Heidleberg cement, any issues with this?

[lostinfens]

Hi all,

I'm into a new build and using Heidelberg cement, because that's what my supplier supplies, and I'm having some mixed results with the quality of the mortar.
Some mixes seem to vary quite a bit from one course to another and some mixes seem noticeably weaker.
Before you ask, I am fairly au fait with a mixer, having spent the past 40 years on the trowel. I use the same mix for all brick & blockwork and haven't come across this variation before, nor such problems.

 

[^woody^]

Drying out due to the weather and suction from the bricks and blocks will vary the apparent mortar strength. As will pointing, water, plasticiser and mixing.

Are you gauging the mix?

Did you know that the mix should be different for internal and external leafs?

 

[lostinfens]

I use the same basic mix whatever. Sometimes beef it up a tad for internal areas that may need it, but never that much. I'm aware of the vagaries of weather etc., just never really experienced such a wide variation even within the same mix. I think this is what used to be Castle cement, don't recall any issues with it before though. I always damp down dry bricks, and these are dry & getting dryer by the day.