A talk with my neighbor made me question the 'one mix for everything' rule

He's a retired mason from upstate New York, and he saw me using the same mortar for a garden wall and a chimney repair. He said, 'You know, back in the day, we'd tweak the lime content for every single job, even if it was just a bag.' It hit different because he wasn't just talking specs, he was talking about the feel of the work. I've been so stuck on the convenience of a pre-blended bag. Has anyone else gone back to making small custom batches for different projects?

3 comments

3 Comments

taylor.brooke16d ago

Pre-blended bags exist for a reason, they save time and reduce mistakes for most people.

charlieh7416d ago

Wait, you're saying people actually buy pre-blended bags? @taylor.brooke, that just takes all the fun out of it. Half the point is mixing your own stuff and maybe learning from the little mess-ups.

torres.nathan16d ago

Wait, you were using the same mix for a chimney and a garden wall? That's wild, those need totally different things. The old guy is right, you can't just ignore what the job actually needs for the sake of a quick bag. It's not just about being fancy, it's about the work not falling apart in a few years.