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A contractor in Austin told me my mortar mix was too wet for the summer heat | Bricklayers - Vivisector

A contractor in Austin told me my mortar mix was too wet for the summer heat

He said I was adding almost a full quart extra water per bag to make it easier to spread. The problem was my joints were shrinking and cracking within a week on a patio job. I switched to mixing it much stiffer, just enough to hold a ball shape in my hand. It was harder to butter the bricks at first, but the finished wall has held up solid for over a year now. Some guys say a wetter mix is faster, but I think the stronger bond is worth the extra effort. Do you adjust your mix for the weather, or stick with one standard recipe?

4 comments

4 Comments

brian_taylor156mo ago

Man, that reminds me of a guy I knew who swore by dumping a beer in his mix on hot days. Claimed the sugars helped. Saw his work a year later and the whole wall was a mess of efflorescence. Some old tricks are just that, old tricks.