Mortar drying time.

tony3619

stuart45 said:

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.

Yea I can redo it in about 10-20 mins. the amount of mortar needed was a ratio of 5 tablespoons of sand to 1 tablespoon cement with a little black dye added so really is only filling a few small holes! Only problem with mixing so little is it's so hard to judge the amount of water as you can easily overdo it

grumbler

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.

Yea it definitely looks dried out and one section I did touch and it just raked out like normal sand...didn't know if this was nomal after only 12 hours. 

I found that when I first started repointing my property’s wall. With help here, I’ve got the technique down much better.
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.

Do you think it will be too late now? By the time I get back from work it will of been 24 hours and if it's still brittle will spraying it with water make much difference? Or should I take out where possible and just start again? 

If it dries completely, the reaction stops. Wet it again an the reaction will keep going.

danrv said:

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.

Yea it definitely looks dried out and one section I did touch and it just raked out like normal sand...didn't know if this was nomal after only 12 hours. 

I found that when I first started repointing my property’s wall. With help here, I’ve got the technique down much better.
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.

Do you think it will be too late now? By the time I get back from work it will of been 24 hours and if it's still brittle will spraying it with water make much difference? Or should I take out where possible and just start again? 

If it’s now dry and still brittle, I don’t think there’s much you can do with it.
I’d rake out and redo.

I don't see any need in redoing.