Just realized my mortar mix was off because of the sand at the ABC Supply yard near Elm Street

I was working a job out in Oakwood last week and kept having my joints crumble on me. Took me three tries to figure out the sand they loaded me with had too much silt in it. I switched to a washed concrete sand from the place on Route 9 and it made a world of difference. Anyone else run into bad sand batches at certain supply yards?

2 comments

2 Comments

elliotjenkins15d ago

That Elm Street yard is notorious for silty sand.

robinson.leo15d ago

Funny you mention that, I was just reading a local soil survey report last week and it said the same thing. Apparently the whole area around Elm Street used to be part of an old creek bed that got filled in decades ago. That silty sand they talk about is a real pain because it doesn't drain well at all, especially after heavy rain. I heard a contractor friend of mine had to put in some serious drainage tile on a job over there just to keep the basement from flooding. You dig in that stuff wrong and it'll just collapse right back in on you, no joke.