mortar mix for decorative garden wall

[sm_jamieson]

I've got some marshalite ash decorative bricks for a garden wall, see

The are basically stone effect, grey, but with some larger brown/yellow flecks (i.e. made of cement with some larger grit sand in it). Can anyone suggest a good mortar mix that will bring out the yellow tones in the bricks? I've seen the wall done with a brown stained mortar but it looks terrible. Basically, I don't want it to look like "cement" if you get the idea. Mix needs to be strong enough for a 4" thick wall with 8" piers every metre, about 6 courses high. Thanks, Simon.

[The Natural Philosopher]

I'd use white Portland, lime and yellow sharp sand.

Its a nice rustic look. If you want it paler, try and get washed sand

[tabbypurr]

photo + graphic editor should help decide

NT

[harryagain]

Plus you can buy cement colouring dust to add in.

[stuart noble]

Grow stuff between the bricks at intervals

[sm_jamieson]

Does the lime affect the colour ? I've not used it before and its another bag to buy ! Anyway, I'll have to get some white Portland and try it with the sand I have got (sharp and maybe a bit of soft) to see what it look like. Simon.

[tabbypurr]

Lime owns the colour. Its white, and sand colour has only a little effect on that

NT

[stuart noble]

Garish colours though

[tabbypurr]

Depends how much you add. They fade streakily, except for iron oxide.

NT

[Tim Watts]

They will degrade back to something softer with weathering. My roof pointing was done in jet black mortar. It is now dark grey - which is better than the default light grey.

[stuart noble]

AFAIK all cement colours are synthetic iron oxides. Naturally occurring earth pigments should be more subtle. Umbers, siennas, ochres etc.

[tabbypurr]

Well, I've certainly used ones that aren't, and I know printing inks have been used, and various other things. Whether they're different now I don't know.

NT