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Boys at the supply yard told me my mortar was too wet. Six months later I finally get it.
I been laying brick for about four years now. Always mixed my mortar on the wet side because it was easier to spread. Old timers at the yard kept saying dry it up, you're making weak joints. Last spring a wall I did in March started cracking near the top. Nothing huge but enough to bug me. I went back to a job I did two years ago when I first started mixing it stiffer. That wall still looks perfect. Took me six months and a cracked wall to see the difference. Anyone else learn the hard way that wet mortar is just asking for trouble later on?
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markhall2mo ago
Ngl I learned that lesson when my first patio started looking like a waffle after one winter.
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Buddy of mine built a retaining wall for his backyard around the same time. He was real proud of it, showed me pictures and everything. Six months later the whole thing started bulging out. He said the mortar was like soup when he mixed it. Had to tear the whole thing down and start over. Now he measures his water like it's rocket fuel.
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hugo_bennett1mo ago
Cheap bagged mortar is the real trap. People grab the 5 dollar bags from the home store without checking the date code. That stuff goes bad faster than you'd think, turns into powder that won't set right.
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