Masonry Solutions

Diamond Bar

News and Insights on Masonry Repair and Maintenance of Institutional, Commercial, and Condominium Buildings in Eastern Massachusetts   
 



Vol.5 No. 1

   March 2013    


Greetings!


Welcome to the first issue of Masonry Solutions for 2013. We are optimistic that the year ahead will be a successful one for our clients, and look forward to continuing to provide useful information and helpful insights on masonry restoration.

In this issue, our Case Study article describes our recent restoration of a 5-story mixed-use brick building at 76 Batterymarch in the heart of downtown Boston. Coming "full circle", Abbot had coincidentally performed masonry work on the building for a previous owner back in the mid-1980s.

Our Masonry 101 article focuses on the reasons fro choosing a an appropriate mortar strength for your masonry project.


We trust that you will benefit from the information provided in this publication. If you have any comments or questions, or would like an estimate on a masonry repair project, we can be reached at

617-445-0274 or at www.abbotbuilding.com.  

  

Sincerely,

  

Michael Norman, President
Abbot Building Restoration Company, Inc.

 

Case Studies  

Abbot Restores 5-Story Mixed-Use Brick Building in the Heart of Downtown Boston 

Abbot recently completed restoration of top two floors of a five-story brick mixed-use building located at 76 Batterymarch in the heart of downtown Boston, MA. Originally a commercial property, the building was converted to condominiums back in the mid-1980s. During that conversion, Abbot had performed limited masonry work to repair various defects as directed by the owner. After the construction, the units were sold for private residential and some commercial usage.


Over the years, the building had experienced increasing water infiltration problems, primarily around the top two floors. Coincidentally, in the Spring of 2012, Abbot was contacted by the association's management company, Sun Property Group (Boston, MA), to address the water infiltration issues.

After a comprehensive investigation by Abbot and Sun Property Group, Abbot was contracted to repoint all of the brick on the top two floors, caulk the perimeter of the windows in that area, and apply a water repellent coating to the brick surfaces. One of the complexities of job was to match the red color of the original mortar used on the building. The new mortar used by Abbot was manufactured to meet these original color specifications.
  

Masonry 101

When it Comes to Mortar Strength, Stronger is Not Necessarily Better  

Quite simply, stronger is not always better when it comes to mortar. The rule of thumb is that a normal strength mortar should be the first choice. Mortars having moderate or lower strength are often preferred because they have the ability to deform slightly under load, handling small movements with minimal cracking. Only if there is a compelling reason to choose otherwise should a different mortar type be specified.

 

Mortar Strength
Mortar strength testing involves compressive pressure measurement  
 

The property that describes a material's deformation under loading is called the "modulus of elasticity". Generally, higher strength materials have a higher modulus of elasticity. Therefore, higher strength mortars tend to crack more than lower strength mortars.

 

Mortar is made with aggregates, water, and a binder. Cementitious materials, which react with water to set and harden, are the binders in mortar, and include portland cement, blended cement, masonry cement, mortar cement, and lime, alone or in combination with each other. Each material has its own ASTM specification.

 

Mortar bonds units together, and in order to do this effectively, it should be mixed with the maximum amount of water consistent with the ambient conditions and placing needs. A mason and the person mixing mortar will decide together on the best consistency for the job they are doing.

  

 

abbot logo
 

Abbot Building Restoration Company, Inc.

28 Allerton Street, Boston, MA 02119
Tel: 617-445-0274  � Fax: 617-445-0277

[email protected] www.abbotbuilding.com  

Featured Articles  

 

Case Studies

Abbot 's recently completed restoration of a 5-story mixed-use brick building in the heart of downtown Boston 

 

See full article below 

 

Masonry 101

When it comes to mortar strength, stronger is not always better. 

 

See full article below

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