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Question about my old mortar mixing habit

I used to be real lazy about adding all the water to my mortar at once. I'd just dump it in and try to mix fast, thinking it saved me a minute. My mortar would go off way too quick, especially on hot days, and I was always fighting it to lay brick. A few months back I forced myself to start adding water slow, mixing dry stuff in first. It takes a bit longer to start, but the workability is night and day. Now I get a full, smooth batch that stays good for the whole board. My back wall lines are straighter because I'm not rushing against the clock.

3 comments

3 Comments

iris1751mo ago

Read something similar from a contractor's blog last year. He called it "controlling the chemistry" by adding water in stages. Said the slow mix lets the cement particles coat the sand evenly before they start to set. Your hot day problem is exactly what he described, the water flash sets everything if you dump it. Makes total sense why your mortar behaves better now. That patience up front really changes the whole job.

grace_butler1mo ago

Mixing dry stuff first definitely helps, but the time save isn't just at the start. You end up working with a better mix that doesn't set up too fast, so you actually move quicker once you're laying brick. Total job time probably evens out or even gets faster with your new method.

gracet221mo ago

Ever notice how that applies to cooking too? @grace_butler is spot on, doing the prep right means less stress when things heat up.