Cold Weather stucco
A word about heaters and accelerators for cement mortar.
March 2015-Fairfax, Virginia
Too much calcium
chloride
used as an accelerator in cold weather can dissolve and bleed, staining the bricks or stucco.
Use of excessive amounts of Calcium Chloride in concrete foundations in
the old days has lead to premature deterioration.
White staining caused by Calcium Chloride use is a maintenance trap.
Not only do these bricks require
yearly cleaning, but the
mortar is deteriorating.
I took this
picture in Virginia (not
going to tell you what county) at
a brand new school that is almost
complete. This brick work was done
in November and December
Calcium chloride should be measured
adding no more than 2%
to 100 lbs. of portland
cement
A plastic heat tent
is one good solution without accelerators
or chemical additives.
These tents may fail due to high winds, but
they work fine for us in temperatures down to
10 degrees or so,Mortar is nice and warm, so it sets
properly and timely.
Worker comfort is a great benefit, because
people do better work when they are happy.
Maybe in warm climates this is of no concern,
but here in Northern Virginia, in the
Washington, DC area, cold weather protection
is vital.
