Chat with an old-timer about mortar mixing changed my workflow

Met a retired bricklayer named Frank at the supply yard last Tuesday. He watched me grab a bag of pre-mix and just laughed. Said I was paying double for something I could do better with sand, cement, and lime for $8 a batch. Told me his rule was 3 parts sand, 1 cement, half lime for a wall that won't crack in 20 years. I tried it on a small garden wall job in Portland and the stuff worked smoother than anything I've ever used. Anyone else ditch the pre-mix after talking to someone who learned this trade in the 70s?

2 comments

2 Comments

jamiekim1mo ago

That "half lime" ratio is actually closer to 1 part lime to 3 parts sand and 1 cement. Pure lime is half that.

kais671mo ago

That 3-1-1 thing Frank told you about is pretty much the classic mix. I remember my first job out of high school was helping an old timer named Dale repoint a stone foundation in New Hampshire, and he mixed everything by eye in a wheelbarrow. He'd grab a handful of sand, let it run through his fingers, then adjust the water based on the humidity that day. Said digital scales were for rookies. I tried pre-mix once on a fire pit and it turned into a crumbly mess after one winter. Now I just keep a bag of Portland and a bucket of lime in the shed. @jamiekim is right that the ratio needs a bit of tweaking depending on your sand too. Some of the local stuff here is really sharp and you need a little extra lime to make it workable.