Colour running from mortar

[Richard Burch]

Hi all need some advice. I've recently laid a black limestone patio and did the pointing in a 3 to 1 mix using sharps and, I used a mortar dye to make the mortar as close to black as possible, I followed the instructions to the T. Just after finishing pointing, the heavens opened, I covered it with a tarp and left it. One e dry, even though I filled the instructions, my pointing seemed to be light grey in parts, and nearly black in others, I'm not sure if the rain affected some of the joints. Then I decided to match the joints on by mixing some colour and tosching the joints, all looked great, the problem I've now got is that the rain is making the colour run, the patio is not sealed yet, I've got a smartseal stone sealer and colour enhancer, my hope is, that once dry, when I seal it, it will seal the pointing aswel and stop anymore colour run, also, the sealer gives a wet look, so this seems to hide and stains from colour run. Will this work or am I hoping for the impossible. Cheers, sorry its a long wided question.

 

[martin hill]

For what you paid for the paving compared to the pointing mix i'd rake it out and start again. Don't use mortar dye. Mix your cement and building sand with black acrylic paint and maybe a touch of water. Do a test sample first and let dry to see if right shade.

Brunel Franklin Artists' Acrylic Paint Tube

£ 1.49.


I have used it and it was great. I have used these paints for years to make mortar for modelling on oo railways. It sets hard and with the right mix you get the desired colour.

Touched up the white grout in the bathroom with it too.