building this time of year

[plasticpigeon]

hello

Has anyone had experience of building this time of year? I built a window sill today as I'm trying to get a sash window restored and fitted. I've covered it in hessian and polythene but I fear it might freeze tonight. I have also put an electric heater in the room in an attempt to keep things a bit warmer in there. Will I have to do this again? I hope not as brick sills are very fiddly. Thanks.

 

[middi]

Simple really, if the new window cill ( masonary, I presume ) is attacked by frost whilst it's setting it will fail. Depending on the degree of frost and time span which the masonary mortar is exposed to, it will determine if just the surface or the whole cill will fail.
Cement based mortar is a bit more forgiving than the lime based but neither should be exposed to frosts and lime mortar will not set well if the temp is below 5 deg C for any length of time ( say, a few days).
It is always difficult for any builders in winter to carry out mortar work without keeping an eagle eye on the weather forecast and alaways arm themselves with plenty of insulation materials, just in case.
Apart from hession etc.., a good way to protect mortar work ( where possible) is to use insulation boards ( cut to shape) taped toghether laid on the mortar and then covered with clths etc... Plastic over ins.boards is also a good way to keep the heat within the mortar.

Middi

 

[johnobirches]

I'm just about to get underway with our new extension and other repairs to the existing building.
Didn't want to be doing it this time of year but we're in a caravan so don't want to wait another 5 months or so.
Will just have to try all the techniques I can to keep the frost away. Bubblewrap?
Here goes nothing.
John

 

[middi]

Bubblewrap will keep the frost out just a bit longer ( not much) than a single sheet of plastic. Still, if you need to get on with it Just protect the work as much as you can and with anything you can, after all, masonary building does not stop during the "frost season".

Middi

 

[plasticpigeon]

thanks middi, only -1 for a couple of hours last night and I think the rest of the week is mild so hopefully I got away with it. It'll teach me to stufy the forecast before embarking on any more brickwork!!!! Best of luck John.