I want to patch up a short stretch of old brick garden wall as there are large amounts of mortar missing. Not too bothered about look of it as we are putting up a new shed by it.
Can anyone recommend easy to use ready mixed mortar, and tools needed - preferably buyable at B&Q, Wickes etc.
thanks
No, mix your own or you'll end up with crap. 1:1:6 is about ideal.
Small bricky's trowel, largish flat bladed screwdriver, and a little plastering tool for detailed finishing. And a bucket to mix.
NT
Wickes sell a ready-mixed mortar. It's a strong mix, which is fine unless you have particularly soft bricks (which are not suitable for garden walls anyway). Make sure you get a fresh bag - sometimes they have bags which are rock solid - got damp at some point. Also check the Use-By date printed on the side - if it's too old the cement will have set even if it's still a powder, which means it won't set again when you add water.
You will want a pointed pointing trowel, a bucket to mix it in for the quantities used for pointing (must have a flat bottom), and something to mix it with (I use a medium sized round nosed trowel - the pointing trowel doesn't work because the point is no good for scraping mix from bottom of bucket).
For polishing off the pointed surface, you can use the pointing trowel, or you might want to buy a double-ended brick jointer, depending what type of finish you want. A plaster hawk is overkill for pointing - I use a larger trowel for carrying the mortar and forming the shape with the two trowels.
You could also buy a plasticiser add-mix for the mortar which can make it slightly easier to use, although I wouldn't bother for a garden wall - you'll have to buy orders of magnitude more than you'll need. Don't bother with a waterproofer add-mix.
+1.
I'd also add that if there are deep holes then a pointing gun / mortar gun from Screwfix, Toolstation, Wickes etc is quick and easy, especially if you are not used to this process and/or are not too worried about the final appearance. With these, the wetness of the mix is not so important, and that's one of the things that only comes with experience.
readymixed is good for small quantities - i mix in a cut off 4 pint milk container.
And gloves if you're a beginner like me you'll use your fingers and hands quite a bit - just wash your hands after a few minutes of cementing.
[g]
Yes, after a struggle today with a trowel etc a gun is my next step....
I've never tried one, but my first thought is that the mortar is going to have to be rather too sloppy to come out through a nosel.
It's probably a question of someone showing you how to do it with a trowel. Maybe look for a video on youtube.
Yes, worth mentioning that cement is not good for the skin, and some people quickly build up an allergic reaction. Try to keep it off your skin, but using gloves or barrier cream is probably recommended. You can get barrier cream at some chemists or building supplies (Savlon do one), and it's cheap.
However, washing your hands with soap or detergent is not a good idea. It washes off the oils that protect your skin. If necessary, rinse under running water only during the job, and wash your hands once at the end of the job.
If you screwed up and now have very dry or even cracked skin, use a skin moisturiser, or use clean vasaline (particularly in bad cases).
If the gaps are deep I find a PointMaster* makes the job a lot easier. More precisely, I still end up with pointing that looks crap but it's much easier and quicker to fill the joint fully.
It does require the mortar to be light and fluffy but I find that adding a bit of Febmix and using a mixing paddle in an old drill gives that.
And unlike the other guns I looked at, there's bugger all to break on a PointMaster: as 'er indoors commented, it's the same level of technology as an icing bag ;)
*HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.