Tried a 3:1 sand-lime mix on a garden wall and the mortar set way too fast

I was building a curved wall in a client's backyard in Phoenix last week. The old guy I got the mix ratio from swore by it for hot weather, but after laying about 15 bricks, the stuff in the tub was already going off. I had to ditch a whole batch. Learned that advice from 30 years ago doesn't always work with today's materials. Anyone got a better hot-weather mix they actually use?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_anthony1mo ago

Yeah, that old school ratio is a killer with modern quick-setting cement. I'd try a 4:1 mix and add a plasticizer to keep it workable. The real trick is keeping your water and sand in the shade before you even start mixing.

black.pat1mo ago

Man, that reminds me of the time my uncle tried to mix a batch in direct sun. It set up so fast we had to chisel the mixer clean, lol.

drewsullivan1mo ago

Wait, you chiseled the MIXER?