My mortar mix was way off on a retaining wall job last Thursday

Had to repoint an old retaining wall in Austin and I didn't check the sand moisture before mixing, figured it was fine. Ended up with a batch that crumbled after drying, had to chip out about 40 bricks and redo the whole section on Saturday. Anyone else run into this with bagged mix on humid days?

2 comments

2 Comments

miles_grant3513d ago

Bagged mix is a gamble in this humidity and I've learned that the hard way too. The sand moisture throws the whole ratio off, but the real issue is that bagged mix isn't consistent batch to batch. You're better off getting a small mixer and buying your sand and portland separate, then you can adjust the water on the fly. I repointed a wall last spring with a 3 to 1 mix and it was crumbly after a week because I didn't let the sand dry out first. Next time, dump the sand out on a tarp for a few hours before you mix and it'll save you a Saturday of chipping. That's the move for Texas humidity.

nathan_foster6012d ago

3 to 1 is too rich for repoint, should be closer to 4 or 5.