The mortar mix debate is overblown for small jobs

I keep hearing guys say you gotta stick to the exact Type S or Type N ratio or your wall will fall down. But I've been using a generic mix from the hardware store in Brookfield on my last 3 retaining walls and not a single crack after 18 months. Anyone else think the brand loyalty is more about marketing than reality?

2 comments

2 Comments

daniel8576d ago

C'mon man, 18 months is nothing. Those bags from Brookfield are cheap for a reason. I've seen guys use that generic stuff on a low garden wall and it's fine for a year or two, but when we get a real freeze-thaw cycle, it crumbles like sand. The Type S spec isn't about marketing, it's about the Portland cement content and the lime ratio that gives you actual bond strength. You cheap out on the wrong mix and your whole wall can shift with the frost. I'd rather spend the extra $4 a bag than have to tear out a failed wall in 5 years.

the_nina6d ago

Question @daniel857, is it really that serious for a little garden wall nobody's gonna see but you?