Repair & Renovation Guide 61 product selection Basic parameters for choosing repair products All repair products should have compatible properties with the elements to be repaired (concrete, plaster etc.). The repair product(s) should be able to be applied easily and not require any attention or follow-up after the completion of the repair work. All people involved (contractor, engineer, workmen) must be familiar with the properties of the repair product(s) Also they should be knowledgeable of the products being used on the building they are working on and their compatibility with the repair products that might eventually be used in the building. The manufactured, industrialized repair products are created in such a way that they possess the required properties for the use intended for. Standardized repair products play a very important role in a successful application. The owner, the engineer, the contractor, the workmen are the people directly involved for the success in the repair work. The owner of the building must realize that maintenance is not a luxury and should be interested in its good condition so the building will maintain (or even increase) its commercial value for the duration of its life span. The engineer (or, in some cases, the experienced workman/contractor) identifies the needs for maintenance or repair, specifies the solutions, and supervises or even participates in its right implementation. The workmen and the rest of the employees are the ones applying the products, and their knowledge, experience, and craftsmanship will largely determine the work’s success. They are the ones who realize the important role that the maintenance of a building plays and the benefits that one derives from it. The essential parameters for the selection of a cementitious repair product are: • To have low or no shrinkage. • To have durability against moisture and frost. • To have good workability. • To have the necessary adhesion properties on the repairing element. • To have high durability against mechanical stresses. • To allow relative movement, particularly when sealing cracks, making spot-repairs in plaster, etc. • To require little or no care after hardening/ curing. • To be waterproof but at the same time water vapor permeable. • The finished surface of the completed repair should match aesthetically the surrounding elements. • To have an acceptable cost (relative to the benefits provided). • To have durability over time, and not be adversely affected by ultraviolet radiation, very high or very low temperatures, etc. • To not be hazardous during application and after, for both the user and the environment. Maintaining, repairing, and restoring the damage to a building is not always an easy job. In several cases, this can be very costly. The success of the project, therefore, always depends on the correct diagnosis, an in-depth study, knowledge of the problems facing the building, using the correct methodology, and complying with specified standards for applying and completing the requested work. REPAIR MORTARS The tried and tested choice!
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