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That time I swore mortar mix didn't matter and got proven wrong hard
I used to buy the cheapest bagged mortar I could find at Home Depot, figured it's all just sand and cement anyway. Then last month on a retaining wall job in Albany, the stuff wouldn't hold a corner after 3 days and started cracking. A buddy dragged me to a masonry supply place and made me try Type N from a real brand. The difference was night and day - it stuck better, set up more even, and I didn't have to baby it. Cost me like $3 more per bag but saved me a whole day of rework. Anyone else think cheap mix is fine until it bites you on something bigger?
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taylor.amy36m ago
Yeah that "it's all just sand and cement" thinking is EXACTLY what got me a few years back on a walkway. I used the cheap stuff from the big orange store and it crumbled on me after one freeze-thaw cycle. You're right about the difference with Type N from a real supplier, the aggregate is graded better and it just works smoother. For small stuff like a mailbox base you can get away with cheap mix but anything load bearing or structural is a no go. The extra few bucks is just insurance against having to tear it all out later.
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