Unpopular opinion: mortar mix ratios are way too hyped up

I spent 6 hours on a garden wall in Austin last week chasing the perfect 1:3 lime mix, only to realize my sand had clay in it and the whole thing was pointless. Ended up just going with a standard Type S and it held fine... why do we overthink this stuff? Has anyone else just said forget it and used regular mix?

2 comments

2 Comments

holly_flores793d agoMost Upvoted

Half the time we chase perfection when good enough does the job.

michaelcoleman2d ago

Man, isn't that the truth? I spent a whole weekend once trying to get a 1:2:9 lime putty mix just right for a retaining wall, had to drive 45 minutes to a specialty yard for the right sand, and then the weather turned and my batch set up like concrete in the mixer. Ended up ripping it all out and using a bag of regular Type N from the hardware store down the street, and its been standing fine for two years now. I think masons just like having secret recipes to feel important, honestly. Sometimes good enough is just good enough and your wall wont fall down if the ratio is off by a few scoops.