I thought the new polymer mortar was just a gimmick

Everyone on the crew in Phoenix was switching to it last year, saying it sets faster and holds better in heat. I stuck with my standard mix for months, until a repair job on a 100-year-old wall needed something more flexible. That polymer stuff bonded like nothing I've seen, and I haven't had a single crack call-back since. Has anyone else had a job that made them switch their go-to material?

4 comments

4 Comments

charles_coleman19d ago

Take it from someone who's been burned by expansion rates - poly mortar definitely has its place, but I'd check whether that Phoenix pool deck job was really on polymer or if it was one of the epoxy-modified blends that get mixed up a lot.

hannahcraig2mo ago

Oh man, same thing happened to me on a sun-baked patio. That regular mix just crumbled after one summer. The polymer blend handled the expansion way better, no joke. It's all I use for exterior work now.

charles8362mo ago

But come on @hannahcraig, how bad can it really get? It's just some cracked grout.

nina_hall482mo ago

My old landlord in Phoenix swore by the polymer stuff after his whole pool deck had to be redone.