Pro tip: Don't buy cheap mortar mix from the big box store

I grabbed four bags of that store brand stuff for a retaining wall job last Friday. Saved maybe $12 over the brand I usually get from the supply house. By the third course the mortar was setting way too fast in the wheelbarrow and the color came out blotchy. Had to tear out about 6 feet of wall and redo it. Wasted about 3 hours and half a bag of mix. Anyone else have bad luck with the cheap stuff?

2 comments

2 Comments

morgan91525d ago

Man that "setting way too fast in the wheelbarrow" part hit home for me. I had the exact same issue with a cheap bag from a certain orange store last spring. It was like the mix had sand that was way too fine and the cement content was off or something. I ended up with a row of bricks that looked like a dog's breakfast with patchy dark spots all over. Spent a whole Sunday chiseling it out and redoing it with proper mix from the supply house. I learned the hard way that saving a few bucks isn't worth wrecking a whole weekend of work. Your mileage may vary but I stick to the known brands now, no exceptions.

brooke47525d ago

That "dog's breakfast" line from @morgan915 is exactly how my paver project ended up looking too, what a mess.