Monday / November 10, 2014 / 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Masonry Mortar 101: Repointing, Rebuilding, and Freeze-Thaw Resistance
AIA Chicago, 35 East Wacker Drive, #250
While masonry mortar is often assumed to be a relatively simple building component, there is widespread confusion regarding the various materials used in repointing and rebuilding work. Chemical engineer Michael P. Edison, founder of Connecticut-based Edison Coatings, Inc. and Rosendale Natural Cement Products, will address each of the major historic and contemporary mortar-making materials, explain how they work and how they are different from each other, and provide a framework for objective decision-making in regard to mortar selection and specification. Lime putty, Hydrated Lime, Natural Hydraulic Lime, Natural Cement and Portland cement-based systems will be discussed in detail.
Successful repointing and rebuilding begins with obtaining good analyses of existing materials and incorporating what is learned from them into project decision-making. At the same time, understanding common errors in execution and how to avoid them is necessary to assure that good designs also yield good results.
As the restoration industry expands its use of traditional mortar materials, it becomes important to understand their performance, relative to modern mortars, under harsh exposures such as freeze-thaw cycling and exposure to deicing salts under saturated conditions. The results of recent research will be discussed.
Bring your lunch; beverages provided.
