I need to rebuild a brick planter outside my home, since over time it has
deteriorated to eyesore level. I think I can rebuild it myself, however I
need to understand which mortar or concrete I should use.

Home Depot sells something called "Mortar Mix" that you just mix with water
- it says on the package "intended for masonry projects." But someone told
me that it's better to mix up some concrete and add sand to it for better
performance. Can anyone shed some light onto this for me?

Thanks!

Jeb

jebber007 wrote:
I need to rebuild a brick planter outside my home, since over time it has
deteriorated to eyesore level. I think I can rebuild it myself, however I
need to understand which mortar or concrete I should use.

Mortar or cement: concrete is cement, sand and gravel. you don't use it
with bricks.

Home Depot sells something called "Mortar Mix" that you just mix with water
- it says on the package "intended for masonry projects." But someone told
me that it's better to mix up some concrete and add sand to it for better
performance. Can anyone shed some light onto this for me?

Mixing your own mortar is supposed to be better and certanly is the way to
go for most large projects (sand can be bought in bulk cheaper and cement
and lime can then be mixed to spec), but for a small project: use the
bagged stuff, add a shovel of cement to each if you want a higher quailty
mortar mix.



John
--
Remove the dead poet to e-mail, tho CC'd posts are unwelcome.
Mean People Suck - It takes two deviations to get cool.
Ask me about joining the NRA.

actually sakrette although pricey appears to do a good job

a neighbor used 70 bags and put in a small patio, the mix was visibly
way too wet.

it didnt finish well but is now 6 or 7 years old and hasnt fallen apart

actually sakrette although pricey appears to do a good job

a neighbor used 70 bags and put in a small patio, the mix was visibly
way too wet.

it didnt finish well but is now 6 or 7 years old and hasnt fallen apart

I mixed my own mortar with cement a while back and the wall I built ended
up falling apart after a few years. I think I must have messed up the
right mix of sand, or heck I might have bought the wrong cement mix for
the project. Anyways, I was relatively new to masonry and if you are in
the same boat I highly recommend getting someone you know to go through
mixing the mortar with you. Or you can always go with the pre packaged
stuff.

Mike

jebber007 wrote:
I need to rebuild a brick planter outside my home, since over time it
has deteriorated to eyesore level. I think I can rebuild it myself,
however I need to understand which mortar or concrete I should use.

Home Depot sells something called "Mortar Mix" that you just mix with
water - it says on the package "intended for masonry projects." But
someone told me that it's better to mix up some concrete and add sand
to it for better performance. Can anyone shed some light onto this
for me?

Thanks!

Jeb

No. There is a difference. You want mortar. It is a little softer mix
than cement. Cement is too hard and can damage the brick under certain
weather conditions. It also could create some maintenance problems down the
road. If they were all the same, or if cement was better, they would not
sell both.


--
Joseph Meehan

Dia duit

jebber007 wrote:
I need to rebuild a brick planter outside my home, since over time it has
deteriorated to eyesore level. I think I can rebuild it myself, however I
need to understand which mortar or concrete I should use.

Home Depot sells something called "Mortar Mix" that you just mix with water
- it says on the package "intended for masonry projects." But someone told
me that it's better to mix up some concrete and add sand to it for better
performance. Can anyone shed some light onto this for me?

Thanks!

Jeb
OK - Here we go again mixing up our terms (This is directed at some of
the replies)

Mortar - For setting bricks and blocks, contains some sand, Cement
(Portland Cement), lime and other stuff possibly (When bought in bags)

Concrete - cement and stone aggregate plus some sand and lime possibly.

Cement - AKA Portland Cement - The binder in Mortar, Sand Mix and Concrete.

Concrete is NOT cement, Mortar is NOT cement, Mortar and Concrete have,
as a primary ingredient cement.

To the OP - To reset your bricks you indeed want to use mortar mix.
Don't bother trying to mix it yourself. No need to add anything.


Inviato da X-Privat.Org - Registrazione gratuita http://www.x-privat.org/join.php

Here are your choices:

Buy mortar mix. This will be a custom blend of cement, lime, and
sand. This will be the easiest method. This will be the most
expensive method. This may or may not give you a good quality of
mortar. You have little or no control over the "recipe". I have
not done it this way, which means little.

Buy masonry cement. This is a mixture of cement and lime. You
will need to buy and add clean, washed masonry sand to this to
make mortar. A typical recipe would be one part masonry cement,
3-5 parts sand. Perhaps the most common method.

Buy Portland cement. You will need to buy lime and sand to make
mortar. A typical mortar recipe would be one part
portland, one part lime, 3-5 parts sand. This method is most
common on commercial construction.

Each choice will require water to make the mix. It should be made
to the consistency of soft peanut butter or coolwhip. Many masons
like to increase the lime, it makes the mortar more sticky so it
easier to butter the brick ends and makes a bit softer mortar. If
the mortar is too hard for the quality of brick with which you are
working, it will fracture the bricks.

The color of the mortar is affected most by the color of the sand
used. It is also influenced by the lime quantity, use of
colorant, use of white portland.


______________________________
Keep the whole world singing . . . .
DanG (remove the sevens)




"jebber007" wrote in message
news:df1dd59d07553d689a63168c9b30dffa@homerepairli ve.com...
I need to rebuild a brick planter outside my home, since over
time it has
deteriorated to eyesore level. I think I can rebuild it myself,
however I
need to understand which mortar or concrete I should use.

Home Depot sells something called "Mortar Mix" that you just mix
with water
- it says on the package "intended for masonry projects." But
someone told
me that it's better to mix up some concrete and add sand to it
for better
performance. Can anyone shed some light onto this for me?

Thanks!

Jeb