Lime pointing / Hessian question

[Sam333]

just finished repointing the cottage - we have had very mild weather up here in Scotland, and the pointing has already started to go off. At the end of next week temperatures are going to drop to below zero. Do I need to wrap the cottage in hessian after the pointing has already had about 10 days of curing ? Will the dry outer skin protect the internal (possibly still wet ) render ?

Thanks!

 

[a twig]

Re-pointing externally in November is bold!

I’d definitely be hanging hessian and possibly thinking about hanging something like a concrete curing blanket overnight.

 

[a twig]

NHL based or putty/air lime based mortar?

 

[Sam333]

NHL based or putty/air lime based mortar?

It’s NHL 3.5 would have ideally had it all done a month ago but had a few emergencies to deal with. The gable end will have had two weeks of mild weather by the time the temp drops, the front about 7-10 days. I do have the hessian just unsure if it will make that much difference if the limes already half cured ?

 

[a twig]

As always - the short answer is “it depends”

If you have the hessian why not hang it anyway at least for the upcoming cold snap?

 

[stuart45]

They did some tests on cement mortar a few years ago, and found that freezing conditions affected the final strength in varying degrees up to 28 days after it's final set, so I guess it pays to be on the cautious side.