Got stuck for a full day trying to match a weird old mortar color

It was on a repair job for a 1920s chimney in the old part of town. I must have mixed ten test batches before I finally got the right shade by adding a tiny bit of lamp black. Anyone else have a go-to trick for matching historic mortar?

3 comments

3 Comments

craig.grace2mo ago

Ever try to match old mortar and end up with a color you could only call "modern regret"? Been there. Lamp black is a lifesaver for sure. I've also had luck with a pinch of local dirt from the site, sounds nuts but it works. That old stuff has so much character, new mixes just look too clean.

thomas8622mo ago

Wait, you actually mix in dirt from the site? I mean, that's kind of genius but also sounds like something that could go so wrong. I'd be so worried about adding weird stuff that messes with the mortar.

tyler3681mo ago

Craig.grace, your dirt trick sounds better than my last batch I called "concrete sadness.

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