Mortar mix went wrong on a 40-degree day in Phoenix

I always used the same 4:1 mix, but last summer the heat set it so fast I couldn't tool the joints before it crusted over. Switched to a 5:1 with a dash of lime after watching the guy next door lay 3 courses clean, and now I won't go back. Any desert bricklayers got a go-to ratio for triple-digit temps?

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1 Comment

the_keith28d ago

Less lime, more water, wet the board. That crust is your mix drying out.