That job site in Ohio back in 2008 taught me the real value of a dry mix

I was working on a retaining wall outside Cincinnati and the mortar kept slumping no matter what I did. The old timer running the crew walked over, watched me for 2 minutes, then told me to cut the water back by half. I thought he was crazy but I tried it and the stuff held perfect. Turns out I'd been mixing too wet for years because that's just how I learned. Has anyone else had a pro call them out on a basic habit like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_eric2d ago

Dry mix is one of those things nobody tells you early on because everyone assumes you just know it. How long did it take before that old habit finally stuck and you stopped second guessing yourself on the water? I still catch myself going back to wet habits whenever I'm in a hurry.

noahw532d ago

Wait hold up are you telling me that was straight up dry mix with no pre-wet at all? My brain just short circuited trying to process that lol.