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Found a stat about mortar mixing ratios that really surprised me
I was reading through some old trade journals online last night and stumbled onto a study from 2019. Turns out nearly 40% of bricklayers I guess are mixing their mortar too wet on site without even realizing it. The article said this weakens the bond by up to 25% over time, especially in freeze-thaw climates like we get up here in Michigan. I double checked my own mix this morning and yeah I have been adding too much water. Has anyone else checked their mortar consistency lately or am I the only one who never thought about it?
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the_anna19d ago
Haha yeah the "too wet without realizing it" part hit home for me. I was doing the same thing for years, just dumping water in until it looked smooth, never thought it was a problem until a buddy pointed out my mortar was practically soup. Checked a few old jobs last spring and you could see the cracking starting along the joints, real pain. Now I do the drop test on my trowel every time, if it slumps off too fast I know I messed up.
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