Had a crown fall off mid-job and learned my lesson about over-drying mortar

I was up on a roof in Portland last Tuesday, mixing a small batch of mortar for a crown repair, and it crumbled right out of my hand when I went to set it. Realized I'd been letting the mix sit too long in the sun before applying. Now I only mix what I can use in 10 minutes flat. Anybody else had mortar go bad on them because of heat?

2 comments

2 Comments

claire_wells8722d ago

Mortar drying out on you is definitely a thing, but I've had good luck keeping the board in the shade or throwing a damp towel over it. Maybe it's just me but a 10 minute rule seems a little tight if you're a ways from the mixer.

wendy_jackson22d agoMost Upvoted

Did you have on sunblock or a hat up there? I fried my arms so bad last summer doing parging that I looked like a lobster for a week.