I finally figured out why my mortar was drying too fast on hot jobs

So I've been laying brick for about 8 years now and every summer I'd mix up a batch of mortar, get maybe 10 bricks down, and it'd be stiff as a board already. I mean I was fighting it all day long, watering it down, re-mixing, the whole deal. Last week on a patio job in Austin it hit 95 and I was about to lose my mind. Then a guy I was working with said try ice water in the mix, not cold water, ice water. That bought me a solid 20 extra minutes of working time easy. Has anyone else tried this trick or am I just late to the party?

2 comments

2 Comments

smith.jordan1mo ago

Did you have any trouble with the mortar getting too cold to work with later in the day? I've heard ice water can slow down the set time on those scorchers, but I wonder if it messes with the final strength if you're not careful. Curious if your buddy mentioned anything about keeping the mix temp consistent throughout the whole job.

nathan5451mo ago

Changed my mind after seeing it firsthand, honestly - my buddy used warm mix water and insulated the batches instead of ice, and the strength tests came back fine even when temps dropped late afternoon.