Problem piers

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MarkBB

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Hi all. I'm having problems with rendering some piers in a front garden. I built the piers and walls in this garden about 6 years ago, the walls with concrete blocks, the 2 piers with bricks. The rendering I did on all the concrete block walls is still fine, but it has fallen off the piers twice now.... the first time about 2 years after it was first done (I rendered it again then), and then again about 2 years after that. I cleaned it all off the other day, most of it came off really easily in big pieces. The bricks are cheap face bricks, can't remember exactly what type (not flettons or engineering). The second time I rendered it was careful with preparing the bricks (cleaning, PVA etc.) and with the mix - 6:1, waterproofer in the scratch coat etc..

Obviously the bricks are the problem, as I said, all the rendering on the blockwork (about 30m2) is good, and usually my rendering is successful... The bricks are damp, but that is probably because the rain has been getting in the cracks in the render and not drying out.

So any advice on what I should do would be gratefully received. Is there a special key coat I should use? (Blue Grit?), maybe SS expanded mesh? I didn't use any lime, but never do...

Thanks in advance
 
Get some sbr and pour some into a bucket, mid in handfuls of cement till it turns into a slurry. Coat your bricks with this and let it dry. Coat again and apply your scratch coat when it’s tacky. Pva is for indoors not outdoors.
 
MarkBB said:
Hi all. I'm having problems with rendering some piers in a front garden. I built the piers and walls in this garden about 6 years ago, the walls with concrete blocks, the 2 piers with bricks. The rendering I did on all the concrete block walls is still fine, but it has fallen off the piers twice now.... the first time about 2 years after it was first done (I rendered it again then), and then again about 2 years after that. I cleaned it all off the other day, most of it came off really easily in big pieces. The bricks are cheap face bricks, can't remember exactly what type (not flettons or engineering). The second time I rendered it was careful with preparing the bricks (cleaning, PVA etc.) and with the mix - 6:1, waterproofer in the scratch coat etc..

Obviously the bricks are the problem, as I said, all the rendering on the blockwork (about 30m2) is good, and usually my rendering is successful... The bricks are damp, but that is probably because the rain has been getting in the cracks in the render and not drying out.

So any advice on what I should do would be gratefully received. Is there a special key coat I should use? (Blue Grit?), maybe SS expanded mesh? I didn't use any lime, but never do...

Thanks in advance
Click to expand...
Six and one? Bloody hell how do you get a weaker mix for the top coat? You are lucky you don’t have to do it every week because of the cats licking it off. Three and one then no stronger for the top coat, slightly weaker
 
MarkBB said:
Hi all. I'm having problems with rendering some piers in a front garden. I built the piers and walls in this garden about 6 years ago, the walls with concrete blocks, the 2 piers with bricks. The rendering I did on all the concrete block walls is still fine, but it has fallen off the piers twice now.... the first time about 2 years after it was first done (I rendered it again then), and then again about 2 years after that. I cleaned it all off the other day, most of it came off really easily in big pieces. The bricks are cheap face bricks, can't remember exactly what type (not flettons or engineering). The second time I rendered it was careful with preparing the bricks (cleaning, PVA etc.) and with the mix - 6:1, waterproofer in the scratch coat etc..

Obviously the bricks are the problem, as I said, all the rendering on the blockwork (about 30m2) is good, and usually my rendering is successful... The bricks are damp, but that is probably because the rain has been getting in the cracks in the render and not drying out.

So any advice on what I should do would be gratefully received. Is there a special key coat I should use? (Blue Grit?), maybe SS expanded mesh? I didn't use any lime, but never do...

Thanks in advance
Click to expand...

Welcome to the forum :D

We are currently undergoing software update so bear with us :D
 
Danny said:
Welcome to the forum :D

We are currently undergoing software update so bear with us :D
Click to expand...
Scud coat 2+1 sand and cement, scratch coat 3+1 sand and cement no waterproof use plastiser not to much just to make it workable, waterproof in the scratch coat kills suction and causes cracking, 4+1 in the finish coat with a shovel of lime for float finish , this is just a ballpark advice as no photos to quantify material good luck
 
Thanks for your replies, a slurry coat first seems to be the answer. If it doesn't stay on this time I'll just clad it in MDF and paint it, at least that will be easy to replace every year...
Cheers
 
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