Can we talk about mortar going bad in the mixer overnight?

Left a batch of Type N in the mixer after a long Friday last month. Figured I'd wet it down and it would be fine come Saturday morning. Came back to a solid block of concrete that took me an hour with a chisel and hammer to break apart. Never making that mistake again. Anyone else learned this one the hard way?

3 comments

3 Comments

leo61213d ago

Wet it down and hope for the best? Yeah, I learned that one on a hot July job. Came back the next morning and the whole drum was one solid chunk. Had to chip it out with a demolition hammer and it wrecked the mixer blades. Now I just wash the mixer out completely at the end of the day. Takes five minutes and saves you a whole morning of frustration. Dump the leftover mortar in a wheelbarrow, let it harden, and toss it in the dumpster.

norathomas13d ago

@kim191 nailed it. That chemical reaction is done before you even clock out.

kim19113d ago

Oh man, that's rough. Tbh, you can't just add water to old mortar and expect it to work again once it starts setting. The chemical reaction already started, so wetting it down just makes a mess not a fresh batch.