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Found a trick to stop my mortar from drying out too fast on windy days
Was working on a retaining wall last week out near the foothills and the wind kept crusting up my mud before I could even butter a brick. Tried spraying it with water but that just made it sloppy. Old timer named Gus pulled up and told me to lay a damp burlap sack over my pile between grabs. Worked way better than I thought. Kept the mortar workable for a solid 20 minutes longer. Anybody else use burlap or do you got a better method?
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lindaw291mo ago
Gotta say burlap is the old school way and it works. Brought back memories of my first brick job where I forgot a tarp and ended up chasing mortar across the yard with a spray bottle like a fool. Gus sounds like he knows his stuff. Now I keep a few old feed sacks in the truck for exactly that.
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reese_lane291mo ago
Kept a few old feed sacks" - that part cracked me up. But uh, gotta point something out. Burlap and feed sacks ain't exactly the same thing these days. Most feed sacks now are woven polypropylene, not natural burlap. They'll still work for covering mortar but they don't breathe the same. Burlap wicks moisture better, lets it evaporate slow and even. Feed sack plastic can trap moisture underneath if you're not careful. Still beats chasing mortar with a spray bottle though. That mental image is gold.
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