When erecting a wall of brick, the builder always knows where to start work and how to finish it. The final step here is the jointing of the masonry. This operation does not affect the strength of the wall itself. Its purpose is to give the structure a more complete and aesthetic appearance. If the wall will subsequently be plastered, there is no reason to carry out the jointing.
During construction, the rule "strike iron while it is hot" is not always applicable. Likewise, the jointing of brick masonry. She is advised not to rush, although there are tips to start this operation immediately when erecting a wall. Nevertheless, it will be necessary to wait for a while until the mortar fastening the bricks begins to set. From time to time, you need to check his condition, conditionally called the "thumb test." If the solution lends itself easily to it, the period of embroidery has not yet come.
When
laying a brick wall, make sure that the seam is evenly dense, do not leave voids. The solution is placed in excess, which is cut with a trowel so that it is flush with the material.
A tool for jointing with this method is very simple. It can be a wooden stick or a piece of rubber hose. In diameter, they should be slightly smaller than the width of the seam. The stitching operation is also simple. Each seam needs to be smoothed out and pressed into the depth of about 2 mm. In addition to the harmonious appearance of the wall, when the mortar is compacted, its bonding with the brick improves. At the corners of the building, the tool is pressed into the seam towards the masonry. If a fresh solution joins already dried up, it is necessary to move from fresh to hardened.
What to do with the old wall? Indeed, in former times, the jointing of brickwork was not practiced - it was considered an unnecessary excess and a waste of working time. Well, if you want the old brick building to literally change, you have to sweat.
First, you need to clean the seams by hollowing out a solution from them. It is best to use a cone-shaped solid wood lath for this. If the old solution does not lend itself in any way, you will have to resort to the services of a metal chisel. Although it is not recommended to use it because of the danger of masonry damage, especially if the bricks in it are old and rough. Work with caution.
The seams of the old masonry are cleaned to a depth of 15-20 mm. After that, it is necessary to
clean the facade of traces of mortar and dust with a high-pressure jet apparatus and / or a stiff brush.
Before the jointing of the masonry is started, the latter must be moistened with water so that the fresh mortar firmly adheres to the old, already dried up, as well as to the material. If the day is hot and sunny, the area where the old masonry is being embroidered can be shaded. If it is damp and rainy, such work should not be carried out at all.
For such a layout, it is better to use a ready-made solution sold in specialized stores. It must be diluted with the amount of water indicated on the package and mixed thoroughly until an earthy-moist state is reached. The solution can be prepared by yourself, however, you should clearly maintain the ratio of components.
The finished solution is placed for convenience on a tin falcon and is filled with hollowed grooves. In the future, the jointing of the masonry of the old structure is no different from a similar operation with a wall just built. At the end of the procedure, the wall is wrapped diagonally with a soft brush to clean it of the remains of the solution.