I've had an opened bag of mortar in my garage for about a month. I did
a small repair back then and only used a few scoops of it. I have a
rag covering the opening and the mortar is still powdery. Can I still
use it, or should I throw it away?

Mike

Mortar or Cement or Concrete? These terms really are missused very
often but I will assume that it is indeed mortar (as in laying bricks,
block) a premixed sand cement and lime/fireclay. Generally bagged
products will harden from just humidity but if it is still powdery im
sure it is fine. As a precaution (to avoid hardend parts in your mix)
as you take the mix out of the bag either pass it over a screen or just
run your hands thorugh it (gloved) to check for lumps....
wrote:
I've had an opened bag of mortar in my garage for about a month. I did
a small repair back then and only used a few scoops of it. I have a
rag covering the opening and the mortar is still powdery. Can I still
use it, or should I throw it away?

Mike

Okay, thanks.

There aren't any lumps, but I wasn't sure if the individual grains were
affected by humidity and would prevent a mixture from setting up.

Mike

wrote:

I've had an opened bag of mortar in my garage for about a month. I did
a small repair back then and only used a few scoops of it. I have a
rag covering the opening and the mortar is still powdery. Can I still
use it, or should I throw it away?

Mike

It's OK if it's powdery.

the for sure way to find out is mix up a small amount and see if it hardens
OK.
After mixing the mud, put it on something nonporous so it doesn't get dried
too quickly.
If the mix was bad, the next day you'll be able to smash the lump quite
easily with a moderate squeeze of your fingers.
bill

wrote in message
oups.com...
I've had an opened bag of mortar in my garage for about a month. I did
a small repair back then and only used a few scoops of it. I have a
rag covering the opening and the mortar is still powdery. Can I still
use it, or should I throw it away?

Mike