Had a weird mortar mix issue on a job in Flagstaff last summer

The bag said it was good for the altitude, but it set up way too fast in the dry heat. I had to toss a whole batch after it went off in the pan in like 20 minutes. Anyone else run into this with high desert work and found a brand that holds up better?

3 comments

3 Comments

juliarodriguez29d ago

Sounds like that mortar mix got stage fright in the desert heat.

hollyprice29d ago

Yeah, it totally froze up on me lol. Guess I'm the one who should've read the weather report before starting.

-1

morgan_king3629d ago

My buddy had that exact "set up way too fast" thing happen on a patio job outside Sedona. He was using some "high-altitude" mix too, and it just turned into a brick in the wheelbarrow before he could even get half of it down. He ended up having to chip it out with a shovel, total waste. Now he just mixes his own from scratch on those high desert jobs, says he can control it better with retarder and a lot more water. Watching that mess made me paranoid about bagged mixes in the heat now.