City Council Watch On Mortar

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31119, 23 July 1966, Page 1

City Council Watch On Mortar

The Christchurch City Council has issued a circular advising minimum standards in the mixing of mortar to ensure that sufficient strength is obtained. Officers of the Paparua County Council and Waimairi County Council have already complained about the use of substandard mortar in dwellings.

The Paparua County Council called a special meeting of other interested local bodies and organisations to discuss mortar strengths. It is understood that some investigations showed mortar strengths to be badly down. The special meeting requested the Canterbury Master Builders’ Association to ask their members to watch mortar strengths. The City Council circular tells blocklayers and bricklayers what is required in mortar quality, and the basic minimum strength requirements. The executive officer of the Canterbury Master Builders' Association (Mr C. M. Wishart), confirming that his association had received a circular from the City Council, said that all members would be advised of the mortar standards. In Waimairi, one dwelling was recently condemned and

two partly condemned, on the ground of poor workmanship. In two Paparua dwellings the veneer had to be demolished and re-erected because of poor workmanship. Some of the factors involved at Waimairi were inadequate measurement of cement, improper mixing, and a poor preparation of materials. “Complaints had been made by contractors about the quality of ready-mixed mortars. At Paparua, compression tests taken of mortar in houses showed that the standard fell far below requirements. “The president of the Canterbury Master Builders' Association (Mr R. A. Husband) yesterday said that the association would support the City Council in its move to ensure mortar strengths. “It helps to maintain a good standard of workmanship,” said Mr Husband.