Working on that big hotel job in Nashville changed how I think about mortar mixes

We were laying brick on the south wall in full sun, and the mix was drying out way too fast. My foreman, Mike, had us switch to adding a small amount of a liquid retarder to the batch. We mixed in about 2 ounces per 5 gallons of water, and it gave us a solid extra 20 minutes of workable time in that heat. It kept the joints looking clean and stopped that crust from forming on the surface. Has anyone else used a specific additive for hot weather bricklaying?

4 comments

4 Comments

william_garcia1mo ago

That 2 ounces per 5 gallons ratio, was that for a Type S or Type N mix?

jessica13018d ago

My buddy got that exact ratio wrong on a Type N job last summer. He mixed it up for a Type S and the whole wall set up way too fast in the heat. They had to chip off half a course before lunch.

jason_lewis31mo ago

Liquid retarder is a solid fix, but it can mess with the final strength if you add too much. We got burned once because the mix stayed wet too long and the brick never fully locked in. Now we just wet the bricks down with a hose before we start laying in the morning. It cools them off and slows the suction so the mortar doesn't dry out as fast. It's a free fix that doesn't change the mix design at all.

vera_robinson361mo ago

Oh man, that hose trick is smart. I've seen guys do that too. But what do you do when you're on a high floor and there's no water line up there yet? Do you just haul buckets up to wet everything down, or is there another trick for that?