Wrong motar mixture?

[R0ss0]

Hi guys, this is my 1st post although have been using the site for advice for a while - thanks!

My enquiry this time is that having attempted my 1st garden wall yesterday (I'm now half way through), I noticed that the cement is although hard to touch, is quite powdery and can be scratched away with relative ease. The mixture is supposed to be 1:5 (as per the insteructions on the bag for general purpose) but I'm wondering if this is a bit weak - I might also have been a bit lean with the cement anyway!

Can anyone advise whether this is going to be a problem and should I therefore restart, or should I continue with a stronger mix for the rest. Or perhaps am I just being a bit premature and will it harden with time? FYI, the wall is a semmi-retaining wall allowing me to build up the level of hardcore for a garage base, although shouldn't need to take a massvive amount of weight and is only 2 courses (blocks) high?

Sorry for the long-winded description...

Cheers,

Ross

 

[^woody^]

Mortar is strong in compression, but can still be scraped on the surface. You would normally tool it smooth and compressed to give it a weathering face to give a less powdery appearance

5:1 can be OK, but how quick it dried can impact on how "soft" it becomes and its longevity

It will harden a bit more over time, but as this is done now, just monitor it

Recheck your pointing technique and make sure the mix ratio is correct for your next attempt