Strucsol Grout Crack Stitch Kit (10M)

Crack Stitch Kit using grout instead of resin for a more flexible, time-friendly solution

There is a common misconception that grout cannot be used with lime mortar; however, our HS grout is polymer modified and thixotropic, which means it does not leach into the lime mortar. This makes it approved and safe for use with lime mortar. Our Strucsol HS grout has been used in the repair of listed buildings for many years and is tried, tested and approved by structural engineers for use. This crack stitch kit, also referred to as a helical bar kit or stitching kit, contains everything you need to complete your crack stitch repair.

Why use grout instead of resin?

More time to work

Grout has a slightly longer set time, giving you more time to work with it if you are new to crack stitching. The initial set time can be up to 1 hour, depending on ambient temperature; hotter days mean it will set faster.

More durable

Our grout is non-shrink and will expand very nominally, helping the grout and helical bar bond extremely well into the bed joint for a more permanent repair. Most resins, except for EASF resin and pure epoxy resin, shrink as they set and while they still work for the job, they are not the strongest form of repair.

Choice of consistency

When mixing the grout, you have more choice over how smooth or thick you would like the mixture to be. Additional water can be added if required.

Ease of use and neater

A grout gun can hold more volume than a resin tube, meaning less stopping and changing tubes as you go along. It is also neater to apply, as you do not have to work as quickly as you would with resin.

Kit contains:

• x1 tub of Strucsol High Strength grout
• x1 grout applicator gun
• x1 additional stainless steel nozzle for improved reliability and application
• x1 mixing whisk
• x10pcs Strucsol stainless steel helical bar
• x1 pointing trowel

Crack stitch repair process

• Using a mortar raking blade on a 4 1/2 inch angle grinder (available separately) is equally effective and much cheaper in small volumes. Dust extraction covers can be fitted to your grinder and attached to more readily available dust extraction units.
• Mortar raking blades can also be attached to your 4 1/2 inch grinder to ease the joint preparation process.
• Once the joint is prepared, the wires are offered up to the prepared slot, making sure they fit well within the joint. If you're happy with the sizing, remove the wire and prepare to grout the back of the slot.
• The grout, which needs no added water, is mixed in the provided bucket. When the grout is smooth it is transferred into the back of the assembled grout gun using the largest of the trowels.
• A bead of grout is piped into the back of the prepared slot, then the wire is pushed into the slot using the smallest of the trowels.
• Another bead of grout is applied over the top of the bar, making certain the bar is covered.
• The grout is then pressed into the slot using a finger trowel, leaving a recess of around 10mm to repoint over the top of the structural repair.

For a full and comprehensive guide on completing crack stitch repairs, please visit the guide here

Note: The removal of the mortar bed joint is the most difficult part of the process. Professional contractors doing these repairs on a daily basis tend to use dust free cutting systems, the best of which we believe is made by Hilti, model DCSE20 with an accompanying dust extraction system. If you have a lot of these repairs to do, it may be worth considering hiring one of these from your local tool hire company.