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TIPS AND TRICKS
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THIS
PAGE HAS BEEN INCLUDED TO PROVIDE INFORMATION ON LAYING LIMESTONE
IN VARIOUS SITUATIONS, IF YOU REQUIRE FURTHER ASSISTANCE,
PLEASE CONTACT LIMESTONE RESOURCES VIA THE FEEDBACK
CONTACTS PAGE
To
assist us to provide the most appropriate tips and tricks, your
advice and requests would be appreciated. If the advice you
seek is not on this page or the Q & A page, please make contact
with us through the e-mail feedback form
or contacts page and ask your
question. Your request will be answered by e-mail or telephone
and appropriate tips will be included on this page.
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Click
on your choice of subject below to be taken to that section of
this page
or
scroll down through the page to see all tips
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SIMPLE
TIPS ON LAYING LIMESTONE BLOCKS
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Stretcher
Bond design
Limestone
can be cut to any shape or size using an angle grinder with
a masonry cut off disk, easily obtainable at most hire firms,
however if the common stretcher bond coursing as shown above
is used, no cutting is required as half blocks are available
for delivery with the full blocks.
Suggested
mortar mix
6
parts yellow brick layers (brickies) sand,
1 part lime, 1 part off white cement
Note:
This
is based on sand available in Perth, however as the sand colour
may vary in different regions, advice from local brick layers
may assist in sourcing the most suitable sand to achieve the
desired mortar colour.
Mortar
joints
Keep
mortar vary according to the type of stone used, however as
a general guide, mortar joints for landscaping blocks should
be about 20 to 25 mm while joints used in housing construction
should be 10 to 12 mm.
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Flush
joints are possibly the easiest joint is
to create by using a trowel to remove excess mortar
back to the level of the face of the stone.
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Rolled
joints where an inexpensive tool, available
at hardware stores is used to depress the mortar
in a concave manner.
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Raked
joints, also created with an inexpensive
tool available at hardware stores, is an excellent
way to actually feature each stone when using good
stone with good firm edges.
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Rock Face Finish
An experienced English Stonemason taking advantage of modern
air operated equipment to "rock face" limestone
quoins. This is much faster than the time consuming convential
manner using traditional hand tools to create a rock faced
finish as a feature.
This equipment can be hired from some hire companies.
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RETAINING
WALLS
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Typical
design
1
metre high retaining wall
Formula:
Base
width = 40% to 50% of the face height for walls over 700mm
in height.
We
strongly recommend you contact your local council or building
authority to clarify local requirements before proceeding.
Note:
A
screen wall does not require backfill however for long term
stability, adequate footings should be used.
Tip:
In
many cases good quality second grade blocks can be used to
create a footing and for backfill (Blocks behind main face
of the wall)
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Retaining
walls less than 700mm in height
For
retaining walls less than 700mm in height, no backfill is
required unless the area to be retained is under considerable
pressure.
Low
garden retaining walls
In
many cases one block will give sufficient height, stability
and prove to be an extremely simple inexpensive maintenance
free method to use.
Tip:
To
prevent discolouration by water seeping through the wall,
plastic sheeting can be placed behind the wall prior to placing
fill behind the wall. Consideration should also be given
to sealing the exposed surfaces of the wall with Waterepel
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Typical garden retaining
wall with bullnose capping
Sugestion:
a) Before backfilling with sand/soil, place
heavy duty black plastic or similar against the back of
the wall to prevent water penetration.
b) Seal the exposed face of the stone with
waterpel
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Sealing
retaining walls
Render
or seal the inside of any limestone retaining wall to prevent
moisture seeping through and eventually discolour the face
stone.
'Sila
Seal' or similar products are suitable product for sealing
the rear of larger retaining walls.
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SEALING
LIMESTONE
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NOTE: Limestone should be cleaned prior
to sealing. For more information on cleaning and
sealing limestone,
click here
Limestone
Sealant
To
retain the original appearance of limestone, the
use of a limestone sealant should be applied to
the exposed areas.
Limestone
Sealant 'Waterepel' provides a water resistant
finish without effecting the natural colour of limestone.
Applying
'Waterepel'
Limestone
should be free of dust and dry prior to sealing.
A low-pressure garden spray or similar device is
ideal. Apply from the top of the stone and work
down the wall.
For areas close to windows and doors the sealant
can be applied using a paint brush.
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Fixing cladding
Limestone cladding is fixed to most surfaces by the
use of adhesives. The two major glues available are
the standard glues used to fix ceramic tiles to wall
and flooring and a flexible glue (such as 'Resinflex'
from Henry Morgan Adhesives) that will allow movement
in both surfaces and is water proof. The second product
is most suitable for use on timber framed homes, outdoor
areas and high moisture areas such as water features.
Both types of glue are easy to use.
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The normal thickness of the glue is 10mm
which will allow for variations in the surface the cladding
is being fixed to. The glue is placed on the cladding
in five areas, that is in each of the four corners and
in the centre of the cladding tile. By placing the glue
in dollops, it allows the cladding to be placed on the
surface and pressed in to achieve correct positioning
of the cladding tile. The glue behind the tile is compressed
and spreads when pressing the cladding tile against the
surface, this forms a solid bond. The same method is used
for both butt and mortar joint finishes. |
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If extra restraining is required, as could be the case
of walls several metres high, a stainless steel dowel
can be used for support where necessary. This can be
done by drilling a hole (preferably on a 45 degree downward
angle) into the wall and inserting a short dowel in
a position that will take the weight of the cladding
tile. This dowel should be positioned in the mortar
joint and be short enough to be covered by mortar when
the job has been completed.
The mortar joint thickness should be the same as bricks,
at 12-13mm thick.
When necessary, cladding can be easily cut with a masonry
cut off disk.
It is best not to exceed 1.5 metres in height each
day of laying, as this will allow time for the glue
to cure. This is good practice in mortar joint type
finishes as it gives a firm base to start from on the
following day.
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