Used to mix my mud by eye but now I measure out every batch after a wall fell over

Last summer I was slapping up a garden wall in Austin and figured I had the mix right like always. Five days later the whole thing buckled because the mortar was too sandy. Now I use a 1:3 ratio with a bucket and a scale every single time, no shortcuts. Has anyone else had a job fail because of a bad mix?

2 comments

2 Comments

victor21911d ago

That's the kind of lesson you only learn once. I've never had a wall fall but I've seen guys skim on cement to save cash and end up with crumbly joints that fail in a year.

henry_moore5511d ago

Crumbly joints fail in a year" - I've seen cheap mix hold up fine with good prep honestly.