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Posted: Tue Nov 21, 2006 9:14 pm
by daveaasmith
Having recently laid my patio, I am in the middle of pointing it up. I am fortunate enough to live on a building site (well, Barratts are still building at the end of the cul-de-sac) and so have been able to 'acquire' some fresh ready made mortar, right on my doorstep within 10 minutes of the lorry delivering it.
My question is, how long will the mortar last before it becomes unusable?
The lorry usually delivers the mortar on a Saturday, roughly covered with plastic and the builders use it on Monday/Tuesday. The mortar I have was from last Saturday and I commenced pointing on Sunday, yesterday and today. I have it in a big plastic box, with plastic sheeting sealing the top. It is definitly getting drier, but still very soft. I intend to complete the pointing next Saturday (so a week after it was delivered).
Is there an issue with it being a week old, or is it simply further along it's 'going off' duration? So as long as I can still point with it, it will still go off?
The reason I ask is that brick laying has finished so no more deliveries are expected.
Many thanks ...... Dave
PS - when I've finished the patio I will post some photos - it is a 30 square metre combination of grey riven slabs (three sizes 600x600mm, 600x300mm and 300x300mm) with a cream (slightly peach) mortar - it will be enclosed by new oak sleepers (stacked two high) with inset spotlights (hopefully!).
Posted: Tue Nov 21, 2006 9:18 pm
by Stuarty
Its the mortar allready mixed ? im not sure if im confused by your post or confused by myself :/
Posted: Tue Nov 21, 2006 9:20 pm
by daveaasmith
yeah, the mortar is ready mixed, came (slopped) out of cement mixer type lorry !!!
Posted: Tue Nov 21, 2006 9:26 pm
by Stuarty
I have honestly no idea heh! Everytime ive done work on the sites, they have always had the mix delivered into the silos. Only seen concrete dumped in heaps for kerbing etc etc
Posted: Tue Nov 21, 2006 9:35 pm
by daveaasmith
They used to deliver the mortar into the silo but now the development is drawing to an end, they deposite it in the (approx) 0.5 cubic meter tubs and move it around the site. The silo used to have a big lime on the side of it, if that means anything (lime mortar???).
My second question is that of rain - it's been dry as a bone during the day while I've been pointing, but raining like a bad'un every night - should this cause problems with the mortar setting? It's getting harder each day, so I'm not overly concerned at the moment.
Posted: Tue Nov 21, 2006 10:10 pm
by lutonlagerlout
the mortar has retardent in it so it should last 4-5 days,personally i dont like it and wouldnt recommend it
if you can use it quickly its ok but the retardent stops it setting for ages
cheers LLL 
Posted: Wed Nov 22, 2006 9:04 am
by daveaasmith
when you say you don't like it, is it because of the retardent delay, or have you seen issues with its use?
also are you saying that after 7 days there is no point using it as it will not set properly?
Posted: Wed Nov 22, 2006 5:57 pm
by lutonlagerlout
i worked on big jobs where they use it for convenience ,but i always found it too runny on day 1 and by day 3 it was like floor screed.
sand and cement are dirt cheap it would probably only cost £15 tops to point a patio and you can knock up a nice strong gauge and the consistency you need
bricklaying mortar is a tad on the weak side for a patio
hope this helps ya
cheers LLL
Posted: Wed Nov 22, 2006 9:09 pm
by daveaasmith
thanks for all the responses on this question.
i sort of answered my own question today when i had a look at the mortar in my garage - it has set solid!!! so i got 4-5 days out of it, exactly as LLL said!!!
Posted: Wed Nov 22, 2006 11:45 pm
by lutonlagerlout
so now you have a wrecked bucket as well :;):
if you get anymore try and use it on about day 3
it will be stiff enough then
regards LLL
Posted: Sat Nov 25, 2006 8:06 am
by seanandruby
i think eventually it will creck badly and crumble. brickies on my job added more cement to make it workable for blocks. so they might as well just had sand and cement. the weight of the brickwork helps with it but it can be live for days. i was made to build manholes with this stuff and it was murder when they came to tarmac, i had to follow them round and do them again.
Posted: Wed Nov 29, 2006 12:42 pm
by daveaasmith
oh no, you really think it will be that bad ?!!?? it's down now so we will have to see 
it seems to be rock solid now though, and the joints are 5mm wide and filled 30mm deep with the stuff; the mortar was brushed well so appears just below the surface of the slabs
i never saw any of the brickies add anything to it when they laid the yorkstone when building the houses around us, so maybe it's good enough? or are you saying it's just not as good for patios?
Posted: Wed Nov 29, 2006 5:18 pm
by lutonlagerlout
yorkstone eh??
are you sure its sand and cement and not lime mortar they were using??
cheers LLL
Posted: Wed Nov 29, 2006 5:44 pm
by Stuarty
a Brickies mix and a pointing mix have different properties becuase they do different jobs. I personally wouldnt use it to point tbh.
Posted: Wed Nov 29, 2006 8:56 pm
by daveaasmith
i thought it was lime mortar, it is the same stuff that they put into the big silo (which had a picture of a lime on the side of it), and it is the stuff they are currently doing the bricklaying with (well not at the exact moment as they've gone home!!!).