pointing

[Frogslegs]

We renovated a gite last year, apart from the electrics my husband and help from me did it ourselves. But due to bookings had to leave the pointing untill now. I have spoken to french neighbours who say sable, lime and water. No 2 sable or Loire, I believe. But we do not want it too white! Creamy colour is nice. So is this correct? Many people say just buy the ready mixed bag and add water but this sounds expensive?

[hardhat]

its the sand that gives it the colour,try a few very small mixes and let it go off

[Punch]

You can buy colourants that you add to the sand/ lime mix. You have to be very meticulous with your measurements. Even a teaspooon too much colourant can alter the colour of each batch. Another tip is to order more than enough sand that you think you need, as sand batches can vary in colour too.

The ready mixed bags are the better solution beacause they contain lime, hydrofuge and are always the same colour - so you can do a batch six months later and be guaranteed the same colour match.

 

[1938]

funnily enough i was about to post on this, can anyone tell me the french name for the ready mixed stuff, and how easy is it to use ?

[Thumper]

and, on a similar note, can anyone advise me on the correct mix for using on Tufo/Tuffeau stone (I may have the spelling wrong there, of course, one being Italian, the other more likely French)? Our cottage has been largely repointed using a conventional concrete style mortar which will need chipping out, but I fancy trying my hand at the repointing myself.

[Juswundrin]

[quote user="1938"]funnily enough i was about to post on this, can anyone tell me the french name for the ready mixed stuff, and how easy is it to use ?[/quote]

Hi 1938

It's called "Procalit", though I think there are other brands.

HTH

[SC]

Weber and Broutin terralit F was recommended to me by a large branch of Point as they had had problems with Parex (a cheaper product) and no longer stocked it. However as lots of posts here have recommended Parex, one should take Point's recommendation to me with a pinch of salt.
Terralit F is expensive at around 21 euros TTC a 25KG bag less any discount you can achieve, it usually has to be ordered specially as there are so many colours available, and if you don't like it, they won't take it back.
Having said all that, we find it to be an excellent product, and would use it again regardless of the price. Repointing a house is a daunting DIY task for a couple, but if you buy 'poches' (like an icing bag), cut the corner off at about 2cm wide, and mix the terralit much wetter than you would for trowelling, you'll find the product flows, sticks and builds beautifully. For easy to reach areas you can apply the stuff to wetted joints with little waste, virtually as fast as your helper can fill the bags.
You brush it in where necessary with a paint brush, then wait until it is hard before brushing it over with a dogs tooth scrubbing brush. If you want you could apply it with a poche, and then trowel it if the brushed finish doesn't appeal, but any trowelled cement product can vary in finished colour according to the amount of trowelling.
Choosing the colour can be difficult, as with paint finishes the colour can be stronger and brighter than the colour chart suggests, and it's a different colour when wet, so don't be shy about ordering just one bag to try first. We took along a clean sample of the original mortar to compare with the sample 'swatches?' of the product in the showroom.

For tender stone such as tuffeau in the Touraine, the Weber et Broutin recommended product for jointing is arcaline 2 TF.

sc

[zeb]

Hi - we used Parex and would use it again. The cost was 13 euros for a 25 Kg sack. We found that although there is an extensive colour chart, our local builders' merchants only stock the two or three colours which go with the local stone. Suited us.

Good luck and yes, it is a daunting task and took us around three weekends but our huge barn/sitting room wall now looks stunning. We employed someone to do the exterior and he also used Parex.

[lumpy]

i worked for a macon for about 6 months and spent weeks pointing ... 12  13 litre buckets of sand (02) 1 sack of batidol chaux 35 kg and a bit of ciment blanc about quarter of a bucket  mix it sticky,and bobs yer mothers live in lover

ps we had a big mixer 

[dodgey dave]

What do you know , white ciment, a bit of sand to colour, and the whole of my walls look great.

Why buy expensive bits when sand and ciment blanc do the trick!!

And yes Bod is a friend of my Nans logder!![8-)]

Some times I think we like spending money!!  

 

 

 

[lumpy]

the chaux lets the old stone work breathe, the cement will retain  water and cause damp problems. but what do i know? i have only been working for thirty odd years which is probably long enough to learn to do the job right the first time, after all lime isnt that expenive...