I used to mix mortar by feel until I tried a specific water ratio last month

For years I just eyeballed the water when mixing mortar. If it looked too dry I added more. If it was too wet I threw in more mix. I figured that was fine because the brick always stuck. But last month I had a job where the wall was bowing after two days. A older guy on the site told me to use exactly 5 quarts of water per 80 pound bag. I tried it on the next section and the mortar held way better. No sagging and the joints came out cleaner. I still add a splash if the sand is damp but I measure the water now. Has anyone else switched to measuring instead of guessing?

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rubyk8627d ago

yeah i actually read something about this in a masonry forum a while back. someone posted a big breakdown from some old timers manual and it basically said the same thing. the exact water ratio makes a huge difference in the final strength because too much water thins out the cement paste and makes it weaker. i never really believed it until i had a wall start cracking on me like six months ago. after i started measuring it out the mortar felt way more consistent and i didnt have to keep mixing small batches cause it was going stiff too fast. its kind of wild how much a little bit of measuring can change the whole job.