My uncle swore by using a garden hose to mix mortar for a small patio job

He said it saved time and water, so I tried it on a 10x12 patio in my backyard. I hooked up the hose to a bucket, thinking I could control the flow, but it was a mess. The water came out too fast, making the mix way too wet, and I ended up with soupy mortar that wouldn't hold a line. I wasted two 80-pound bags before I gave up and went back to my mixing tub and a measured bucket. The whole thing set me back about three hours and $30 in wasted material. Has anyone else ever gotten some truly terrible advice from a family member that sounded good at the time?

3 comments

3 Comments

bennett.harper6h ago

Ugh, that hose trick is a total trap. The problem is you can't get any real control over the water ratio, which is everything with mortar. I learned the hard way too on a brick walkway. What saved me was using a cheap 2-gallon pump sprayer from the hardware store. You fill it with water and pump it up, then you can add just a little at a time while you mix. It gives you way more precision than a hose or a bucket, and it's still pretty fast. You get the right thick, peanut butter consistency every time. Never trusting the hose again after that mess.

corap215h ago

Disagree, I find a slow hose stream gives perfect control for that peanut butter mix.

murphy.tessa5h ago

Remember my buddy's shed base disaster? His dad swore the hose trick was foolproof, and they ended up with a puddle of cement soup lol.