After 12 years I finally figured out I was mixing mortar wrong

Last week on a job in Austin this old mason stops by and watches me mixing for like 5 minutes. He just points at my pile and says you're adding too much water too fast, that's why it's slumping. I'd been doing it the same way since I started in 2012, always wondering why my joints looked a bit loose. Tried his method of adding water slow and mixing longer and man, the consistency was night and day. Anyone else have a basic skill they learned backwards for years?

2 comments

2 Comments

charles8361d ago

I mean is it really that big of a deal though. Mortar's gonna set one way or another and most people aren't looking that close at your joints anyway. Maybe it's just me but I've seen plenty of jobs where they just slap it together quick and it holds up fine for years. Idk feels like one of those old timer tips that sounds important but doesn't actually matter in the real world half the time.

nathankim1d ago

Nah man, you're right that mortar will set eventually, but the thing is it's not just about whether it sets or not. When you don't wet the bricks first, that dry brick acts like a sponge and sucks the water right out of the mortar before it can cure properly. That means you get a weaker bond and the mortar ends up crumbly over time. I've seen jobs where they slap it together dry and sure it holds for a few years but then you start getting cracks and loose bricks way sooner than you should. It's the difference between a wall that lasts 30 years and one that needs repointing in 10. And honestly, the actual work of wetting them down takes like 5 extra minutes per batch, so it's not even a time thing. Just lazy half-assing it if you ask me.