Engineering bricks & linseed oil

[CC45]

a while ago I remember @Onoff discussing linseed oil being applied to engineering bricks - in order to reduce staining I think.  I'd not heard of that before and little did I think I would now be laying blue engineering bricks (constructing a garden wall).  I was going to apply brick acid to clean them up after completing the wall but am now wondering about linseed oil - anyone care to shed some light on this mystery?

 

Thanks

[Onoff]

22 minutes ago, CC45 said:

a while ago I remember @Onoff discussing linseed oil being applied to engineering bricks - in order to reduce staining I think.  I'd not heard of that before and little did I think I would now be laying blue engineering bricks (constructing a garden wall).  I was going to apply brick acid to clean them up after completing the wall but am now wondering about linseed oil - anyone care to shed some light on this mystery?

 

Thanks

 

You apply linseed oil to the face before laying as far as I'm aware. It was @Brickie who said it "saves all the aftercare". Tbh I forgot and laid my pillar bricks unoiled. 

[CC45]

@Onoff and then cleaned them off using brick acid?  or did you lay them so cleanly that there wasn't a mark on the bricks??

 

Is the linseed applied neat? using a rag I assume?

[Onoff]

14 minutes ago, CC45 said:

@Onoff and then cleaned them off using brick acid?  or did you lay them so cleanly that there wasn't a mark on the bricks??

 

Is the linseed applied neat? using a rag I assume?

 

Sorry, not tried oil yet on any bricks. It was only this thread now made me remember. @Brickie's your man.

[CC45]

cheers @Onoff

[Brickie]

I stack the bricks on edge so the face side is facing skywards,then apply using a roller from a paint tray to each layer of the brick stack as they’re used. 

One thing to look out for is when to brush off-I’ve found that to brush it slightly earlier than you would normally helps,though not so early as to drag the joints. 

It makes a mess of your brushing off brush though,might pay to have a spare. 

I’m still finding my way with this method tbh-just did a pointing job on brick slips which were as hard as engineerings so used the oil & the results were mainly very good. I found that oiling immediately prior to application was key. 

[Onoff]

@Brickie, assume this oiling of bricks applies to facing bricks too?

 

Does it not mess the surface up as in if you wanted to paint with Thompsons Waterseal or similar later on?

 

Cheers

[Mr Punter]

Oil is only for engineering bricks - especially blues.

[Brickie]

+1

[Onoff]

16 hours ago, Mr Punter said:

Oil is only for engineering bricks - especially blues.

 

Daft question...why can't you use linseed oil on facing bricks for the same reason of not having to clean them off so much?

Edited September 4, 2019 by Onoff

[SiBee]

22 minutes ago, Onoff said:

 

Daft question...why can't you use linseed oil on facing bricks for the same reason of not having to clean them off so much?

 

Old boys who built my garden wall told me about using boiled linseed oil for water proofing back in the day, before fancy water proofers.  May give this a go (if it ever stops raining) as my local MKM have a massive stock and sell loads. Cheap enough to apply often

[Ian]

37 minutes ago, Onoff said:

 

Daft question...why can't you use linseed oil on facing bricks for the same reason of not having to clean them off so much?

I would imagine it’s because engineering bricks have a smooth non-absorbent face so the mortar won’t stick once they are covered in linseed oil. 

[Onoff]

10 minutes ago, SiBee said:

 

Old boys who built my garden wall told me about using boiled linseed oil for water proofing back in the day, before fancy water proofers.  May give this a go (if it ever stops raining) as my local MKM have a massive stock and sell loads. Cheap enough to apply often

 

Just bought a litre from Screwfix in a fancy can for just short of a tenner. I've got to use if somewhere!

 

Could always re-oil the air rifle stock which is probably the last time I used linseed oil. (Bought the gun with my first weeks wages as a 16 year old apprentice 36 years ago).

[Onoff]

3 minutes ago, Ian said:

I would imagine it’s because engineering bricks have a smooth non-absorbent face so the mortar won’t stick once they are covered in linseed oil. 

 

I'd have thought if engineering bricks have a non absorbent face then it's ordinary bricks with their "rough" face that would get more in terms of protection by oiling!

[Ian]

32 minutes ago, Onoff said:

 

I'd have thought if engineering bricks have a non absorbent face then it's ordinary bricks with their "rough" face that would get more in terms of protection by oiling!

Mortar will stick to a brick with a rough textured face even if it’s oiled

[epsilonGreedy]

1 hour ago, Onoff said:

I'd have thought if engineering bricks have a non absorbent face then it's ordinary bricks with their "rough" face that would get more in terms of protection by oiling!

 

 

Let's return to consider motivation. Engineering bricks typically called "blues" in the trade are easy to deface with mortar because:

1. Their uniform dark colour highlights any mortar spill onto the brick face.
2. The smooth face creates a tenacious adhesive bond with any mortar splashes.

With regular bricks the opposite is the case on both points so the issue is how to solve an established problem rather that whether more linseed oil would be retained on a regular brick face.