How To Mix Mortar By Hand For Bricklaying
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ต.ค. 2020
- Published on 28th October 2020
I show you how to mix mortar in a bucket, you can scale up the quantities as needed. Hope you enjoy the video. Consider subscribing to help me grow the channel and help others learn more about DIY.
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Power Tools I Use:
Dewalt DCF887 Impact Driver 18v XR
Dewalt DCH273 SDS Hammer Drill 18v XR
Dewalt DCD996 Combi Drill 18v XR
Dewalt DCG412 Angle Grinder 18v XR
Dewalt DCD118 18v Charger
Dewalt DCB184 5ah 18v Battery
Dewat Sander 240v
4” Angle Grinder
9” Petrol Saw
Table Saw
Makita Router
Makita Planner
Makita
Mitre saw
Bricklaying Kit I Use:
Marshaltown Trowel
Marshtown Pointing Trowel
Bullnose Trowel
Guaging Trowel
Brick jointers
1200mm Stanley Fat Max Level
600mm Stanley Level
Stanley Fat Max Boat Level
Lines
Foot Print Pins
Fisco Brick Tape
Tape Measure 5m
Tape Measure 8m
Carpenters Pencil
Brick Hammer
Eastwing Lump Hammer 4lb
Bolsters 2”
4”
Pluging Chisel
Wire Brush
Soft Hand Brush
Corner Blocks
Gloves
4” Diamond Blade Disc
Mortar Raking Disc
Angle Grinder
Bucket
Dewalt Cross Line Laser Level
Dewalt Laser Detector
Telescopic Measuring Staff
Block Saw
Hand Tools I Use:
Carpenters Pencil
Chalk Line
Sledge Hammer
Electrical Snips
Pliers
Claw Hammer
Folder Square
Framing Square
Engineers Square
Saw
All the other stuff:
50m 240v Extension Cable
15m 240v Extension Cable
Hop up
Wheel Barrow
Big Gorilla Bucket
Small Gorilla Bucket
Impact Driver Bits
Masonry Drill Bits
Metal Drill Bits
Wood Drill Bits
Filming kit:
Canon M50
Tripod
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Great video and great information
Thanks for this, clear instructions that can actually follow! Wish me luck I'm off to build a wall to stop my spaniel/springbok escaping
Pleased you found the video helpful. All the best with your wall.
Nice video, cheers for this.
You’re a great educator!
Thanks!
I really needed that, sand, cement, water and a bucket has eluded me for over 56 years till now!
Andy, where have you been for those 56 years it’s 2021 and we’re coming out of the pandemic. I’m pleased you’ve rejoined the world of the living!
51k thousands would agree 😅
Thank you this helped me with my school task!!!!!
Amazing! I’m glad you found the answers you were looking for.
Thanks for taking the time to make and upload this great instructional video. I have to repoint the brickwork on my old shed. It will be my first attempt at repointing after viewing your repointing video. What is your advice if the mortar begins to go off in the bucket before I have finished as I will be a bit slow at first? Add a bit more water to the bucket or knock up another batch?
Thanks Ivan.
Mortar often needs knocking up again, add a small amount of water and mix through, there is no need to throw it away. You can always add more water but you can’t take it away so add it slowly.
All the best with repointing the shed.
Ben
Thanks Ben. I'm s great believer in practical skills videos like yours. So many youngsters go to University these days and rack up huge debts for certificates that never lead to jobs. Carpenters, builders, plumbers, electricians and car mechanics are always in demand. Thanks for your reply 👍
Good to know
Very helpful video - I’m new to this, so please excuse my ignorance. I have a small job to do which is to build a small (hidden) retaining wall using dense concrete blocks. I’ve done the footing, but do I use the same mortar mix as you do for bricks on my dense blocks? Thanks….
Hi Herby, great question and well done for giving it a go. I would build a retaining wall in the same mortar mix as I’d use underground, which is normally a stronger mix (3 sand : 1 cement). Mortar for brickwork is often slightly weaker at 4:1. Good luck with the project.
Thanks so much for the quick reply - brilliant - I will go with that. Good luck to you.
Great video thanks. What type of sand do you recommend for mixing with cement eg sharp Sand or ....? To make the mortar. Thanks for your reply in advance!
Hi Sanj. Mortar is made with building sand. There are times when you would use sharp sand for different applications but for general purposes building sand is what you want.
@@BerkleyBuilds thanks for your swift and kind reply. Very helpful. All the best 👍👍
Thanks
Wow You have done an excellent job ! Would love to learn about roughly the cost of all the materials.
Thanks. A 25kg bag of cement is between £5-£7 depending on if it’s a paper or plastic bag, plastic bags store better. Building sand was a 20kg bag costing around £3.
Glad you enjoyed the video, what other videos would you like to see?
Thanks for the info , now I've just had to fix some pointing on my conservatory ! I got a bucket of just add water ready mix , this mortar is grey but my conservatory is like a pale sand colour ! Any tips how to match colour as i have a few bits around windows to do on mh house amd i really don't want different colours! Conservatory is being painted so was no bother there .
I don’t rate the ready mix stuff.
In terms of colour matching, different building sand can make a big impact to the colour of the mortar once dried. Building sand comes in varies colours from red to yellow. I would do some test mixes with different building sand and ratios till you get a close match.
@@BerkleyBuildsthanks . was blue circle ready mix , did the job on the conservatory ! Maybe if i take a picture and go into my local aggregate supplier??
@@trev815 yes, that would be a good idea, although you’ll still need to do a bit of trial and error.
Bear in mind mortar will lighten as it drys.
I’m trying to gauge what my audience wants to see, do you have any video requests?
Thanks,
Ben
I am planning to repoint part of my garage wall. The mortar is very crumbly and falling out. What mix would you recommend 1:4 or 1:5?
I’d suggest 4:1. Depending on how old the property is you might need to use a lime mortar. Check out my repointing video if you need some tips. All the best with repointing your garage.
Washing up liquid is a cheeky sub for feb...
Sounds like you speak from experience 🤣
@@BerkleyBuilds i do lol...
Discovered yesterday it also helps when a cat pisses in your sand!
@@vinigarr801 I don’t disagree, it works but you’ll come unstuck when you have to rebuild the wall. It makes the mortar aerated, making it weaker.
Take pride in your work and use the right stuff.
@@BerkleyBuilds first time I've ever laid brick tbh..
Doing a favour for someone that can't afford a full rebuild - its already looking better than the attempts that are in the neighbouring gardens 😀
@@vinigarr801 Fair play mate. Good luck with it! Take it from a bricky with 15yrs experience, take your time and the speed will come.
In filming a repointing video at the moment and I plan to film some brickwork tutorial videos after that, might be a little late for your project though. All the best with the build
Hi, this mix is not too strong? My end terrace house is 100 old, red bricks. I'm worried faces of brick might ‘blow out’. Thank you for reply and great videos.
Hi Sebastian, 4 sand : 1 cement is a standard mix, you could always go for a 5:1 if you wanted a slightly weaker mix as there’s still nothing wrong with 5:1.
I suggest doing a few small test mixes and letting them dry so you can match the colour to your existing mortar. If you have bricks that have blown, it’s best to change these before you repoint the wall.
@@BerkleyBuilds Amazing info! Thank you! The colour of the mortar will depend on how much sand is added? I've been told my original mortar is limestone, it's creamy light colour, not grey.
@@sebastians_ colour is determined by the mix ratio and the colour of the sand. With your 100yr old property you won’t use cement but will replace it with lime instead. Lime is the binding agent and also helps the wall to breath
How long does it take for a mix of this consistency to go off and become unworkable? As a beginner I doubt I will be working fast, so is this a good amount to start with for doing something like pointing?
Hi Sharon, great question! Depending on the air temperature and if the mortar is in direct sunlight I would suggest mortar would be workable for an hour before it might need knocking up (adding water and remixing). Once mortar is knocked up it may give you a further half an hour.
You can always start with a smaller quantity if you don’t think you’ll use it.
Well done for giving it a go. I hope the project goes well and you enjoy the process.
Ben
@@BerkleyBuilds Thank you for taking the time to reply Ben! Much appreciated :)
@@sharonmc5192 always happy to answer a question
Does it make a difference what type of sand is used? Sharp or building sand (soft)?
Great question! Yes it does make a difference, you should use building sand as sharp is too corse. However, sharp is sometimes added to the mix in small ratios so when pointed the larger grains show up but building sand would be the primary sand in the mix.
Thanks, Ben.
@@BerkleyBuilds good man, thank you. I've had a building project I've been putting off for ages as I wasn't sure of the sand.... Goo gle just gives me no help in this subject 👌💪👍
@@t_poutsider you’re welcome, I’m always happy to answer a question. All the best with your project.
What type of sand did you use please? Many thanks
Building sand.
How long do I have to work with the mortar before it goes off
It’s not a straight forward answer because it can depend on how warm the weather is, if the mortar is in direct sun or not and how wet the mix is. I would suggest an average working time would be around 30- 40mins before the mortar needs mixing or knocking up.
How would you make the color lighter?
A great question! Colour of the sand and dyes are the variables for changing the colour.
If you are trying to colour match to existing mortar then experiment with small mixes. Let them dry for a week to show its final colour.
Was that sharp sand or building sand?
That was building sand. Sharp sand will also make mortar but you don’t use it to lay bricks
What is the additive doing? Is it like plasticizer?
Good question. The additive is a plasticiser and makes the mortar more pliable and workable for longer.
@@BerkleyBuilds interesting. Any drawbacks?
@@I_SuperHiro_I not really but yes if you add too much, the mortar can then become difficult to work with. There aren’t any significant drawbacks with using it. But I’d suggest to bear in mind what application you’re using it for, as using it for a stiff mortar may not help you. Mortar consistency is a personal preference.
@@BerkleyBuilds I have to get up on the roof and point some ridge tiles.
@@I_SuperHiro_I when pointing ridge tiles most people have the mortar on the stiff side because if it’s too wet it’ll run and stain the roof tiles. Plus having it stiff means it holds its shape and doesn’t fall before it’s gone off.
You’ll probably mix a bucket worth so experiment and see what works for you, I’d suggest if you use the plasticiser to put a small dash into the water.
All the best with the pointing 👍🏻
How do I get grey color?
Mortar is generally a grey in colour but I assume you mean a more prominent grey, this can be done by using powder toners which, when added to the mortar in the mixing process will tint the mortar as desired. Although It can be a bit of trial and error to get the right mix.
Lime?
Not needed for this property which was built in the mid 1980’s.
I do agree that lime should be used for older properties that require it, allowing the masonry to breath.
How to replace a blown brick. ( Video) 👍
Thanks, thats a great video suggestion! I’m struggling to film practical videos at the minute, all my time is taken up with my new company ProjectWise (beprojectwise.co.uk). Advice videos are easier to create but when I get a chance I’ll be sure to film it.
this is a good video, want to be youtube friends?
Thanks. Yeah sure, I'm Ben. What's your name? How do you manage to get a video out every other day? I struggle to do one a week!
Shouldn't that gap behind you be supported? That's an awful lot of brick just hanging down. And you should dry mix the sand and cement before adding water. So why are you posting videos?
If you look behind me you’ll see an 8x4 sheet of 18mm OSB which had masonry screws in each brick, this kept everything solid and acting as one. The loads were transferred the rest of the chimney breast.
Which British Standard are you referring to? As long as the mortar is mixed throughly this technique for a small mix is adequate under Regulation 7.
shut up and thank him for his vid
Hey so in America and can't buy feb. Do you have any idea what's in it so I can know what to substitute?
That’s a great question Christopher! I had to do some research on this because I didn’t know what the USA equivalent was.
Essentially Feb contains, plasticising agents, retarding agents, air-entraining agents and retarders. To my knowledge the US version of Feb could be found from SIka or CEMEX as they both do liquid plasticiser. Hope this helps
@@BerkleyBuilds thank you for that answer because it was gonna cost quite a bit to have that shipped lol