Question about mixing mortar in cold weather

I keep seeing guys on sites around here just add more water to their mix when it's cold out. That's a bad move because it weakens the bond. I learned this the hard way last winter when a small garden wall I built in December started to crumble by March. The old guy at the masonry supply store told me to use warm water and keep the sand covered overnight instead. Has anyone else found a better trick for keeping the workable time up without ruining the mix?

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3 Comments

gonzalez.vera7mo ago

My uncle in Chicago swears by adding a little bit of accelerator to the mix when it gets below freezing. He wraps his mortar tub in an old moving blanket too. That extra water thing is just asking for trouble... it ruins the whole cure. The warm water trick is good, but you really have to watch the sand so it doesn't have any ice in it.

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stone.sarah7mo ago

Yeah that warm water trick is solid but like @gonzalez.vera said, ice in the sand will wreck everything. I've seen guys use a tarp and a space heater in their garage to keep the sand dry overnight. It's all about keeping your materials warm before they even hit the mix.

1

troy4496mo ago

Wait, how much accelerator are we talking here?

1