Can we talk about how mortar mix ratios are way overcomplicated these days?

I was on a job in Austin last Tuesday and the foreman insisted we use this fancy pre-blended mortar that cost $45 a bag. I told him my grandpa used a 3:1 sand to cement mix for 40 years and never had a wall come down. He got all huffy and said the thinner joints need special stuff. But then the wind picked up and the pre-mix dried out way too fast before we could even butter the bricks. We lost half the batch to cracking and had to redo a whole corner. I ended up mixing my own the next day with just sand, portland cement, and a pinch of lime. It sat better, spread easier, and the bricks actually stuck without fighting me. Anyone else think these new formulas are just a way to sell more bags?

3 comments

3 Comments

mark_fisher482d ago

Overcomplicated" is doing a lot of heavy lifting there, don't you think?

ericjackson2d ago

Depends on what you mean by "overcomplicated" honestly. The original comment was about a fairly basic system that got blamed for user error. If tweaking one setting counts as overcomplicated, then half the stuff in my kitchen would qualify too.

christophermurray1d ago

My buddy spent an hour cussing out his thermostat until his wife came over and pushed the button that said "hold". Felt pretty dumb after that.