Old timer told me to stop mixing mortar so wet, took me 3 years to admit he was right

Back at a job in Cleveland about 4 years ago, this guy in his 60s named Randy watched me mix up a batch and said 'you're drowning those bricks, son.' I just brushed him off and kept doing it my way. But after dealing with slumping joints and cleanup headaches on every wall, I finally cut my water back by about 20%. Now my mortar holds shape better and I'm not waiting forever for it to set. Anyone else have a stubborn habit they finally broke after ignoring good advice?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_thea16d ago

I used to add extra water to stretch my mortar further, HUGE mistake.

dixon.iris16d ago

Oh man, that's a bummer (and honestly a common trap for beginners). The thing is, extra water doesn't actually help you stretch the mortar, it just makes it weaker and more likely to crack later. You want the mix to be stiff enough to hold its shape when you pile it up on your trowel, not soupy. I learned that the hard way on a little garden wall project where the stuff basically slid right off the brick. It's better to mix smaller batches more often than to try and make one batch go too far with water.