Tried a lime mortar mix on my patio and it cracked like crazy

I had this old brick patio in my backyard that needed repointing, so I figured I'd try a traditional lime mortar mix instead of the usual Portland stuff. Mixed it up per the instructions, applied it on a Saturday, and by Monday morning there were cracks running through half the joints. Turns out I didn't soak the old bricks enough first, and the lime pulled the moisture out too fast. Has anyone else had issues with lime mortar drying too quick in direct sun?

2 comments

2 Comments

ryan_shah381mo ago

Yo, did you have like a hot breeze going that day? Honestly, I did the exact same thing with a lime mix on my garden wall. It was pretty sunny but I figured, ah, it'll be fine. Nope. Cracked just like yours, and I was so annoyed I basically sat there staring at it for an hour. Turns out lime is super thirsty and if the background material is dry, it just sucks all the water out way too fast. I've started misting everything down like crazy and even covering it with damp burlap for the first day or two. Tbh, it's less of a headache now that I treat it like a high maintenance plant instead of a concrete job.

robins831mo ago

Oh man, I feel your pain... I had the exact same thing happen on a stone pathway I was doing. What finally worked for me was soaking the bricks or stones overnight before I even mixed the lime.