Learn to make a good mortar

Learn to make a good mortar

The mortar is the basis of all buildings must also meet all the assays indicated. Often overlooked the three constituent elements , namely , cement , sand and water, but everyone involved in the mixing quality . The creation of a mortar is for everyone , except for such work as the excavation depth and window borders for which they seek advice from a professional .

There are 3 types of mortar with lime mortar , cement and the bastard and all of them are designed for a particular purpose . Cement mortar is the strongest and is suitable for heavy work, but it is not elastic , so it breaks down quickly. The bastard mortar is composed of cement, water and lime which makes it versatile for many tasks .

Finally, lime mortar suitable for repairing walls and irregular surfaces due to its elasticity . The choice of sand is important because the cement and water are elements devoid of impurities. The first criterion for the sand grain size to be consistent , and should receive any dirt . To check if it is good , just take it in his hand and drag .

Then the rest can be observed in his hand to see a change in tone , and if this is the case, then it is not suitable for mortar. You can clean the sand sifting , but efforts are consistent and it takes a long time, it is better to buy in specialist shops . Similarly, we recommend the sand of the beach, and we favor the riverbanks .

Mixing mortar

The methods used are the same as that of the cement or lime ( also known as a binder ) with the other elements . The dosage depends on the density of the mixture , but it should be noted that a large amount of cement dry faster .

Here are some steps to 40 kg of cement , 50 kg of sand and a slightly lower amount of lime. We start by mixing sand, binder and lime for mortar and after a bastard must use a shovel to mix thoroughly and ensure that no element predominates over one side. Then we make a mound of the mixture, make a hole right in the center and pour water that has previously filtered.

One should not pay all at once , and should establish measures to advance with a glass or bottle of one liter. Each time , mix all the elements to create a smooth paste avoiding granules and air pockets as these will affect the mortar. Also , you can use a fork or rake to remove . We can also beat the mixture with a piece of wood to settle and repeat the above steps with a shovel.

The different types of mortar

According to the work , it will sometimes tinted mortar, and this is possible by choosing a sand with this color . Indeed , mortars for windows require a reddish mortar , so the sand must have a predominance of the color. Then , this color can be varied by decreasing or increasing the dosage of the other ingredients . However , this change does not affect the quality of the mixture in favor of aesthetics.