Serious question about pointing mix ratios, still overthinking it

I was on a job site in Auburn last week and this old timer bricklayer saw me mixing mortar wrong and just said 'son, you're building a sand castle, not a wall'. He pulled me aside and showed me his 3:1 mix that was way stiffer than what I was using, and it laid like butter. Has anyone else had a random guy on site change how they mix?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_val6h ago

That old timer calling it a "sand castle" is exactly what I needed to hear when I first started (some guys have a way with words, don't they?). Once I switched to a 3:1 mix with just enough water to make it hold together without slumping, my joints came out way tighter and cleaner. The real trick I picked up is letting the mortar sit for about 10 minutes after mixing (called slaking) then giving it one more stir - that alone changed how it felt on the trowel.

piper_green2h ago

@the_val that slaking tip is gold. I used to mix and go right away, joints were always a little crumbly. Once I let it sit and re-temped it, it was like butter on the trowel. Also started keeping a spray bottle on the board to mist it if it dries out too fast, keeps it workable for a good 15-20 minutes without getting sloppy.