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Working on that old church in Savannah made me rethink my mortar mix
Everyone on site kept saying to use a standard 1:3:12 mix for the repointing, but the original mortar was way softer. I argued we should match the old lime-based stuff, not just go with the modern hard cement. The head mason, a guy named Carl, finally let me try a 1:2:9 mix on a small section, and it blended perfectly without damaging the historic brick. What's your take on matching old work versus just using what's common now?
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jordanc326mo ago
Carl made the right call letting you test that mix. Modern cement can crack old brick because it doesn't flex like lime mortar. Matching the original is always better for historic repair.
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felix_lane996mo ago
Honestly, sometimes the modern mix is just more practical.
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riley_taylor6mo ago
Ugh, that "always better" rule drives me nuts. Look, if the old mortar failed once, using the exact same stuff just sets it up to fail again. Modern mixes are stronger for a reason. In a lot of places, especially where the weather's rough now, you need that extra strength. The goal is to keep the building standing, not be a history museum for building paste. Sometimes being true to the old way just means the repair won't last.
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