The ClayClay Shop in Bembridge, Isle of Wight now open

Clay Clay, the Shop that displays and sells clay products such as York Handmade Bricks, Handmade Pavers, Terracotta Floor Tiles, Flower pots, Reclaimed Terracotta Finials, Wine stackers, Brick Toy Kits and Clay Cooking Utensils. In High St, Bembridge Isle of Wight.The York Handmade Brick Sales Southern Office, with full product displays, of
The York Handmade Brick Co Ltd -.
UK’s Largest privately owned Genuine Handmade Brick Co.
Established in 1987. The Company manufactures over 100,000 (8 houses worth)‘old looking’ handmade bricks per week from clay out of their own quarry just north of York. They make a full range of metric and imperial bricks with specials for new build and brick matching. The ‘oldest looking’ brick on the Market with York Handmade Brick houses and projects which you can see in Brading, St. Lawrence, Seaview, Newton, Ningwood, Springvale, Godshill, Roud, and Yarmouth.

Also on Display and Sale:

York Handmade Pavers,
Terracotta Floor Tiles in various sizes and textures
Hand thrown Flower Pots.
Toy brick kits including re-useable mortar. Construct different buildings from real bricks and cement with bowl and trowel, plastic doors /windows.
Chicken Bricks for the oven -Terracotta clay is a porous material which, when soaked in water and then heated in the oven, provides a slow evaporation of steam from the pores, creating a steamy enclosed environment - Perfect for achieving succulent, tender and full-flavoured roasts
Clay Garlic Graters, Pizza Bakers, Herb Markers, Egg racks, Salt pigs, Wine Coolers and Wine Stackers
Reclaimed Finials, Roof Tiles, Garden Edgings, Terracotta Balustrading from Acer Reclamation in West St, Ryde.

Advice on re-pointing of old brickwork

Question : Some of the brickwork in my home needs re-pointing. I’m not sure of the exact age of my home, but I do know that the walls are solid with no cavity and that the bricks are fairly soft. A tradesman suggested a cement-based mortar, but with the addition of some lime, which apparently gives the mortar greater plasticity. And it will help it blend in with those areas that don’t need any pointing. Are they right? PJ, Glocs
Answer: Possibly the worst thing you could do would be to re-point using a cementatious mortar. Even one with lime added.
Older, softer bricks and stones were always laid with a lime mortar. This allowed any moisture within the wall to evaporate through the mortar rather than the walling medium. Inevitably, over time, the action of the weather would mean that the mortar would recede and therefore need re-pointing. But this was by design.
If you replace the lime mortar with a cement mortar, then it will be stronger than the bricks. It will also block the egress of any moisture and, instead of the mortar dying back it will be the bricks or stones that flake off and spall.
Traditional lime mortar is made by mixing one part lime putty, which is available in 55lb (25kg) tubs, with 3.5 parts well-graded sharp washed sand. Adding a pozzolan of burnt dry clay, one part to eight of mortar, can aid the setting in an exterior situation. The tubs will cost about £8.70, and a semi-skilled person could expect to re-point about two square metres a day.
David Snell Daily Telegraph 14th October 2010