I finally figured out how to keep my mortar from skinning over so fast in the heat.

Last Thursday in Phoenix, it was hitting 110 by noon and my mix was drying out before I could even get a few bricks laid. I started adding a little ice water from my cooler and mixing smaller batches more often, which saved the whole day. What's your go-to trick for hot weather bricklaying?

3 comments

3 Comments

adam51720d ago

That damp burlap sack trick is a lifesaver, honestly. We used to drape them over the whole mortar board and any mixed piles we weren't using right that second. The real game changer was finding a spray bottle to mist the bricks themselves before laying them, stops them from sucking the moisture out of the mortar instantly. Kim's right about knowing when to quit, pushing through in that heat just makes a mess you have to chip out later.

hannah42214d ago

How do you even manage to work in that heat? I'd be a melted puddle by 10 AM.

kim37320d ago

Ice water is a solid move, my own trick is just working at a comically slow pace. I become a human sloth, mixing a tiny batch and then staring at the wall for five minutes to avoid sweating into the mix. Keeping everything in the shade and a damp burlap sack handy has saved more jobs than I can count. Honestly, my best hot weather skill is knowing when to just pack it in and try again at 4 AM.