Talked to an old brickie at the supply yard who made me rethink my whole mortar mix

I was grabbing some Type N at the yard last Friday and ran into this guy who's been laying brick since the 70s. He saw me loading up with just standard premix and asked if I ever add a little lime to my batches. I told him nah, the bag says it's good to go. He laughed and said the bag doesn't know what the weather's doing next week. He showed me his truck setup, he keeps a bucket of hydrated lime and just throws in a scoop depending on the day. Said it makes the mortar more workable and helps it stick better when it's hot out. I tried it on a small retaining wall job this morning and man, that stuff spread way smoother than usual. Has anyone else messed around with adding lime or other stuff to their mix or am I just late to the party?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_lucas8d ago

Wait, a bucket of hydrated lime just sitting in his truck? That's insane. That stuff is caustic. One gust of wind and you're blinking powder out of your eyes for a week. I've seen guys get lime burns, nasty chemical burns that take forever to heal. He must've been doing this so long he's got some sixth sense for it. Tossing it in by feel, no measuring? That's either pure skill or a lawsuit waiting to happen. Glad it worked on your wall though. Just be careful with that powder. Wear a good mask and gloves.

kevin2188d ago

Seen worse at a construction site, it's really not that big a deal.