Heads up about that 'fast set' mortar additive they sell at the big box stores

Honestly, I mixed a batch for a small chimney repair in Denver last week and it went off so quick I barely got three bricks laid before my trowel was sticking to the mix, so what's your go-to for cold weather work that doesn't set up like concrete in a microwave?

3 comments

3 Comments

riley_price1mo ago

Rocket fuel, really?

matthew8642mo ago

You ever feel like those fast set bags should come with a warning label and a paid firefighter on standby? I swear they mix in rocket fuel at the factory. For cold weather, I just go slow and keep everything, including the bricks, as warm as I can before starting. A little plastic sheeting and a space heater pointed at your materials makes more difference than any magic powder.

noah_smith2mo ago

Totally get that rocket fuel feeling, had a bag go off in the wheelbarrow once and it was like a science fair volcano. Your cold weather trick with the heater is smart, never thought to warm the bricks too. What's the biggest project you've tried that on?