Rant: My mortar mix went totally wrong on a chimney job in Tacoma

I was repointing a brick chimney up on a roof and the new mortar just would not stick, it kept crumbling right out of the joint. I checked the bag and realized I had grabbed Type N instead of the Type S I needed for the job. I had to stop, go down the ladder, and drive back to the supply yard to swap it out, which killed a whole morning. Anyone else ever grab the wrong type of mortar and have to redo a bunch of work?

2 comments

2 Comments

oliver_fisher16d ago

Been there, just double-check the bag now before I climb up.

davis.iris15d ago

Honestly, is grabbing Type N instead of Type S that big of a deal? I get it's not right for the job, but oliver_fisher has a point about checking the bag. It seems like a simple mix-up that costs some time, not a total disaster. I've seen guys use what they have on hand and the repair still holds up for years.