Finally figured out why my mortar was drying too fast in the sun

I was laying a small patio in my backyard yesterday and the mix kept getting crumbly after just a few minutes. My neighbor, who used to do masonry, walked over and pointed out I was mixing the whole bag at once instead of smaller batches. How do you guys handle mixing on hot days to keep it workable?

3 comments

3 Comments

leet322d ago

Honestly, is it that big of a deal? Mortar dries fast on a hot day, sure, but mixing a whole bag at once just means you hustle a bit more. Seen plenty of guys do it without a problem. The cold water thing seems like overthinking it to me. If the mix starts to go, just hit it with a splash more water from the hose and keep moving. People make this out to be some exact science when it's just mud between bricks.

mary_ross20d ago

Oh man, that's the worst feeling when it just turns to dust. What I do is mix in the shade if I can, and I always use cold water from the hose, never warm. Smaller batches are key, like your neighbor said, and I'll sometimes even dampen the concrete blocks before I start. A little extra water in the mix helps too, but not too much or it gets weak.

the_keith20d ago

Mary_ross has the right idea with cold water. Warm water makes the mix set up way too fast. Keeping everything cool is the real trick.