I am going to do some tuck-pointing on a square cut stone house. I am
testing mixes in order to try to closely match the mortar. I have
found that the newly mixed mortar does not seem to be near as hard as
the original mortar even after 24 to 48 hours.
Will it harden more as time goes on?
I know as it hardens it should stay wet but how does this affect its
hardness. Should I spay it with water a number of times a day and for
how many days?

When mixing how does the amount of water affect its hardness. I laid a
mud bed once for a shower stall and used a dry mix like wet beach sand
and it hardened nicely. When doing a slab once I used a wetter mix and
floated it a lot to get the cream up and have a smooth surface with
not much aggregate showing. When it comes to mortar how wet or dry
should it be?

I am trying a one to two and one to three mixes of bagged mortar to
sand. The mortar I have is just straight with no sand in it already.
It just that the old mortar pieces that fell out I can’t even snap in
two but with my new test mixes after 24 to 48 hours I can snap in two
and also mash to a grit between my fingers.
I tried a straight mortar no sand just to see if it hardened ok and it
did but can still be broken with not too much effort.

On May 24, 9:58 pm, wrote:
On Sat, 24 May 2008 10:09:43 -0700 (PDT), DJW
wrote:

. I have
found that the newly mixed mortar does not seem to be near as hard as
the original mortar even after 24 to 48 hours.

The design spec on most portland cement based products is at 28 days.

So are you saying that it gets somewhat hard a at first but then for
the next 28 days gets harder reaching maximum hardness at 28 days?
Would it be a good idea to get it wet by spraying it at least once a
day for the first 14 days or the full 28 or does that not matter at
all?

On May 24, 12:09*pm, DJW wrote:
I am going to do some tuck-pointing on a square cut stone house. I am
testing mixes in order to try to closely match the mortar. I have
found that the newly mixed mortar does not seem to be near as hard as
the original mortar even after 24 to 48 hours.
Will it harden more as time goes on?
I know as it hardens it should stay wet but how does this affect its
hardness. Should I spay it with water a number of times a day and for
how many days?

When mixing how does the amount of water affect its hardness. I laid a
mud bed once for a shower stall and used a dry mix like wet beach sand
and it hardened nicely. When doing a slab once I used a wetter mix and
floated it a lot to get the cream up and have a smooth surface with
not much aggregate showing. When it comes to mortar how wet or dry
should it be?

I am trying a one to two and one to three mixes of bagged mortar to
sand. The mortar I have is just straight with no sand in it already.
It just that the old mortar pieces that fell out I can’t even snap in
two but with my new test mixes after 24 to 48 hours I can snap in two
and also mash to a grit between my fingers.
I tried a straight mortar no sand just to see if it hardened ok and it
did but can still be broken with not too much effort.

Limestone? Ive just used mortar mix with good results and no damage to
the stone, but if you dont like the grey color you need a custom mix.

"ransley" wrote in message
...
On May 24, 12:09 pm, DJW wrote:
I am going to do some tuck-pointing on a square cut stone house. I am
testing mixes in order to try to closely match the mortar. I have
found that the newly mixed mortar does not seem to be near as hard as
the original mortar even after 24 to 48 hours.
Will it harden more as time goes on?
I know as it hardens it should stay wet but how does this affect its
hardness. Should I spay it with water a number of times a day and for
how many days?

When mixing how does the amount of water affect its hardness. I laid a
mud bed once for a shower stall and used a dry mix like wet beach sand
and it hardened nicely. When doing a slab once I used a wetter mix and
floated it a lot to get the cream up and have a smooth surface with
not much aggregate showing. When it comes to mortar how wet or dry
should it be?

I am trying a one to two and one to three mixes of bagged mortar to
sand. The mortar I have is just straight with no sand in it already.
It just that the old mortar pieces that fell out I can’t even snap in
two but with my new test mixes after 24 to 48 hours I can snap in two
and also mash to a grit between my fingers.
I tried a straight mortar no sand just to see if it hardened ok and it
did but can still be broken with not too much effort.

Limestone? Ive just used mortar mix with good results and no damage to
the stone, but if you dont like the grey color you need a custom mix.

Don't go by the color just after you use it as it will be light grey to
whitish from the cement in the mix, after a year or two or three, the cement
on the surface will wear away showing the color of the sand used in the mix.
Sands can run from grey to brown or reddish color all the way to black sand.
Most age to a brownish dark grey.

It works the same way road asphalt. When it is first laid down it is jet
black, but a couple of years of weather will wear away the surface tar
exposing the aggregate used in the mix, limestone will leave a light grey
color, granite will leave a red, green, brown or black finish to the
pavement. Sometimes patches are made from different supplier and create a
variety of colored sections.

On May 25, 5:29 pm, "EXT" wrote:
"ransley" wrote in message

...
On May 24, 12:09 pm, DJW wrote:



I am going to do some tuck-pointing on a square cut stone house. I am
testing mixes in order to try to closely match the mortar. I have
found that the newly mixed mortar does not seem to be near as hard as
the original mortar even after 24 to 48 hours.
Will it harden more as time goes on?
I know as it hardens it should stay wet but how does this affect its
hardness. Should I spay it with water a number of times a day and for
how many days?

When mixing how does the amount of water affect its hardness. I laid a
mud bed once for a shower stall and used a dry mix like wet beach sand
and it hardened nicely. When doing a slab once I used a wetter mix and
floated it a lot to get the cream up and have a smooth surface with
not much aggregate showing. When it comes to mortar how wet or dry
should it be?

I am trying a one to two and one to three mixes of bagged mortar to
sand. The mortar I have is just straight with no sand in it already.
It just that the old mortar pieces that fell out I can’t even snap in
two but with my new test mixes after 24 to 48 hours I can snap in two
and also mash to a grit between my fingers.
I tried a straight mortar no sand just to see if it hardened ok and it
did but can still be broken with not too much effort.
Limestone? Ive just used mortar mix with good results and no damage to
the stone, but if you dont like the grey color you need a custom mix.

Don't go by the color just after you use it as it will be light grey to
whitish from the cement in the mix, after a year or two or three, the cement
on the surface will wear away showing the color of the sand used in the mix.

On May 25, 5:29*pm, "EXT" wrote:
"ransley" wrote in message

...
On May 24, 12:09 pm, DJW wrote:





I am going to do some tuck-pointing on a square cut stone house. I am
testing mixes in order to try to closely match the mortar. I have
found that the newly mixed mortar does not seem to be near as hard as
the original mortar even after 24 to 48 hours.
Will it harden more as time goes on?
I know as it hardens it should stay wet but how does this affect its
hardness. Should I spay it with water a number of times a day and for
how many days?

When mixing how does the amount of water affect its hardness. I laid a
mud bed once for a shower stall and used a dry mix like wet beach sand
and it hardened nicely. When doing a slab once I used a wetter mix and
floated it a lot to get the cream up and have a smooth surface with
not much aggregate showing. When it comes to mortar how wet or dry
should it be?

I am trying a one to two and one to three mixes of bagged mortar to
sand. The mortar I have is just straight with no sand in it already.
It just that the old mortar pieces that fell out I can’t even snap in
two but with my new test mixes after 24 to 48 hours I can snap in two
and also mash to a grit between my fingers.
I tried a straight mortar no sand just to see if it hardened ok and it
did but can still be broken with not too much effort.
Limestone? Ive just used mortar mix with good results and no damage to
the stone, but if you dont like the grey color you need a custom mix.

Don't go by the color just after you use it as it will be light grey to
whitish from the cement in the mix, after a year or two or three, the cement
on the surface will wear away showing the color of the sand used in the mix.

replying to gfretwell, Philip jones Jones wrote:
Thats is wrong. Concrete does not need other source to get strong. It will
take 50 years to reach its true strength. Water has nothing to with strength
infact water is more destructive than a strength maker.

--
for full context, visit https://www.homeownershub.com/mainte...rd-308624-.htm

On 5/1/2018 2:14 PM, Philip jones Jones wrote:
replying to gfretwell, Philip jones Jones wrote:
Thats is wrong. Concrete does not need other source to get strong. It will
take 50 years to reach its true strength. Water has nothing to with
strength
infact water is more destructive than a strength maker.

If you want it to get hard fast, there is a Viagra additive to mix in.
It will stay hard for more than 4 hours too.