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That Monday in 2019 with the frozen mortar tub
Cold morning up in Burlington, wind off the lake was brutal. We had 3000 brick to lay on a retaining wall and the mortar kept skinning over before we could butter a joint. By noon we'd only set maybe 14 courses, felt like we were going backwards. The boss finally said 'heat the water, not the mix,' and a $40 tank heater turned it all around by 2pm. Anyone else fight winter mortar or do you just mix smaller batches?
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danielowens1d ago
Heard a guy on a podcast say the trick is wrapping the hose in pipe insulation, not just heating the water, keeps the line from freezing between batches. That and a heavier mix with less water seemed to buy us another ten minutes before it went stiff.
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brooke_murray1d ago
Wait, pipe insulation actually keeps it from freezing, not just slowing it down? That seems too simple to actually work, but I've been fighting this exact mess for two winters now, lol.
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