Ready Mixed Mortar

FreeBear

neilmcl said:

FreeBear said: The best mortar for long term storage is one made from lime putty - Kept in a tub away from frost, it will never go off as long as there is a bit of water on the surface.

Can you buy this locally from a large chain or do you have to go to one of the specialist sites?

Some builders merchants stock tubs of lime putty, usually the smaller local outfits. If can't find it locally, then the likes of Mike Wye, Cornish Lime, or Ty Mawr Lime would be the best bet - They can all supply ready mixed mortar (even colour matched), but shipping is often the killer..

I'm fortunate to have a local builders merchant that stocks lime (both NHL and putty), so pick up the occasional tub from them. My preference is Singleton Birch - A nice creamy coloured putty. Some of the others can have a hint of grey about them.

Apodemus

neilmcl said:

FreeBear said:

Unless it is a very small job, 5Kg isn't going to go far. Yes, it is an expensive way of buying mortar, although the 20Kg bags are a bit cheaper. No sense in buying a 25Kg bag of cement if you can't use all of it within a couple of months..

The best mortar for long term storage is one made from lime putty - Kept in a tub away from frost, it will never go off as long as there is a bit of water on the surface.

Can you buy this locally from a large chain or do you have to go to one of the specialist sites?  

Make your own! Just buy a bag of hydrated lime locally, tip it into a plastic bin, fill the bin with water and stir to mix. Usable straight away if you really must, but develops into a thick putty as the weeks go by. I keep a bin of this in the garage and it means I only ever need to buy sand for any small jobs around the place - I've not noticed any deterioration in effectiveness after frost (north of Scotland, so the garage gets down to pretty cold temps in winter). The "water" on top is a weak calcite solution and is great for stabilising dusty surfaces before applying the mortar.