PI build Posted December 3, 2019 Share Posted December 3, 2019 Our builder has not turned up again today as it is frosty at his house so it it too cold to lay block work, he says. It is 4 degrees outside with no frost at our place. The forecast looking forward is similar, cold nights but warming during the day, or wet (we are in the south east). Is it possible to use mortar near freezing? I have seen something about additives/accelerants? It is frustrating as we have builders on sites all around us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nod Posted December 3, 2019 Share Posted December 3, 2019 +1 and we are plastering here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conor Posted December 3, 2019 Share Posted December 3, 2019 I poured a 100mm concrete base for a temporary electric kiosk on Sunday afternoon. Even tho I covered it well to keep it protected from the cold ... Still not hard to the touch! Temp has been hovering around 5c here. Warming up now tho. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottishjohn Posted December 3, 2019 Share Posted December 3, 2019 20 minutes ago, Conor said: I poured a 100mm concrete base for a temporary electric kiosk on Sunday afternoon. Even tho I covered it well to keep it protected from the cold ... Still not hard to the touch! Temp has been hovering around 5c here. Warming up now tho. theres your answer then --just wait Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triassic Posted December 3, 2019 Share Posted December 3, 2019 Your builders probably taking the day off to do his Christmas shopping! Additives and covers help even on the coldest day! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottishjohn Posted December 3, 2019 Share Posted December 3, 2019 (edited) 7 minutes ago, Triassic said: Additives and covers help even on the coldest day! the operative word being HELP. me I would just wait having had some crumbly concrete in the past,just on the surface - https://www.cemex.co.uk/managing-mortar-in-extreme-conditions.aspx https://www.cement.org/learn/materials-applications/masonry/masonry-contractors'-corner/cold-weather-masonry-construction Edited December 3, 2019 by scottishjohn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottishjohn Posted December 3, 2019 Share Posted December 3, 2019 GO AND MAKE SURE ALL YOUR BLOCKS ARE COVERED AND DRY Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Declan52 Posted December 3, 2019 Share Posted December 3, 2019 If you are very particular about the details then you can build in the cold. Everything needs covered and I mean everything. Ice can form overnight in the sand and the water. If your blocks/bricks have got wet during the day from rain then they will freeze overnight and once the motar hits the block the water in the mix will freeze up and go to fluff. Any wall built during the day will need covered as well to stop frost sitting on it overnight. As for additives you can use a rapid hardener. Depending on how many mixes the brickies go through in a day it can work out pretty expensive. Depending on what brand you buy you can end up using 1L of additive per bag of cement which won't be long adding up. So it's basically a question of how quickly you want to to get it built. Pay the money for the additives and cover everything up or call a halt to building when it's too cold. Even with additives if it's below zero all day then your better not building. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Temp Posted December 3, 2019 Share Posted December 3, 2019 See advice in here.. https://brickhunter.com/blog/how-to-lay-bricks-in-winter "Temperatures lower than 4°C can compromise the structural integrity of your brick wall. According to the NHBC (National House Building Council), masonry construction should not proceed if the temperature falls below 2°C, unless suitable heating is available." 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nod Posted December 3, 2019 Share Posted December 3, 2019 Temps have now risen to 3 above Business as usual Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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