Overhead a guy at the supply yard say mortar mix is like coffee - too weak and it all falls apart

I was grabbing a fresh bag of Type S near the register and this older mason next to me told his apprentice that exact thing. Made me laugh because I spent last Tuesday redoing a whole garden wall that crumbled from a mix I got too watery. Anybody else got a go-to ratio they stick with for retaining walls?

3 comments

3 Comments

fiona_west211mo ago

That's the "soup to bricks" method, I've tried that one. Went from "nice sturdy wall" to "interlocking mud pies" real quick.

dakota4151mo ago

I tried that method last spring with a batch of 50 bricks and honestly, the results were a total disaster. @fiona_west21 you're not wrong about the mud pie comparison, mine turned into something that looked like it belonged in a kindergarten art project. The only thing that actually worked for me was letting the mixture sit for a full 48 hours before attempting to form anything. Patience made a way bigger difference than I expected.

ruby_henderson361mo ago

48 hours? Man, that's the real secret right there.