Changed my mind about mortar mixing after a job in Albany last month

I always mixed my mortar by the book, adding water slowly and keeping it stiff. But we were on this big wall at a church in Albany and the old timer running the job says nah, wet it up more and let it sit for 20 minutes. I thought he was crazy, figured it would just slump and make a mess. But he showed me how the extra water helps it stick to the brick better and you get less cracking later. I tried it on my next section and honestly, the bricks just laid in smoother with way less fuss. Plus the joints cleaned up easier, which saved me a ton of time at the end of the day. Anybody else ever break the rules on mixing and have it work out better?

2 comments

2 Comments

wesley3851d ago

Jumped on board with this last year on a job in Richmond. Had a batch I thought was too loose, let it slake for half an hour like the old guys said, and it was the smoothest mud I ever worked with. Less trowel drag and the bricks stuck way better than my usual stiff mix. Been doing it ever since, even on small jobs.

cameronn621d agoMost Upvoted

Half hour seems like a lot of time to just let mud sit. You're not worried about it drying out before you even get it on the wall?