Job site pet peeve - using the wrong mortar mix

Was on a commercial project over on Elm Street last month. Foreman kept using Type N for a load-bearing wall. Told him three times it needed Type S. He ignored me. Now I check every pallet before they even unload.

2 comments

2 Comments

matthewsullivan21h ago

Buddy of mine was doing a retaining wall at a church and the supplier sent Type O by mistake. He didn't notice until halfway through the second day. Spent three hours with a hammer and chisel busting out blocks he had already laid. Said the wall looked like a kid with missing teeth by the time he was done.

ellis.rose11h ago

Jump right in and say that Type O mortar is actually a good thing to catch early, but your buddy @matthewsullivan probably had it worse than he let on. Type O is basically the weakest mix you can get, so that retaining wall would have been in trouble down the line even if he had left it. Bet he was more mad at himself than the supplier for not checking the bags before starting. I always run my thumb over the label when I grab a pallet now, just to feel for the S or N stamp since the letters blur together after the first hour of work.