How do you generate a dovetail cut to patch a crack surrounded by concrete block? If I have a horizontal crack on a concrete block foundation and...
If I have a horizontal crack on a concrete block foundation and I am told to sort a dovetail cut prior to applying the cement how would the dovetail cut look if I am facing the block from the front ? Do I chisel above and below the crack ?
Answers: You would chisel out the crack the width of your chisel (about an inch or so) and roughly 1/2 inch deep. You next backcut the chiseled area to engineer a groove that will hold the cement. This picture illustrates what I'm conversation about.
http://www.kighthomecenter.com/build_tip...
When I did this, I used a chipping gun to product the initial groove and an angle grinder with an rough disk to make the backcut.
as long as the crack isn't compromising structural integrity, the mutual is the best place for this. just lug an angle grinder and run along the top and bottom of the joint. adjectives you need to do is form the groove wider at the inside than the front but don't go too weighty, if you knock out all the unified, you wont have any protection to point your mud against and you'll just be pushing it down inside the wall. so, grind out a bit into the bottom of the top block, and the top of the bottom block but not too sharp cause after the edges of the block can break off. if its not too long a crack, you can simply use your fingers and pack it full of mud (mortar) you're gonna want the mud to be pretty stiff. if you have closely to do, get yourself a tuck pointer, its not immensely expensive. then strike it past its sell-by date and you're done.