Q. I am installing flagstone and some paving brick on top of a concrete patio. A book I read suggests mixing sand, cement and hydrated lime in different proportions to make the mortar mix. What is ...

Lime-based mortars are flexible and pervious, allowing for shifts in older foundations and structures and facilitating the movement of moisture in and out walls. This malleability is paramount to ...

DEAR TIM: It appears I wasted some money five years ago. I had my brick building repointed with new mortar, and it has deteriorated quickly. Do you have any idea what caused it to happen? The building ...

You may not know this, but I received a bachelor of science degree in geology many moons ago. I was fascinated by the topic, and it helped me build houses and buildings that would not fail.

Q: It appears I wasted some money five years ago. I had my brick building repointed with new mortar, and it has deteriorated quickly. Do you have any idea what caused that? The building is close to ...

Discovered thousands of years ago, hydrated lime is perhaps one of the most amazing multipurpose building products ever put into widespread use. A modern analogue to this revolutionary building ...

Q: My 10-year-old house developed some cosmetic cracks in the mortar. I got some bids to have tuck-pointing work done and nearly gagged. I'm wondering about using a special caulk I found that's made ...

Question: My ten-year-old house developed some cosmetic cracks in the mortar. I got some bids to have tuck-pointing work done and nearly gagged when I looked at the cost. I’m wondering about using a ...

Question: It appears I wasted some money five years ago. I had my brick building repointed with new mortar, and it has deteriorated quickly. Do you have any idea what caused it to happen? The building ...