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Can we talk about the right way to mix a small batch of mortar?
I keep seeing guys at the yard just dump a random amount of water into their mixer for a repair job. They end up with soup or a brick that won't stick. My foreman taught me to measure by volume: for a half bag of type S, you need exactly 2.5 quarts of clean water, mixed for a solid 5 minutes. It makes a huge difference in workability and final strength. Are you a strict measurer, or do you just go by feel until it looks right?
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avery80521d ago
Remember oliver523's milk jug trick when my neighbor tried patching his steps.
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oliver52321d ago
Your foreman had it right with that 2.5 quarts for a half bag. I used to just eyeball it and my pointing mortar would always crumble out by the next season. Started measuring the water with a milk jug for small batches and it was like night and day. The mix actually holds on the trowel and sets up right. Why waste time and material guessing when a two minute measure fixes it?
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