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Mortar drying time.

tony3619
Posts: 406 Forumite

Filling a couple of holes of missing mortar and the mortar looks quite dry/sandy after 12 hours. Easily rubs away with a finger.
How long does mortar take to harden. Is 12 hours too short?
How long does mortar take to harden. Is 12 hours too short?
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Comments
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12 hours isn't long. You also find with small bits of mortar that it can dry out too quickly, so not achieve a good strength.
Make sure the existing is well damped down first.0 -
stuart45 said:12 hours isn't long. You also find with small bits of mortar that it can dry out too quickly, so not achieve a good strength.
Make sure the existing is well damped down first.0 -
Spray a bit of water on the area just to dampen it a bit then leave well alone. Whilst the mortar will have dried out, the chemical reaction that makes cement go hard is still taking place. 48 hours will see it going pretty hard with full strength being achieved in around 28 days.
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Treasure the moments that you have. Savour them for as long as you can for they will never come back again.0 -
FreeBear said:Spray a bit of water on the area just to dampen it a bit then leave well alone. Whilst the mortar will have dried out, the chemical reaction that makes cement go hard is still taking place. 48 hours will see it going pretty hard with full strength being achieved in around 28 days.0
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tony3619 said:FreeBear said:Spray a bit of water on the area just to dampen it a bit then leave well alone. Whilst the mortar will have dried out, the chemical reaction that makes cement go hard is still taking place. 48 hours will see it going pretty hard with full strength being achieved in around 28 days.
Assuming mortar mix is ok (I use 5:1), the key is keeping it damp, I find for as long as possible. Not too much at once though else it will run.
After I’ve done a couple of rows, I give it a mist over with the hose regularly, more so if in direct sunlight.
I also soak the mortar at night before turning in.0 -
danrv said:tony3619 said:FreeBear said:Spray a bit of water on the area just to dampen it a bit then leave well alone. Whilst the mortar will have dried out, the chemical reaction that makes cement go hard is still taking place. 48 hours will see it going pretty hard with full strength being achieved in around 28 days.
Assuming mortar mix is ok (I use 5:1), the key is keeping it damp, I find for as long as possible. Not too much at once though else it will run.
After I’ve done a couple of rows, I give it a mist over with the hose regularly, more so if in direct sunlight.
I also soak the mortar at night before turning in.0 -
Did you finish the joints and compress them with a metal jointer?0
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tony3619 said:danrv said:tony3619 said:FreeBear said:Spray a bit of water on the area just to dampen it a bit then leave well alone. Whilst the mortar will have dried out, the chemical reaction that makes cement go hard is still taking place. 48 hours will see it going pretty hard with full strength being achieved in around 28 days.
Assuming mortar mix is ok (I use 5:1), the key is keeping it damp, I find for as long as possible. Not too much at once though else it will run.
After I’ve done a couple of rows, I give it a mist over with the hose regularly, more so if in direct sunlight.
I also soak the mortar at night before turning in.
I’d rake out and redo.
I didn’t have much luck using just sand and cement. Should be ok, but the mortar in my walls contains hydrated lime so I’m adding this plus a little plasticiser.
Works well, is very workable and if kept damp, dries quite hard.
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Damp the wall first, fill with mortar, joint it up and then don't keep sticking your fingers into it. Mist it later to keep it damp.
If it has gone wrong it's only a 2 minute job to rake it all out and redo it.0
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