To much fairy liquid in my mortar??? - Pointing crumbled and flags hardly stuck

Tom Bannister · Mon Mar 23, 2009 7:09 pm

I layed indian stone patio's last year around september/october time. After the Hard frost in December the pointing began to crack even though it had seemed sound for the few months previous. I am now just raking out and re-pointing the patio's with great frustration felt for the customer. I am wondering if there is a possibility that the fairy liquid i used as feb has caused this. I seem to remeber when the lad i had mixing ( a trained bricky supposedly) was mixing the bottles of fairy were going down fairy quick! Does this sound like a possibility?? Also a quick tip for speedy pointing! There are large grouting bags (like icing bags but big) for sale on ebay! Make the mix nice and smooth with Feb( not fairy!!) and it squirts in perfectly filling every crevis. Once its setting towards end of day then you can just go back and point it up very quickly! regards. Tom

Post: # 35833Post **msh paving** Mon Mar 23, 2009 7:18 pm

read this
http://www.pavingexpert.com/jointing12.htm
http://www.pavingexpert.com/jointing03.htm

MSH

Tom Bannister · Mon Mar 23, 2009 7:30 pm

THanks for that advice! I noticed the gun approch which is very similar to what i was saying about the grout bag! The one dded bonus with the groiut bag is that if there's any stones in the mortar they dont get stuck like they do in the gun.Reagrds.Tom

topgrafter2007 · Mon Mar 23, 2009 7:52 pm

hi Tom, check a topic from few weeks ago titled FROST DAMAGE TO INDIAN PAVING may help, may not but theres plenty of good info flowing on the topic....

Mon Mar 23, 2009 8:16 pm

Using washing up liquid entrains all sizes of air bubbles in the mortar, which leads to large voids in the hardened mortar, leading to weak mortars that are easily susceptible to frost and moisture damage.

Edited By GB_Groundworks on 1237839394

Post: # 35873Post **Tony McC** Tue Mar 24, 2009 10:26 am

Wash-up liquid should only ever be used when there is nowt else and when the mortar will be non-structural. I wouldn't worry too much about a SMALL squirt being used for a laying course mortar, but I'd be concerned if it was used to plasticise a bricklaying mortar for a wall.