Working on Masonry... Pay Attention to the Surface Temperature!

Apr 25

Written By Michael Liguori, Senior Technical Specialist | Jahn Trainer

As the seasons change and the weather starts to warm, we're all gearing up for a busy and successful restoration year. But, it's not always warm, sometimes it's damn hot. And that's when you can get yourself in trouble.

Is it too hot or too cold? Are we in the sun or the shade? Will it go below freezing tonight? The list goes on and on.

Keep in mind, the surface temperature can be much higher than the ambient air temperature.

Here's an example of an 80°F day in April (air temp). We're at a job site in Philadelphia, PA (side note: two days later it was 45°F and raining). We're preparing to coat the stained bricks with a CSP Potassium Silicate coating.

Look at the difference in temperatures! 81°F on the shady side of the wall and 115°F on the sunny side. That's a difference of 34°F! In April!

The truth is: too hot is just as bad as too cold. If the surface temperature is too hot, chances are good that the product you are applying will flash dry and fail. If it's too cold, products can take 2, 3, even 4 times longer to work (that's if they work at all).

So, on hot days, always work ahead of the sun and in the shade if at all possible.

Best Practices = Best Results!

And if you’re curious, here’s a before/after of the work we did that day.