Rough mortar mix on a hot day cost me a whole wall last week

I was laying a 20 foot garden wall last Wednesday and figured I'd just eyeball the mortar like usual. It was pushing 92 degrees and I didn't add extra water or any retarder to the mix. By the time I got halfway through the second course, the mortar was setting up way too fast and I couldn't get a good bond. Ended up having to tear down about 8 feet of it the next morning because it was crumbly and weak. Lesson learned - on hot days I'm now adding a splash more water and working in smaller batches. Has anyone else had luck with a specific additive for summer heat?

2 comments

2 Comments

robin_henderson811mo ago

Holy cow, you had to tear down 8 feet of wall the next morning? That makes me wince just thinking about it. I've had mortar go bad on me before, but I usually just chip out the bad spots and patch it. For summer heat I just use cold water from the hose (you know, let it run a bit first) and mix smaller batches.

henderson.vera28d ago

Whoa hold on, you just chip out bad spots and patch it? That's wild to me! I'd be too scared the patch wouldn't hold right and I'd have to do the whole thing over anyway.