Had a week in June where every corner I turned on a retaining wall in Boise came out perfectly flush

I was building a 40-foot curved retaining wall for a backyard in the North End and every single course sat dead level on the first try with zero shimming, which never happens, has anyone else had one of those magical weeks where the mortar just behaves?

2 comments

2 Comments

sarahpatel26d ago

That's the sweet spot when the weather and the mix line up just right. Mortar sets different every single batch depending on humidity and how the sand feels that day. Enjoy it while it lasts, because next week you'll be fighting every block.

fisher.charlie26d ago

Mortar doesn't really set different based on how the sand "feels" though. It's more about the moisture content in the sand and the temperature, like if you got bagged sand that sat out in the sun versus shaded stuff. I've had batches that were perfect one day and sloppy the next just cause the humidity changed overnight.