Mortar mix went wrong on a retaining wall job last week

I took on a small retaining wall for a homeowner in Eugene last Tuesday. Mixed up my mortar a bit too wet like I always do, but this time it just would not hold. The blocks started sliding after about 3 rows. I had to tear the whole thing down and start over with a drier mix. Lost a whole day and a bag of type S mortar. Turns out the sand I grabbed was a bit damp already from sitting outside. Has anyone else had issues with wet sand messing up your mix consistency?

2 comments

2 Comments

mary_kelly4d agoTop Commenter

I've grabbed damp sand before and yeah it totally changes how the mortar acts. Sounds like your mix was fine but the moisture in the sand threw off your water ratio.

sullivan.abby5d agoMost Upvoted

Blame the damp sand all you want, but your mix technique sounds like the real problem here.