1

I managed to sneak on the construction site of my future apartment and noticed a large puddle of water where my apartment is. The first row of bricks is already wet as you can see in the picture.

enter image description here

The next step in construction is to set the plaster on the walls which in my (inexperienced) opinion should be done after the bricks are fully dry.

Before I call the constructor site manager (on a Saturday) and ask him to clear up all the water, I want to know if this is a problem or not.

| improve this question | |
  • Plaster is pretty water-permeable, so I'm guessing in a few weeks any water absorbed by the bricks will be gone. – Daniel Griscom Feb 20 '16 at 12:47
  • @DanielGriscom: given the porous material the brick is made of, wouldn't exposure to water for a prolonged time rot the brick? – noob Feb 20 '16 at 12:51
  • 2
    Water doesn't rot bricks in any timeframe that we're talking about here. Don't phone anyone on a Saturday about this -- this is a non-issue. – Aloysius Defenestrate Feb 20 '16 at 14:21
  • @AloysiusDefenestrate is right: the bricks could be wet for centuries and it wouldn't harm the bricks. If it were honestly wet for more than a few days then you might get mold problems, but even that doesn't seem likely. – Daniel Griscom Feb 20 '16 at 16:06
1

If you mean mortar or cement-based parging then yes this is a somewhat acceptable situation for that. If you actually mean plastering then definitely no way & no plastering should ever be done until the interior is weather-tight.

Either way you have a slightly defective slab, which is normal, ideally no water should be "puddling" anywhere. I side with you though, this should be vacuumed up or swept away for the brick to be dry before application of anything.

If you're allowed on the site, then take care of it yourself with a push or pivot broom & keep an eye on it & the rest of what the crews are doing.

| improve this answer | |

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.