That moment you realize your mortar mix is too wet from 50 feet away

I was laying a brick wall for a retaining wall last week near Springfield when I saw the foreman from the other crew just stop and stare at my joints from across the lot. He walked over and said "your mud is running like a wet dog" and showed me how adding a dry shovel of sand and lime fixes the slump without remixing the whole batch. Anyone else have a simple trick like that for dialing in the mix on the fly?

2 comments

2 Comments

fox.derek1mo ago

Ever try the dry sand trick on a hot day?

evaallen1mo ago

Yeah, I actually tried that dry sand thing last summer at the beach. It really does help keep your feet from burning if you walk on the hot sand. I just sprinkled some dry sand on my feet before stepping out of the car and it worked way better than I expected. The dry sand kind of acts like a barrier between your skin and the really hot stuff underneath. Definitely beats hopping around on one foot trying to get to the water.