the builders was adding more bricks along the wall

one thing i will admit it used to be 50kg for a bag of cement 3-1 or 5-1 mixes nowadays its less weight and its now 4-1 or 5-1/6-1 mixes on the bags and then they wonder why crap houses are being built in this day and age

 

[DAPPH]

Look for the use by date on the cement bags stuff nearing the use by date is suspect especially if it ha been store out side under a tarp for more than a few days .
A good block mix is 4 sand to one part cement powder by volume ( not by weight ) rather than shovels full which are widely not equal , Instead use a galve bucket to get the correct mix . ..
Watch out for saltwater sand from the sand dredger in Llanelli .. most local merchants use it , some time you need to have a neutralizing additive to the water to kill the salt still in the sand .

Look at new builds locally where they haven't done this and see big white salt staining in the mortar and brick edges .
I agree with a proper plasticiser too , FEBMIX comes to mind at the correct amount in measured buckets of dosing water measure it don't guess . Mark your water bucket at the set level inside with a permeant marking pen

In filing : -
Holes can be done with a big trowel of well mixed aeriated mortar in a super strong poly bag . drop the trowelful into the bag expel most ot the air then snip of one corner to make an icing style bag and squeezer the stuff into the holes from both sides , point up as soon n as one side is done .

Best have a shufti at the link . it covers a lot of different mixes for different types of block

---

The most common mix for blockwork is: 4-1, that is four parts sand to one part cement but there are variations. For instance if you are using a softer brick then 5-1 or 6-1-1 (six sand, one cement, one lime) may be more suitable.

Mortar Mix: How to Choose | Homebuilding​

www.homebuilding.co.uk/advice/mortar-mix

 

[chunkolini]

As usual great advice here.
I'll do a small batch in the morning 4/1 and some plasticiser.
It will be small batches, like a bucketful at a time. I will get this thing sorted.
I'm targeting small areas to do rather than trying the whole Tragic assembly in one hit.
How long do I have to play with a single batch?

 

[addjunkie]

If your pointing dont make it to wet of itll all end up on the deck! If its really cold or potentially frosty, or rain forecast cover it when done. If your mixing by the bucket, not a mixer make sure its properly mixed and time how long the first one lasts you. About 45 mins to-an hour as long as its not in direct sun light at a guess

 

[DAPPH]

Depends on how wet you make it if in a bucket slap some on a non porous board and remix it immediately prior to using . trying to take it all out the bucket from start to finish with our re aerating it & giving a dash or two of dosed water will see it lose the entrained air as the weight settles . Evaporation will also take place .
It also depends on how quick you are so do all possible prep on both sides before making the mix & have all tools to hand .
At a rough guess 1/2 hr max working time per measured bucket of mix

 

[ibrooks]

I can second the warning about substituting fairy liquid for plasticiser - it works short term but after a few years you'll regret it. The mortar goes the way you're describing and basically behaves like it was just sand and water so the slightest bit of abrasion and it comes out from between the bricks/blocks.

 

[DAPPH]

I can second the warning about substituting fairy liquid for plasticiser - it works short term but after a few years you'll regret it. The mortar goes the way you're describing and basically behaves like it was just sand and water so the slightest bit of abrasion and it comes out from between the bricks/blocks.

Seeing how the mortar joints in our raised beds ( 900mm high ) in 4 square feet beds have died in 15 years .
Realizing Just now that on our return from holiday there was an empty bottle of fairy green in the bin and no empty Feb Mix bottles .
I strongly suspect the nine bottles of Feb Mix I gave the builder the day we went on holiday were disappeared and sold , then a bottle of Fairy used instead

 

[Gareth J]

As usual great advice here.
I'll do a small batch in the morning 4/1 and some plasticiser.
It will be small batches, like a bucketful at a time. I will get this thing sorted.
I'm targeting small areas to do rather than trying the whole Tragic assembly in one hit.
How long do I have to play with a single batch?

Watch out for the dosage of the plasticer in small batches. I struggle not to overdo it if I'm doing a part mix of a mixer. In a bucket, you might need a pippet

Plastering afterwards will cover many sins and add a little strength.

Tyrolean render after that will hide even more.

 

[dobbslc]

If you've got a lot to do then consider one of these.

Google Image Result for https://media.diy.com/is/image/KingfisherDigital/cox-af9001-ultrapoint-gun-solpointing~5021009910607_01c_MP?$MOB_PREV$&$width=600&$height=600

 

[frank horton]

will u be rendering it....?? if u do as a plus it'll stop water ingress.....
If so just 1/2 fill the big holes "4-1" and let the first coat of render do the work...
I'd say a quick skim would be well worth the money...it'll look smart....
My OCD would send me looney seeing bad joints everyday...

 

[addjunkie]

As your obviously not a regular pointer, Im going to suggest you lay a sheet of something on the ground, or youll end up with globules of cement everywhere when you drop bits…..just a suggestion, a friend of hours did some, but ruined his wifes nice new sandstone slabs!

 

[Domdom]

Some great advice above. 5:1 mix with proper plasticiser is the way. I use a brickie's trowel to hold some muck and a small pointing trowel to push it in to the joints. Don't make it too wet or it will all fall out, but you want it wet enough to allow for what the blocks will absorb. A fine balancing act.

 

[RichardM]

When I do any pointing I use an old steel plaster float held at the bottom of the gap and a pointing tool to squeeze the cement onto the gap, it's the easiest way I have found without much outlay for the neatest result.

 

[chunkolini]

this shots show what my moron has left me with.
first pic not too bad, lots of salt as mentioned, a fair bit of pointing to be touched up. Top left corner is tragic.
bricks picked up off the street fitted after I had a right go at him. Lintel seems sound
the lintel oveer the door on the right is loose and has about 100mm overhang onto the wall

Inner wall seems ok why is there a lintel all along the top?

The the other inner corner. Not a right angle due to the layout of the yard
The lack of 90 degrees defeated him for weeks.
After much naggery he 'pointed' the corners with stuff that just scrapes out, and beautifully cut blocks, I was away when he finally got round to this.
Not long before I explained that he was an idiot and could leave my estate

so to work
one more thing for now.
the lintels on the two main walls seem fixed soundly, are they ok to drill into or will they just shatter? Im thinking of using concrete screws to fit timbers to build the roof.

 

[Misterg]

the lintel oveer the door on the right is loose and has about 100mm overhang onto the wall

IIRC 100mm bearing is OK for a door opening, but maybe best to re-bed it.

Inner wall seems ok why is there a lintel all along the top?

Presumably an expedient way of making up ~75mm of wall height (compared to a course of bricks).

the lintels on the two main walls seem fixed soundly, are they ok to drill into or will they just shatter? Im thinking of using concrete screws to fit timbers to build the roof.

I wouldn't - I'd fit the wall plate (bottom part of the wooden roof structure) with straps that run down the walls, secured into the blockwork. YMMV.

That corner looks awfully shoddy - was he joining into an existing wall?

 

[8ob]

That corner looks awfully shoddy - was he joining into an existing wall?

Looks like Brook bond

Bob

 

[chunkolini]

regards wall plates thats exactly what a mate of mine said to do. He's a civil engineer/surveyor.
that was a surprise but makes things a lot easier. I even have some galvanized 3mm steel strip at work. Maybe a staple shape rebated into the wood and screwed in side and outside?
the dodgy corner?
The Moron started building the walls and could not deal with it not being a right angle so ******** about and made a mess of it. After leaving it for weeks he used some kind of bracketry thats built into the wall. Hmmmm.
I have wondered about adding some sort of internal studding across the join for peace of mind.

 

[Misterg]

Maybe a staple shape rebated into the wood and screwed in side and outside?

No, 'L' shape with the short leg fixing into the top of the wall plate.

Like so:

( Screwfix )

IIRC, they should come down 1m / max spacing 2m (if you're fussed about any sort of regs. - If so, double check, as my info is about 20 years old).