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Re: 28" Pompeii
I completed the dome today. It went much faster as the brick courses decreased in diameter. As you can tell from the photos, I ran out of FB50 and finished with Heatstop50.
FB50 vs. Heatstop50
-Heatstop is very creamy and is easy to work, resulting in small, tight joints. FB50 is not creamy, more like wet sand, thus the joints tend to be a bit wider. To completely fill them in you need may need to force mortar into the joint by slicing into it (a putty knife works well) as you spread mortar across the joint. For the Heatstop, just push on the brick and the mortar squeezes throughout the joint. In my opinion this is not a strike against the FB mortar, just a difference.
-Once the Heatstop-mortared brick is placed, it takes a while for its initial set, so it needs to be supported, especially as the bricks are set more vertically. The FB requires only about a minute (or less) of support, then the indespensible tool can be pulled. Furthermore, the next brick can be forced against the just-set brick with some force and it won't budge; the Heatstop-mortared brick(s) will move if just set, perhaps knocking them out of position.
-The Heatstop needs quite a bit of misting, especially on a warm day. The FB needed far less.
-Since I just used the Heatstop today, I cannot yet comment on cracking or bond strength. No cracks anywhere as of yet with the FB50, and its bond strength seem very good (I can't separate my test bricks, even by dropping them on concrete).
-Heatstop is light-colored; FB is quite dark, like charcoal.
-Heatstop50: 50lbs for ~$96 sold locally. FB50: 55lbs for ~$89 delivered.
All in all, I like both products and would use both again. The Heatstop consistency provides for smaller joints, so less is used. The FB, with its coarser sand, holds it position better as you set the brick and sets more quickly. Flip a coin. Either side wins.
Monday I'll begin the rest of the arch and chimney.
I completed the dome today. It went much faster as the brick courses decreased in diameter. As you can tell from the photos, I ran out of FB50 and finished with Heatstop50.
FB50 vs. Heatstop50
-Heatstop is very creamy and is easy to work, resulting in small, tight joints. FB50 is not creamy, more like wet sand, thus the joints tend to be a bit wider. To completely fill them in you need may need to force mortar into the joint by slicing into it (a putty knife works well) as you spread mortar across the joint. For the Heatstop, just push on the brick and the mortar squeezes throughout the joint. In my opinion this is not a strike against the FB mortar, just a difference.
-Once the Heatstop-mortared brick is placed, it takes a while for its initial set, so it needs to be supported, especially as the bricks are set more vertically. The FB requires only about a minute (or less) of support, then the indespensible tool can be pulled. Furthermore, the next brick can be forced against the just-set brick with some force and it won't budge; the Heatstop-mortared brick(s) will move if just set, perhaps knocking them out of position.
-The Heatstop needs quite a bit of misting, especially on a warm day. The FB needed far less.
-Since I just used the Heatstop today, I cannot yet comment on cracking or bond strength. No cracks anywhere as of yet with the FB50, and its bond strength seem very good (I can't separate my test bricks, even by dropping them on concrete).
-Heatstop is light-colored; FB is quite dark, like charcoal.
-Heatstop50: 50lbs for ~$96 sold locally. FB50: 55lbs for ~$89 delivered.
All in all, I like both products and would use both again. The Heatstop consistency provides for smaller joints, so less is used. The FB, with its coarser sand, holds it position better as you set the brick and sets more quickly. Flip a coin. Either side wins.
Monday I'll begin the rest of the arch and chimney.
) and there was some good info to be found. It seems that grinding a V-cut into the crack and filling it with
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