How to Work With Dry Mortar Mix

Dry mortar must be mixed before use. It is made of cement, sand, limestone and hydrated lime. Once you buy a package of dry water mix, you will mix it with sand and water. The amounts of each will be available on the package for you to follow. Dry mortar is used for joining bricks and concrete blocks, as well as stucco and filler.

Supplies needed:

• Dry mortar mix


• Sand


• Work gloves


• Mask to keep particles from getting into your lungs while mixing


• Bucket, wheel barrow and shovel or electric cement mixer


• Drill with mixing attachment


• Water


• Trowel


• Rags or sponge to clean excess mortar of bricks and blocks

Working with dry mortar:

1. Put on work gloves and a mask while working with dry mortar mix. Breathing in the dust can irritate your lungs if you do not use a mask. The mix is very drying and if you do not wear work gloves, your hands will be dried and peeling before too long.


2. Choose a day when the temperature is in the 50s or 60s. If the weather is too hot or too cold, the mortar may not cure correctly.


3. Check the forecast for bad weather; you do not want to work in the rain. You want to work on a dry day and have a weather forecast showing a couple of dry days to let it set and cure.


4. Combine the dry ingredients first, the mortar mix and the sand. You can mix your mortar in a bucket and use a paddle attachment on your drill. For larger quantities, you can use a wheel barrow and shovel. For very large jobs, you may want to use an electric cement mixer.


5. Add water slowly to avoid making the mixture too thin. Mix well with the drill or shovel, or turn the cement mixer on. Continue adding water until it is thick and correct consistency. 


6. Mix as much as you can use in two or three hours. Any longer than that and the mixture will begin to dry out. 


7. Apply a thick layer of mortar with a trowel to join bricks and concrete blocks. Apply the mortar to one brick or block; lay the second brick of block next to or over the first. Tap the brick to set it in place. Wipe off any mortar that was squeezed out.