I need to do a little repair job on some bricks…only about 10-12 bricks involved, so I’d prefer not to call a mason. I have never done any masonry work. Talk to me about the mortar…I was thinking about buying a bag of pre-mixed…or pre-blended…mortar, add water, and going from there. Do you mix it to the consistency of thinset?
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Replies
I'm sorry I can't answer your question with authority. But, I can offer this advice. Be careful of the mortar color. If your brick is old, the mortar might be more of a tan than a gray. If so, you'll have to purchase white mortar and concrete tint to mix up a closer color match. You'll have to go to a dealer specializing in mason supplies for these items.
Ed,
NO NO NO!!! you do not mix it to the consistency of thinset unless you use your thinset fairly stiff. the mortar should have some "body" to it but be workable at the same time (something that is hard to describe when it stop and think about it) A good rule of thumb is that you should be able to make a soft ball out of it with your hand . If in doubt keep it on the stiff side as you can always add water
If you get it too soft you will have a smeared up mess. YOu might anyway being a novice as it takes some practice to become proficient with the trowel. One tip you will find useful for jointing the brick is to put a little mortar on your trowel and then slap it on the mortar board . Not too hard, just enough to get it to stick to the trowel. If you do it right you can turn the trowel upside down and the mortar will still stick.
do not do it this way for the horizontal joints because you need the mortar to slide off of the trowel for them
It would behoove you to watch a good mason for a few minutes if you can find one
It will save you a lot of effort and wasted time.
Good luck
You can use the premix, but it's pretty lean on portland, way to lean for me. Lots of sand(the cheap stuff), get an extra bag of type S or some portland and add as needed to richen it up.
absolutely not consistency of thinset. And the pre-mixed is usually not rich enough, besides the sand being a little too coarse, but if you're lucky there will be a broken bag of mortar mix laying around the lumberyard. usually about 1/2 shovel or so is enough to get it close. make sure it's mortar, not portland cement. mix in that 1/2 shovel with the dry mix before you add any water.
add the water slowly. professor's right - it is hard to describe when you think about it. think of how whipped cream looks. it should be a little looser than that. when you dip your trowel in, the mortar should almost hold it's shape.
good luck.
Rick
The proper consistancy reminds me of creamy peanut butter.
SamT
edit: the consitancy, not the color, smoothness or flavor. ST
reedit:: Need more coffee, Soak the bricks first and allow them to dry to barely damp or not showing any surface dampness. st
Edited 5/1/2004 8:06 am ET by SamT
Edited 5/1/2004 8:09 am ET by SamT
How old is the brickwork in question?
Old soft bricks require a soft lime-rich mortar, or the bricks will be ruined.
If you do use premix (hard portland-rich mortar), consider a so-called "professional mason's mix"(usually Type S). This stuff uses finer sand than the generic mortar mix, and is much easier to work with.
I would describe the target consistency as "damp sand". You want the driest mix you can still work with. Too wet a mix is the typical novice mistake. You can always spritz a little extra water on with a hand sprayer, but you can't take water out.
good advice re: color and hardness, old brick should use Type S or N, (didja know the hardness scale is based on the phrase "MaSoN wOrK" ?) Portland will cause even the hardest bricks to spaul 'cause it's harder than the bricks.
RE: application, I've used a grout bag w/ success, squeeze a bead into the joint so it is proud of the bricks (dampened), wait for it to become fairly hard & crumbly & strike it. Don't try to tool it too soon or you will stain the surrounding brick.
Q: most times the grout bag works well, sometimes it will not squeeze out no matter how hard I twist it or how loud I curse. Any ideas? I'm fairly good at getting consistent consistency ;-) I'm thinking it may be the shape of the sand.
>> ... sometimes it will not squeeze out no matter how hard I twist it or how loud I curse.
I know you can get pneumatic glue guns. Maybe there's a market niche for pneumatic grout bags. There's a project that could soak up a lot of evenings and weekends.
Edited 5/4/2004 10:05 pm ET by Uncle Dunc
The house is 10-11 yrs old. HO wants to change a window to a door...everything works out well, except the brick below the window which has to be cut away.
Whenever you are asked if you can do a job, tell'em "Certainly, I can!" Then get busy and find out how to do it. T. Roosevelt
I can see it now- not only a business for the pneumatic grouting tools, but also for the special grout that you have to buy to make the @*(&ing things work consistently! With the right additives (or shape of sand particles etc.)...
"I know you can get pneumatic glue guns. Maybe there's a market niche for pneumatic grout bags. There's a project that could soak up a lot of evenings and weekends."
They make an auger-feed tool for this very purpose.
http://www.contractorstools.com/quikpoint.html
Amazing. Actually, that does look a lot more straightforward than trying to do it with compressed air.
"old brick should use Type S or N"
I would say that S is generally too hard for old bricks. Depends on the brick in question, of course. I like your trick for remembering the harness order.