Frost on the way? What a builder in Milton Keynes checks before the mortar goes on

White frost on the pavement in Tickford Street, and you’ve got a bricklayer booked Monday to start the walls on your extension. Should he go ahead? Construction UK Magazine ran a list this week of six cold-weather checks that sites should complete before work begins, and they’re worth repeating for anyone planning building work around Milton Keynes this winter.

First, look at the programme. Masonry, concrete pours, adhesives and paint are the jobs that suffer first. Young concrete can be badly damaged if the water in it freezes, and cold slows strength gain even when it doesn’t freeze. Plenty of mortar data sheets say stop at 2°C and falling, and the NHBC Standards expect proper precautions for cold-weather masonry. In practice that means hessian and polythene over the new brickwork at night, and bagged sand kept covered.

Second, stored materials. A bag of cement or a tub of adhesive left outside on a frosty night can look fine and still be outside the manufacturer’s range. Check the data sheet, not the label on the front. The same goes for plasterwork. Thistle MultiFinish won’t behave on a frozen background, and most plastering wants the room above 5°C with the heating on.

Third, getting about safely. The HSE says to spot the places that ice over: entrances, shaded drives, wet corners and slopes, say round Great Linford or the older lanes in Newport Pagnell. Ladders, scaffold boards and edge protection need checking for frost before anyone steps on them, and cables, plugs and battery tools need a look for damp. If access can’t be made safe, the work waits. A good builder will tell you that straight, and you should be glad when he does.

Mason Property Services Ltd handles extensions, garage conversions, double glazing, kitchens and bathrooms around Milton Keynes and Newport Pagnell. If you’re thinking of getting something started before the weather turns, it’s worth a chat at masonpropertyservicesltd.co.uk.

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