The 60/40 rule on mortar mix actually checks out, here's my proof

Last month I was repointing a old brick wall behind my garage and kept second guessing my sand to cement ratio. So I dug up a 1962 manual from the local library's reference section, it had this whole breakdown on how 60 parts sand to 40 parts cement gives the best bond strength without cracking. I laid out 3 test batches with slightly different ratios, and the 60/40 one held up way better when I chipped at it after 4 days. Anyone else ever actually test their mix ratios, or do you just eyeball it like I used to?

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bell.felix7h agoOG Member

Funny you mention testing ratios. My buddy runs a small landscaping crew and he's the most stubborn guy I know, always swore by eyeballing it. Last spring he had a paver walkway he was installing and the mix he used turned to dust after the first hard freeze. He spent a whole weekend ripping it all out and redoing it. After that he actually made a little notebook and wrote down every mix he used, just like you did. I still just buy the pre-mixed bags myself, but I can tell you his next batch held up way better.