PSA: I finally figured out why my mortar was setting up too fast on a hot day job in Tucson

Last week I was working on a patio in 100 degree heat and my mix kept going stiff before I could even lay three bricks. I realized I was using water straight from the sun-warmed hose, so I started keeping a cooler with ice water to mix with, and it gave me way more working time. Anyone else have a simple trick for dealing with extreme heat on site?

3 comments

3 Comments

richardh441mo ago

Remember watching my buddy lose his mind trying to point a chimney in similar heat. He was ready to blame the mortar bag until his old foreman stopped by, took one look at the metal mixing tub baking in the sun, and just dragged it into the shade of the truck. That alone bought him like twenty extra minutes. Sometimes the fix is stupid simple, like your cooler idea, just stopping the tools from cooking before you even start.

kevin_knight721mo ago

Yeah, that shade trick is everything. I keep a pop-up canopy in the truck just for that.

jana_miller3120d ago

Tucson in summer, I feel that. I once mixed a batch with water so hot it nearly steamed, and my mortar set up faster than I could slap it. My stupid trick now is I freeze the water I'll use the night before in old milk jugs, then chip it into the mix. Works pretty good, though I look like a total hack doing it.