We often consider how to work around cold temperatures and winter weather during masonry restoration. However, we can’t forget that hot weather can also pose difficulties. Boston is undoubtedly more famous for its harsh winters, but as those of us who live in this area know, it can also get very hot in the summertime. When our team at Abbot Building Restoration takes on a Boston masonry restoration project in the summer, we have to consider the weather.
Let’s examine how hot weather affects our masonry restoration projects in Boston and our best practices for dealing with these conditions.
Effects of High Temperatures on Mortar
High temperatures have the greatest impact on the mortar. Here are some of the most significant effects:
- Reduced workability
- Requiring more water to improve workability
- Faster evaporation rates
- Less entrained air due to faster evaporation
- Units absorbing more moisture from the mortar
Rapid drying due to high temperatures makes mortar harder to work with. It can also result in a lack of sufficient water for the hydration of cement in the mortar, reducing mortar strength. Exposed mortar surfaces are particularly vulnerable. When evaporation occurs, it removes moisture more rapidly from the outer surface of a mortar joint. Less entrained air (air bubbles in the mortar) can also weaken the mortar, making it more susceptible to damage during freeze-thaw cycles.
Hot Weather Masonry Practices
Our team employs a series of practices to combat the challenges posed by hot weather. Here are some of the most common tactics we use:
- Selecting workable, water-retentive mortar mixes
- Scheduling construction to avoid hot, midday periods
- Minimizing exposure of materials and equipment to direct sunlight
- Using cool water to mix mortar
- Maintaining sand piles in damp, loose condition
- Flushing metal equipment and wood mortar boards with cool water before contact with fresh mortar
- Pre-wetting clay masonry units if they have high absorption
- Spreading mortar as close to the work time as possible
- Placing upper units on the mortar bed as quickly as possible
- Using windbreaks, fog sprays, or wall coverings to ensure adequate moisture
Masonry Restoration Experts in Boston | Abbot Building Restoration
Our team at Abbot Building Restoration has decades of experience performing expert masonry restoration in Boston. We use our skills and experience to restore and preserve the historic building façades in and around the city.
