skylerrobinson•20d agoProlific Poster

Spent three hours trying to fix a mortar joint that kept crumbling

I was working on a retaining wall in my backyard last Saturday and the mortar just wouldn't hold up in one spot. Turns out I had mixed it too dry and didn't wet the bricks enough beforehand. Has anyone else dealt with a batch that just falls apart no matter what you do?

2 comments

2 Comments

mark_mitchell20d ago

That third row from the bottom is where I've seen this happen most, and I'm pretty sure it's because the bricks are sucking the moisture out before the mortar can cure right. I had a similar issue on a garden path near Boise last summer, and what really helped was pre-wetting the bricks with a spray bottle like an hour before I mixed anything. Even then, I'd check the consistency by doing a thumbprint test, if it crumbles it's too dry. Maybe also try a type N mortar mix instead of S if you're dealing with soft old brick, that stuff breathes better and doesn't crack up as fast.

shanem3720d ago

@mark_mitchell nailed it with the pre-wetting tip, that's the real fix.