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Watch out for bad lime in your mortar mix
I was reading through some old masonry handbooks from the 1920s online last week and found a stat that said over 30% of mortar failures back then came from using unslaked lime. I always thought lime was lime but apparently if it isn't properly slaked it can blow out your joints months later. Has anyone else run into issues with modern bagged lime acting up on a job?
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valc9111d ago
That stat about unslaked lime causing failures really got my attention. I used to think all bagged lime was the same and you just mix it in and forget it. But now I'm reading labels more carefully and making sure it's fully hydrated before using it. A buddy of mine had a patio job blow up on him a few years back with little pockmarks showing up months later. I bet it was bad lime all along.
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calebc4011d ago
Yeah I read somewhere that old school masons used to soak their lime for weeks before using it. Let it slake properly. They knew that stuff could keep reacting for months if it wasn't fully done. Your buddy's patio with the pockmarks is a perfect example of what happens when you skip the prep. @valc91 you're probably right on the money blaming bad lime for that.
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