Lime and Cement
Lump lime should always be stored in a covered box to keep it dry. This box should have a hinged opening on one side, at the bottom, from which the lime may be conveniently removed. Lump lime should be slaked at least a week before used to allow for thorough hydration and cooling. Hydrated lime and cement should be carefully protected from the weather by stacking the sacks on planks laid on the ground and by a covering of planks and tarpaulin.
Sand
The sand pile should be located as near the mortar box as possible for convenience in handling. In case the sand needs screening, an the sand pile should be located at such a distance from the mortar box that when the sand is thrown through the sieve, it will form a pile adjacent to the mortar box.
Wetting Common Brick
All brick, especially the softer grades of common brick, should be thoroughly wetted just before being placed in the wall, but not made so wet as to cause sliding on the mortar. The object of this wetting is to prevent the bricks from absorbing moisture from the mortar which must be allowed to dry slowly so as to obtain a good bond. If they are laid dry, the bricks will quickly take up a large amount of water from the mortar, preventing proper setting and adhesion. Water increases the weight of brick and consequently the labor of handling, so that some workmen are inclined to lay them dry. This should not be allowed except in freezing weather, when the conditions require quicker setting. Good mortar bond is essential to a good wall.
Work Done in Cold Weather
In latitudes where the winter temperature is prevailingly below freezing, all material for mortar, including water, should be heated. If this is done, the mortar will take its initial set before it freezes and no damage will result. In extremely cold weather, added precautions should be taken in case of footings by protecting them with manure. The following suggestions will be found useful for cold weather work.
When being laid the brick should be thoroughly dry; and if possible warmed. No bricks with ice on them should be laid in the wall, and cement or cement-lime mortar should be used to get quick setting. For heating sand and gravel, a corrugated sheet metal culvert, about 20 inches in diameter and about 10 feet long, may be used. A wood fire is built in the ends of the pipe over which the sand and gravel are piled. This easy and simple method will melt all frozen lumps in the material and dry out the resulting moisture.
Where city water pressure is available, the water may be heated in a coil attached to the main and large enough to have a fire built in the center, a very simple and efficient method which any plumber can easily install. Place a sheet-iron guard around the coil to conserve the heat. This equipment proves very satisfactory, as it warms the water as fast as it is drawn off through the hose. The entire installation may be found on the market at a comparatively small cost. Without such an arrangement the water may be heated in an ordinary iron kettle over a wood fire. Water should never be heated to the boiling point, as too high a temperature will injure the setting properties of the mortar.