Mortar Consistency
- Thread starter pcsparky
- Start date
Sponsored Links
if the pug is for bricklaying then the material being laid has a strong bearing upon the mix.
dry, lightweight blocks require a fairly wet mix, whilst wet engineering bricks laid in the wintertime require a cement rich, stiffish mix.
all mixes need to be beaten up in the drum though, until the mortar has acquired a little 'fat' and is properly mixed.
dry, lightweight blocks require a fairly wet mix, whilst wet engineering bricks laid in the wintertime require a cement rich, stiffish mix.
all mixes need to be beaten up in the drum though, until the mortar has acquired a little 'fat' and is properly mixed.
Hi Noseall
I've never tried bricklaying before, and I know that it takes many years of training to be a professional. However, I thought I'd have a go with a retaining wall for a pond that I'm building using medium density blocks. I could obviously pay somebody but I enjoy doing what I can and get satisfaction, when things go right.
I found out when I'd made the mortar too wet but found it hard to recognise this whilst still mixing in the drum. Is it too wet if it starts to stick to the sides of the drum whilst adding water at the end?
When I made the mixture stiffer I found it difficult to get the mortar to fill the perp joints properly but this may be because I wasn't buttering the ends properly. I've been using a 4:1 mix for blocks below ground and intended to use a 5:1 mix for above ground. I've also been adding pasticiser.
It seems then that it is just plenty of experience that is required to know when the mortar is just right for a particular medium.
I've never tried bricklaying before, and I know that it takes many years of training to be a professional. However, I thought I'd have a go with a retaining wall for a pond that I'm building using medium density blocks. I could obviously pay somebody but I enjoy doing what I can and get satisfaction, when things go right.
I found out when I'd made the mortar too wet but found it hard to recognise this whilst still mixing in the drum. Is it too wet if it starts to stick to the sides of the drum whilst adding water at the end?
When I made the mixture stiffer I found it difficult to get the mortar to fill the perp joints properly but this may be because I wasn't buttering the ends properly. I've been using a 4:1 mix for blocks below ground and intended to use a 5:1 mix for above ground. I've also been adding pasticiser.
It seems then that it is just plenty of experience that is required to know when the mortar is just right for a particular medium.
generally speaking, the compo' needs to be wet enough to work. too dry and you will always struggle. only downside is, it's a little more difficult to control the squeeze snots and prevent smudging.
fast brickies will not use dry muck.
as for visually detecting whether muck is suitable whilst spinning in the drum, well, this is purely an experience thing.
put it this way, if it looks too wet it usually is, if it looks too dry it usually is.
fast brickies will not use dry muck.
as for visually detecting whether muck is suitable whilst spinning in the drum, well, this is purely an experience thing.
put it this way, if it looks too wet it usually is, if it looks too dry it usually is.
Sponsored Links
lo all.
the best advice i can offer you is this, mix from wet to dry, dont use too much feb or the mix may end up like pea soup, let the mixer do the work.
this prob isnt the best way to encourage proper practice to a beginner but i mix in the following way. turn the mixer, add around half a bucket of water (less if sand is wet) a few splashes of feb, alow a min to froth up. add 5 good shovels of sand, cut a cement bag in half with a trowel, add half a bag to the mix, allow to turn through, add some more water so the mix turns fairly wet. then add more sand and allow to turn. at this point you may think more water is required, if so add al little. make sure you let the feb turn through or you may end up adding too much water. i tend to say a good mix should be creamy easy to work and the bricks should be able to be set by hand withoout tapping with trowel (this is also faster)
the mix will always be the same consistancy if you fill to capacity. for face brick add another 1/4 bag of cement.
a good mix will nead round in the drum folding as it turns, you can then add a little more water to turn if you like it a bit wetter.
the best advice i can offer you is this, mix from wet to dry, dont use too much feb or the mix may end up like pea soup, let the mixer do the work.
this prob isnt the best way to encourage proper practice to a beginner but i mix in the following way. turn the mixer, add around half a bucket of water (less if sand is wet) a few splashes of feb, alow a min to froth up. add 5 good shovels of sand, cut a cement bag in half with a trowel, add half a bag to the mix, allow to turn through, add some more water so the mix turns fairly wet. then add more sand and allow to turn. at this point you may think more water is required, if so add al little. make sure you let the feb turn through or you may end up adding too much water. i tend to say a good mix should be creamy easy to work and the bricks should be able to be set by hand withoout tapping with trowel (this is also faster)
the mix will always be the same consistancy if you fill to capacity. for face brick add another 1/4 bag of cement.
a good mix will nead round in the drum folding as it turns, you can then add a little more water to turn if you like it a bit wetter.
lol just dont throw it at what your building. here is a little tip along those lines tho, take a little on your trowel as if to butter a cross joint. turn the trowel upside down, if the mortar stays on the upturned trowel for a few moments its good stuff, iff it falls off immediately its shizen
When laying commons, I'm looking for a 5:1 mix that resembles ice cream starting to melt. (using more cement than this will increase the risk of cracking and will also increase the cost of all your construction. i usually reckon on a 25kg bag of cement being equal to 6 shovels. Pointing is a different matter and is ideally 3 parts sharp sand to one part cement)
It will make a difference if your sand is in bags or in a big pile because when the pile gets rained on it will need less water adding.
I always start the first mix dry, i.e. ten shovels of sand (soft bricklaying sand) followed by 2 shovels of cement. then approx. one builders bucket of water to bring it up to the "ice cream starting to melt" texture.
It is important to remember exactly how much water is added to that first mix because the second mix will begin with exactly that amount of water.
Beginning all the subsequent mixes with water eill help to keep the mixer clean as well as generally speeding up the process of mixing.
By the way, when i say shovel. i am talking about a tapered builders shovel and not a big pan .
It will make a difference if your sand is in bags or in a big pile because when the pile gets rained on it will need less water adding.
I always start the first mix dry, i.e. ten shovels of sand (soft bricklaying sand) followed by 2 shovels of cement. then approx. one builders bucket of water to bring it up to the "ice cream starting to melt" texture.
It is important to remember exactly how much water is added to that first mix because the second mix will begin with exactly that amount of water.
Beginning all the subsequent mixes with water eill help to keep the mixer clean as well as generally speeding up the process of mixing.
By the way, when i say shovel. i am talking about a tapered builders shovel and not a big pan .
Doesnt anybody gauge their muck?
My mix is usually 4 black buckets to half a bag, if its good face work then appropriate buckets (5,4,3 ect) to one bucket of cement, mastercrete cement has a admix already in it so I leave out the plastiser or it gets too fluffy.
My mix is usually 4 black buckets to half a bag, if its good face work then appropriate buckets (5,4,3 ect) to one bucket of cement, mastercrete cement has a admix already in it so I leave out the plastiser or it gets too fluffy.
I'm the same as you brickie,I always gauge it out by the level bucketful when rendering etc.Long as you don't lose count,same mix all the time.
Roughcaster.
Roughcaster.
The-brickie said:
Maybe that's another reason I've been struggling with my mix. I've got Mastercrete but I've been adding plasticiser and I think it was too wet.
I've been trying to guage everything by shovels as I was concerned that the mixer wouldn't hold enough for 5 buckets of sand and 1 bucket of cement.
DIYnot Local
Staff member
If you need to find a tradesperson to get your job done, please try our local search below, or if you are doing it yourself you can find suppliers local to you.
Select the supplier or trade you require, enter your location to begin your search.
Are you a trade or supplier? You can create your listing free at DIYnot Local
Sponsored Links
