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Had to match a 100-year-old mortar color on a chimney repair

The homeowner wanted it perfect, but the old mix had this weird pinkish tint from sand with iron flecks. After three failed batches, I got desperate and threw in a handful of brick dust from the cleanup pile. Mixed it in dry before adding water, about a cup for a half bag of mix. It actually worked, gave it that exact faded, earthy tone. The client couldn't tell the new work from the original. Anyone ever use brick dust to color match mortar, or did I just get lucky?
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2 Comments
terry_bailey35
Man, I feel that struggle. Matching old mortar is a nightmare, especially when it's got those weird mineral stains. Using brick dust from the site is actually a solid old-school trick. You didn't get lucky, you just found the right local material.
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xenarobinson
I mean, my grandpa used to mix in coffee grounds for a darker shade once.
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