Question about mixing mortar for a big block wall

I was building a 12-foot retaining wall in my yard and the mix felt wrong, too sandy and weak. My neighbor, a retired mason, came over and said 'your water is off, you're drowning it.' I'd been adding a full bucket at the start for years. He showed me to add it slow until it just sticks to the trowel. Has anyone else had a mix turn out bad from too much water at once?

2 comments

2 Comments

spencer_sanchez679d ago

Wasn't the main issue the mixing order, not just the water?

paulperry9d ago

Actually saw a guy at the hardware store last week mixing concrete in a wheelbarrow backwards. The whole batch was ruined because he added the powder last. Sometimes the order is everything, not just one ingredient.