Warning: My mortar mix went bad halfway through a chimney job

I was working on a chimney repoint over in Oak Park last Thursday, right? Everything was going smooth, mortar was the same mix I always use. About halfway up the scaffold I noticed the mortar in my bucket was getting crumbly way too fast, like within 10 minutes it was falling apart. Turns out the bag of Portland I grabbed from the back of my truck had gotten damp from a leak I didnt know about. I had to scrap a whole morning of work because the new stuff wasnt bonding right with the old brick. Had to chip it all out and start over, lost about 4 hours and a bucket of good mortar. Has anyone else had a bag go bad on them mid-job? How do you store your cement to keep moisture out?

2 comments

2 Comments

val_williams4d ago

Ah man, that's a killer when you find out halfway up. I keep my bags in a big plastic tub with a lid, or on pallets off the concrete floor to stop any moisture wicking through.

drew_reed624d ago

Totally agree with you on that @val_williams. The plastic tub trick is smart, I do something similar with a couple of those heavy duty storage bins from the hardware store. Keeps the mice and bugs out too, which is a huge plus when you're storing stuff for months at a time. I also throw a few of those silica gel packets in there, just in case the air gets damp. Really saves you from that nasty surprise when you pull out your gear later on.