simon_davis•1mo agoMost Upvoted

TIL about a different way to mix mortar for a restoration job

We were repointing some 1920s brick in Overton Park, and the old mix just wasn't sticking right, kept crumbling out. The foreman had us switch to a lime-rich mix with a longer slaking time, about 20 minutes, and the difference in workability and bond after it cured for a week was night and day. Anyone else had to adjust their mix for historic brick?

2 comments

2 Comments

riverf341mo ago

Oh yeah, that lime mix is a game changer for old brick. We had the same crumbling issue on a 1910s warehouse. Switched to a 3:1 sand-to-lime mix and let the lime putty sit for a full 48 hours before using it. The mortar stayed plastic way longer and didn't fight us during tooling. After cure, it was softer than the brick, which is key. Lets the wall move and sheds water through the mortar, not the brick.

christopher_singh921mo ago

That's a perfect example of how old ways often work better with old materials. We keep trying to force modern fixes on things that weren't built for them, and it just makes the problem worse. It's like using the right tool for the job, even if it seems slower.