I am getting ready to do some block / concrete / stone work.
This work will be in a location at 7500' elevation, so there is freezing/thawing. The coldest temp last winter was -7F outside.
I have decided to use sack mix for anything involving concrete. However, for mortar, I need some help.
Please direct me to a site, or provide explanations about how the amounts of the different components ......... Portland, sand, lime, etc effects the properties of Mortar. I will want to mix some for the joints between the cinder blocks in a retaining wall. I will want some to butter some fake stones and make them stick fast to the surface of that wall. I will need some to squeeze into the joints of stacked natural rock to fill up the voids.
For professional information go to the brick institute:
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Click on technical information and read about Section 1 - cold weather, Section 7 - water resistance Section 8 - mortars ______________________________ Keep the whole world singing . . . . DanG (remove the sevens) snipped-for-privacy@7cox.net
They also have mortar mix in sacks that you only have to add water to. I have used it for building with block and for buttering fake stone to apply to a vertical wall.
I have seen those, Harry. I would just like to know the effects of throwing in some extra Portland or lime when it comes to adherence and freeze/thaw cycle resistance.
Hello: My father was a mason, and he used straight portland cement and water to butter flagstone to adhere to a dried concrete base. However, talk to the counter help at a mason's supply house in your area. also, go to website: cement.org/ for a consult.
I pulled out my POCKET REF by Thomas J. Glover earlier to look something up, and they had this info. With all this information available, sometimes, it's like looking up how to spell a word. You almost have to know the answer before you can ask the question.
There are three general mix specifications: N, S, and M (and O). N contains the least amount of cement and is the most common - M contains the most cement and is made for ground contact and heavy duty applications. S is in-between.
The N and S are the most common and you can get them premixed or ready to add sand. I've never seen the M specification in either. For homes, the masons in our area are using either N or S, although for all I know they are putting in more sand than they should to keep the costs down. I just built a small brick ground-contact wall and mixed to the M specification.
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Type M: high compression strength Type M has the highest proportion of portland cement, with
3 parts portland cement,
1 part lime and
12 parts sand. Type M has a high compressive strength (at least 2500 psi) and is recommended primarily for walls bearing heavy loads, but also, due to its durability, for masonry below grade or in contact with the earth: foundations, retaining walls, sidewalks and driveways.
Type S: compression and tensile strength Type S is sometimes specified for masonry at or below grade, but offers another quality. S has high compressive strength (1800 psi) but adds high tensile bond strength. S contains
2 parts portland cement,
1 part hydrated lime and
9 parts sand, and yields maximum flexural strength to fight wind, soil pressure or earthquakes.
Type N: for exterior, above-grade walls Type N is a medium compressive-strength (750 psi) mortar made of
1 part portland cement,
1 part lime and
6 parts sand. Type N is recommended for most exterior, above-grade walls exposed to severe weather, including chimneys.
Type O: for interior or non-load-bearing use Type O has a low compressive strength (about 350 psi), containing
1 part portland cement,
2 parts lime and
9 parts sand. O is recommended for interior and limited exterior use in non-load-bearing walls.
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