Message text written by david west on "BP - \"Is this the list with all the
ivy haters?\""
>  However, the stone indents are quicker - because I don't make them cure
the indents for several days - and this saves them money.  On one project,
the contractor voluntarily substituted stone indents for patches because it
saved him time!!!<

Now, David, if you had been using a latex-modified repair mortar you could
have eliminated most if not all of that wet curing!

>Note that when I spec patch repair, I require dressing back of the stone
to sound material, and use of stainless steel dowels and reinforcement in
the patch on all but the smallest of patches ... which makes it more
difficult for the patch repair man!<

Stainless steel dowels should only be used on patches more than about 2"
(50 cm?) in depth. That's because patches, like properly placed concrete
construction, should cover the end of the dowels with at least 1/2 to 3/4"
depth for latex-modified repair mortar, 1" for unmodified mortar. So unless
the repairs are pretty deep, dowels are unlikely to be properly covered and
as a result they may tend to induce cracking. As for reinforcement, I have
seen problems with maintaining proper cover there as well, particularly on
windy sites. Low shrinkage/low modulus repair mortars should be able to
endure without additional reinforcement, as long as the spacing between the
dowels is kept reasonably tight.

Mike E.