Can we talk about mixing mortar for a small repair in cold weather?

I had to patch a few bricks on a chimney in early December, and I used warm water in the mix like always. The mortar set up way too fast, almost crumbly, and I had to chip it out the next day. A guy at the supply yard told me the water should be cool, not hot, to slow the chemical reaction when it's cold out. I tried it again with cool water and the workability was perfect. Has anyone else run into this with quick-setting mixes?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_spencer1mo ago

Cool water slowing the reaction makes total sense.

garcia.charles1mo ago

Right, because the rest of the plan was so logical. Next we'll hear that a gentle breeze helps with the structural integrity. It's a miracle anything gets built at all with these advanced scientific methods.