Bricklaying Tips - Mixing Mortar

LEARN BRICKLAYING

Today's bricklaying video im showing you how i make my mortar in a mixer.

Bricklayers talk group facebook

NEW MERCH STORE HERE :

LEARN TO LAY BRICK WITH ME HERE

Twitter: stucrompton
Facebook: stucromptonyoutube
Instagram: stucrompton
SnapChat: stucrompton

live streaming

Periscope: stucrompton
Blab: stucrompton
Meerkat: stucrompton



Thanks for watching!

[gk]

Great work guys. Fellow masons at it. Just here to mention to your crowd that mortar plasticisers are a great way to adjust your mortar workability without disrupting your water / cement ratio and thus requiring too much water. Also if you live and work in warmer climates, as I do, plasticisers can do miracles SINCE they are not absorbed by cement as fast as water allowing you greater working time and slower setting time. This might not be so obvious in colder countries but when working under 35 degrees its a "lifechanging" difference. Lastly, a mortar plasticiser can also add some wateproofing properties to your mortar.

[JB]

Hi Stu, these videos of yours have been a huge help. I have never laid a block in my life but always ready for a challenge if I know I have good resources to learn and follow. I am building a 10, 000 litre raised koi pond in our garden. I have a good friend who is a builder who has shown me the basics each step of the way and I ask too many questions lol and I copy and then I get on with it and he picks up the phone and checks and so on. Your vidoes have been so clear, no ego nonsense, just genuine and taking time to show those without a clue every detail. Refreshing content and full of value. If you ever get time or maybe you have done a video already but I feel like I have watched all your content, could you show how to set up 4 corners as if you were going to build a rectangle? A bit like building a raised koi pond. It took me ages to get the right angles across the four corners and then lined up with each other in all the different ways. I reckon there are a few other begiiners out there who would want that as more people are building ponds. Anyway really appreciate the videos.. you mak eit look too easy! Best and stay safe.

[joemorris]

You're a legend Stu! I'm just a DIYer but I love learning stuff like this off your channel. Cheers!

[jamietalbot]

FINALLY!!! Someone else who adds the Feb to the water while in the mixer turning not to a bucket of water. Mixes well better this way and end up with butter cream

[bikerchrisukk]

My dad told me never to put a spade in the mixer too, normally while he was putting a spade in the mixer.

[jamesgrundy]

Great to see you using gauge buckets. to many people think that a shovel of sand is the same as a shovel of cement

[binbin]

Interesting to see the difference in how counties prepair their mortar and what type of trowels that are common to use. UK are using the "old way" of prepairing mortar, While scandinavia are using premixed 25kg bags, just add 4 liter water pr.bag and its ready to go.
I enjoy your videos alot Stu, keep up the good work and quality!

[neilcrawford]

I'm just getting used to the colour of the sand up here. Bought some bags at a merchant in Birkdale, nice red sand. Where I used to live, south of the Thames, it was a more yellow, golden coloured sand.
When Wickes first opened up in the south, they brought in red sand. You couldn't use it for exposed work, it stuck out like a sore thumb. They soon changed it.
When I worked on site many years ago, I used to watch the hod carriers knocking up pug and putting the shovel in the mixer. How they never broke their wrist's. Occasionally the shovel would get caught on the drum paddles.
They used the fut, fut, crank start diesel mixer, which usually got a good beating with a scaffold pole at the end of the day to clean it.
P.S. Been here six months and love it here. People actually talk to you here. Wish I'd done it years ago.

[dritsy]

cheers stu! as a spread / joiner i figured id give this nocking down my garage and re building it a go, have to say i have a greater appreciation for brickys now probably chose the wrong week to start it as its boiling and on a 9m x 3m ive managed to lay 2 courses per day so far, its not so bad now im up to a good hight but those footings and the lower bricks dont half kill your back off! thankfuly i cant go over 2.5 m otherwise i may of gave you a call! haha

[TheTraditionalGolfer]

5&1 above 4&1 below or 3&1 below i was always taught 4&1 above is to strong the gobbo should never be stronger than the material your laying. any movement and you will get cracking through brick and not the joint. The batching plants send ready mix out at 5 & 1 above dpc. I worked with some fellow bricklayers not long back that kept getting cracking through there internal blockwork and after working with them found out they was mixing 4&1 And it was to strong. I love your vids mate not nit picking it's just a very common mistake lads make.

[TheCountryCottageGardener]

Nice simple clear video. I like the look of the hose tap. Thanks for sharing

[ctmasonry]

Thanks for the video. I'm assuming the bag cement is more of a pure Portland cement and that is why you add the plasticizer. Here in the U.S. we use pre bagged masonry cement that includes Portland cement, air entraining ingredients, and plasticizers such as lime or ground clay already pre-mixed in the bag. Then we add sand to the mix and water. Three parts sand, two parts masonry cement and water. No plasticizers are necessary since they are already in the masonry cement. I Googled Hansen multicem, but did not pull up the data sheet, they are a major distributor in the UK, I think that's where you're located. Enjoy watching your videos, it's good to see how things differ from country to Country. Keep up the good work and the good attitude.

[jameswileman]

Lots of valid information in a easy to follow video, great job mate keep up the good work 👍

[karlbutton]

Thanks Stu, good advice as usual mate. we use 2 bags of sand to half a bag of cement.

[sammsammmsammmm]

Nice vid Stu I work down south and nice sand is super rare nowadays it’s mostly like sharp sand gritty and no body to it, add lime and it’s still crap like it’s been dried out and put through a siv

[MSHHID]

I use this method and platiciser makes it so much more workable.

[andrewmantle]

Always a pleasure watching you show Stu.

[ianvicedomini]

That was very informative mate. I've always been a bit dumb when it comes to this but now I know, thank you for your help 😉

[AndrewJohnson-bpxc]

Good video stu, wallpaper in the back round! good stuff!! also just a tip never start a mixer with weight in it, it will stretch the belt, good stuff mate! Keep in coming.

[rewind]

i followed this advice and added fairy liquid and it was great. I built a little step into my back door.