Ed and Sharon in Manitoba just bought an old house in Manitoba and it is very cold, there doesn't seem to be any insulation in the walls at all. They have been told that it was double brick construction with plaster on the inside. Well friends, it was probably built by someone from Toronto who ...
When paint gets onto concrete by accident, or as graffiti, it is difficult to remove because the concrete is so porous that the paint soaks down in.We decided to test a few different removers.Bio-Wash Masonry Strip works very well at removing oil, latex, and spray enamel paints.De-Greaser from St...
Seasonal tips for working with masonry.SUMMER Summer Moisture Content:If too much water is drawn out of the mortar before it sets, the bond joint will not be good.Most clay bricks, calcite bricks and stone do not require pre-wetting because of minimum absorption. However in extremely hot weat...
Gary from Hamilton, Ontario writes :I know that brick veneer homes have vent holes in the lower rows to allow air to equalize the pressure and help keep water out. We have just bought a 50 year old solid brick (two layers of brick) house. I notice there are no vent holes and it doesn't appear t...
Fastening to concrete or masonry? We've got three problems: choosing the right fastener, choosing the right tool and then doing it right. Here is some product information and trouble shooting tips.Power Actuated nailingExplosive shot nailling is the most common but the weakest of the serious ...
Carolyn in Montreal wants to insulate her garage so that she can heat it but it is so narrow that there is no room to do anything on the inside. Can she insulate on the outside?As you can see in the graphic, you can easily put foam insulation of just about any thickness right on the block wall. ...
Some tools go un-noticed on the hardware store shelves, like the rotary hammer chisels. At first glance this appears simply to be a heavy duty hammer drill. It has a special quick change chuck called an SDS system and will only work with drills and other accessories with the special SDS shanks....
Connect to your favourite weather forecaster and look for the following conditions:
Category: Sealants (Caulking) Product: Butyl Calking / Sealant
Temperature Limitations: Above -20 C (-4 F) but with product above +5 C (+40 F) to flow easily.
Rain Limitations: Apply to a dry surface
Wi...
Connect to your favourite weather forecaster and look for the following conditions:
Category: Finishes Product: Water Repellents for wood and masonry
Temperature Limitations: Use above +10 C (+50 F) and below + 35 C (+95 F)
Rain Limitations: No rain for 48 hours
Wind Limitations: n/a...
Connect to your favourite weather forecaster and look for the following conditions:
Category: Masonry Product: Masonry based weatherproofing coatings
Temperature Limitations: Use above +7 C (+45 F)
Rain Limitations: No rain until hardened -- about 8 hours
Wind Limitations: High wind c...
