mortar ethics

["Charles Kibby" <ckibby@zzzzzzzzzzz>]

Marcus: You might go to http://www2.cr.nps.gov/tps/briefs/brief02.htm for a
reprint of the National Park Service brief on repointing.  In fact, the
whole series is worth a read for those even peripherally involved in the
restoration of historic structures.  They can be a bit pedantic and dogmatic
at times, but they are an excellent resource for helping to educate masonry
sociopaths such as your employer........

Good luck
Chaz

-----Original Message-----
 From: Marcus [marcus@--------------]
Sent: Saturday, December 18, 2004 6:32 AM
Subject: [stone] mortar ethics

Mortar Sages,

After all the recent sharing of mortar wisdom I had one of those aggrevating
moments at work where I had to stand by and watch (and participate in)
rebuilding the chimneys and walls of an old stone house (1754) with straight
portland mortar (1:1!).  The boss told me the pc-heavy mix he wanted, I of
course used a lot more lime and less portland since he wasn't around at the
moment.  Then after a few batches we soon ran out and he went off to buy
some more.  He came back with 2 sacks of portland - not even the type S that
he usually likes to use.  "uhh, but we don't have any lime, Doug," I said.
"That's alright."  "But its a really old house, made of brittle old
limestone."  "Don't worry about it!"

I felt guilty filling that venerable old stone structure, once a frontier
fort, with a mix that was practically concrete.  So my two questions to you
mortar experts are:
1. How much real damage can this straight portland mix do to an old brittle
limestone structure, what kind of damage, and when will it become apparant?
2. Do you have any advice as to how to influence a generally good boss who
resents his bookish subordinate who knows and cares more about proper
restoration techniques than he does?

Marcus