Breathable 'sealant' for exposed brickwork (interior)

[formerly known as]

Penners - that all depends on the nature of the local 'mud'. the most recent clay mortar broadly consisted of clay, chalk and sharp grit .... but who is to say that that is not how it came out of the hole. interestingly, I have recently found clay mortar with a straw reinforcement used to build the internal part of a brick stack.

 

[Penners]

Not so different in its make-up, then, from East Anglian clay lump or West Country cob. Not even far removed from Mexican adobe, although I believe that is monolithic rather than being built in lumps.

 

[formerly known as]

AND even east Anglian shuttered clay (same material as used in clay lump / daub) set up in 18 inch lifts to create battered walling on a minimal flint/brick plinth ............. when I say battered, II mean vertical on the outside then thinning out to plate level. not that common and generally seen on low status labourers dwellings and agricultural buildings.

 

[johnobirches]

I have had Belzona recommended but haven't used it,
http://www.belzona.co.uk/en/products/5000/5122.aspx

Supposed to be breathable. Anyone else used it?

Regards
John

 

[livias]

I was told that shuttered clay buildings were normally those of estate workers cos although clay is a low status material, the shutters to make it cost money and that only made sense if they were to be repeatedly reused

 

[dans]

I've exposed brickwork in several rooms in my house and have never sealed any of them. I find that sealing them tends to give a false 'polished' finish. I have had no problems with brickdust, despite the bricks themselves being very old soft reds.

 

[Zebra]

I'm with dans, and don't have a problem with old brickwork unsealed. However, I did hear somewhere - I have no idea how effective nor how breathable it is so I hope someone will correct me - that thinned down wallpaper paste can be used to seal brickwork.

 

[formerly known as]

I was told that shuttered clay buildings were normally those of estate workers cos although clay is a low status material, the shutters to make it cost money and that only made sense if they were to be repeatedly reused

the shuttering boards and the support structure - posts/braces/shores - must have been quite substantial to take the weight of the shuttered clay. aside from the method of construction, one further thing has puzzled me - the key marks in the shuttered clay appear to have been made in the clay when it was still wet ................. how could the shuttering have been struck before completely dry without collapsing?

 

[formerly known as]

50/50 turps and raw linseed oil works well on pamments and floor bricks ................ might be worth a try?

 

[Penners]

50/50 turps and raw linseed oil works well on pamments and floor bricks ................ might be worth a try?

A small cautionary PS to FKA's advice above.

When we moved into our last house, it had a pamment floor that had been treated with linseed oil to considerable excess. A pile of magazines had been left in one corner of the floor, and to remove the stuck-down cover of one of them I actually had to resort to sanding it off. The previous owners had left behind a rug, which was also well stuck down in places, and when you walked across the floor it made sticky noises under your shoes.

I'm sure linseed and turps is fine in moderation, but do be careful not to overdo it.

 

[formerly known as]

maybe they had used 'boiled' as opposed to 'raw' ................ boiled will tend to dry on the surface, while raw will soak in, especially if thinned with the turps. I have always used 3 coats and left it at that. This tends to ever so slightly polish up with regular footfall. Good advice not to overdo it though.

 

[steveb]

my father used boiled linseed oil on his front door. it remained sticky to the point that you could adhere anything to it just by touching them against it for several years afterwards, much to my amusement.

his words were "I went shopping for raw but all they had was boiled, so I thought they would be the same thing"