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Got burned by a $60 mortar mix I thought would save time
Picked up some pre-mixed mortar from a big box store for a small garden wall job last week. Figured it would be faster than mixing my own, but it set way too fast in the heat. Ended up tossing half a bag and had to redo a whole section after it cracked. Has anyone else had bad luck with those ready-to-use mixes on hot days?
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daniel_cooper3412d ago
Did you try doing a rain dance in the middle of the job to cool things down? I mean, I feel your pain, I once had a bag of that stuff turn into a brick in the wheelbarrow before I even got half the wall done. Honestly, I just stick to mixing my own now, it's like $8 for a bag of Portland and some sand and you actually have time to work with it.
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the_alice12d ago
That happened to me once with a whole load of mortar.
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angela_morgan12d ago
That 85 degree day last July taught me the same lesson on a patio job. I found out the hard way that those pre-mixed bags don't just set faster in heat, they actually change the chemical reaction. I called the manufacturer and the rep told me the accelerators in the mix are calibrated for 70 degrees, so anything hotter and you lose half your working time. I started keeping a spray bottle with ice water nearby to mist the mix and the tools, it helps a little but not much. Now I just plan to do any bagged mortar work at dawn if it's going to be hot.
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