Bricklaying in hot and cold climates: Tips for laying bricks in extreme weather conditions

Bricklaying in extreme weather conditions requires certain considerations to ensure that the job is a success. Hot and cold climates can affect the bricklaying process, so it's best to know what conditions to work under if the weather takes a hot or cold turn. If bricks are not laid in a way that is appropriate to the weather conditions it may lead to poor brickwork, which can often be dangerous.

Applying different bricklaying procedures to hot and cold weather has everything to do with mortar; the substance holding the bricks together. Its ability to set in extreme weather conditions can be compromised if you're not aware of how to treat it. For the purpose of this article, cold refers to climates below 5°C, while hot refers to temperatures above 37°C.

Tips for bricklaying in hot weather

Hot weather can greatly affect the way that bricks set, especially in a country as prone to heat as Australia. Fortunately, if sufficient water is available, it is much easier to deal with bricklaying in hot weather than cold. There are a few things that you can do to make sure that your bricklaying doesn't go haywire in the heat:

• In hot weather, bricks with a high absorption rate will quite easily soak up too much moisture from the mortar, causing the adhesion and strength to be of lower quality. To avoid this, simply dampen the bricks.
• Remember to not dampen low absorption bricks. This can create too much fluid and an unstable wall.
• Mortar is a mixture of sand, water and a binder such as cement or lime. In hot weather, try using a mortar with high lime content.
• Whilst not in use keep mortar in a shaded area.
• Use cool water to mix and control mortar and grout.
• Keep mortar and grout at temperatures below 49°C and use within two hours of mixing.
• Ensure that you keep all equipment that comes into contact with mortar in a shaded area. Before using any mixers or mortar boards, pour some cool water over them before they come into contact with mortar.

Bricklaying in cold weather: How to lay bricks in cooler climates

Bricklaying in temperatures below 5°C can be quite difficult when it comes to your mixing materials. Fortunately, weather this cold is quite rare in Australia; however, should you be working in a particularly cold area, there are some simple tips that you can follow to ensure that your work's quality is not compromised in the cool conditions:

• Optimum heat should be maintained for mortar and grout to avoid slowing cement hydration. Anything between 5°C and 49°C is acceptable.
• Mix mortar in smaller amounts so that it can be used before it freezes or is affected by the cold weather. Use within two hours after mixing.
• Used heated sand and water for mixing mortar and grout.
• Avoid using mortar with a lime binder in cold weather.
• Make sure any brickwork is covered properly with plastic or hessian sheets before it has set in order to avoid freezing and other cold weather conditions.
• If the mortar used to lay bricks freezes before it has set, take down the bricks and rebuild.
• Admixtures such as inorganic salts can be used to accelerate the setting time of mortar and grout.

Whether it is hot or cold weather you're working in, remember to take down any brickwork that you think may be defective and rebuild. Dodgy brickwork can be extremely dangerous so it is very much worth starting again if something goes wrong in the bricklaying process.