Old timer showed me a trick for keeping mortar from drying out too fast on a hot day in Vegas last July

I was working a wall on a 110 degree day and my mortar was crusting over before I could even lay the brick. An older mason I was partnered with laughed and told me to mix in a handful of ice cubes from my cooler. Worked like a charm. Anyone else use that trick or have another way to slow down the set in extreme heat?

3 comments

3 Comments

craig.mila1mo agoMost Upvoted

Wow, wait a second. @wendyprice you actually wet down the bricks too? That's wild, I never thought of that. I've been using the ice cubes in the mix for years but just figured the bricks would suck the water out anyway. Gonna have to try that next time, especially on those 110+ days. And yeah @the_sam, keeping a cooler on site is standard for me in the summer, it's worth the hassle when your mortar doesn't turn to dust in five minutes.

wendyprice1mo ago

3 summers back I was working a trim job in Bakersfield where it hit 108 by noon and we had the same problem. My mortar was getting so crusty I was about ready to just call it a day. Another guy on site told me to wet down the bricks before laying them too, not just the mortar. I tried it alongside keeping my ice cubes in the mix and it doubled the time I had to work. The water evaporating off the bricks cools them down a bit and keeps the mortar from sucking out all the moisture. That ice cube trick really does work though, I've been doing it ever since.

the_sam1mo ago

Wait, @wendyprice are you saying you actually keep a cooler of ice on site just for the mix? I've always heard that old timer trick but never tried it myself. I usually just wet everything down and work in the shade when I can, but that evaporative cooling from the bricks makes a ton of sense now that you mention it. Might have to give the whole ice cube thing a shot next time we're cooking in the valley.