Hot take: that "quick" mortar mix repair took me 7 hours instead of 30 minutes

I kept seeing everyone online say you can patch a small corner of a retaining wall in under an hour with that rapid-set mortar. So last Saturday I tried it on my own wall in the backyard. The bag said 30 minutes working time but it started firming up on me in like 12 minutes because it was 90 degrees out. I had to chisel out half of it and start over twice. The whole project ended up taking me from 8am to 3pm with cleanup. Has anyone else had this happen with hot weather and quick-set mixes, or am I just bad at reading instructions?

2 comments

2 Comments

kim_martin5d ago

That 90 degree heat will mess with quick-set every time. Are you sure the wall really needed patching that badly?

averywright5d ago

Hot weather messing with quick-set is a real thing, but patching a whole wall over a little dent? That's like using a sledgehammer on a nail. Some people just want an excuse to tear stuff down.