How to mix cement mortar by hand DIY

A short video showing how to mix sand and cement mortar by hand on a board. The video shows the whole process and how to make a smooth, workable mix. It also covers one very important ingredient which is plasticiser!

[@MarcusT86]

You just knew I’d watch this a few more times before doing my mix 😆

[@SamDaviesBuilder]

I expect full cream

[@ulenmichael4563]

❤❤❤ beautiful. Thank you.

[@SamDaviesBuilder]

You are so welcome 🙏

[@AlexEllis]

Thanks for the video. If you're putting coarse mortar in between crazy paving slabs, could you use sharp sand instead of builder's sand?

[@SamDaviesBuilder]

No problem. I suppose you could but it’s difficult for me to say without seeing the sand - you could mix the two together? We don’t get sharp sand here in West Wales it’s only building sand. I have a few videos of pointing patios with cement on my channel if you want to take a look

[@MarcusT86]

Amazing buddy. Just what I need! I think my issue has been not mixing it well enough. But that will happen when you try and mix 4 times the amount of material in this video in a bucket with your forearms hanging off 😆 Going to watch this a good few times before building back that chimney!

[@SamDaviesBuilder]

Yea it needs enough mixing, just make sure no water is separating once it’s mixed as that’s a sign it needs more mixing or not enough plasticiser. Shovel should make it easier too! I’d have done this with the shovel but I didn’t have a bigger board 🤣

[@MarcusT86]

@@SamDaviesBuilder haha plenty of opportunity for you to do a “How to mix cement mortar with a shovel” video in future as well! Btw the Feb I bought is the unconcentrated one. Apparently it’s 125ml-250ml per 25kg bag of cement. How the hell I’m supposed to work that out when mixing a partial bag of cement I don’t know! 😫

[@SamDaviesBuilder]

@@MarcusT86 for the unconcentrated stuff I’d usually use two small glues in a mixer full! Does depend on the brand though. Their guidelines are a bit misleading as it’s a hell of a difference in what they say to put in

[@amcmanus7426]

Great video. Beginners question if I may…building sand or sharp sand? And can you use SBR as the plasticiser?

[@SamDaviesBuilder]

Building sand. Nope you can’t use SBR for that, get a dedicated mortar plasticiser

[@brianherbert9608]

I'm a beginner - going to replace about 8 bricks where the mortar has crumbled, so this video is perfect. Should I use a 4-1 mix for that or something stronger? They are just decorative bricks on the top of a gate post - so no load. Great Channel by the way - I'm learning loads!

[@SamDaviesBuilder]

Thanks, glad you like the channel. For mortar, it should never be stronger than the material around it. So say for concrete blocks you can do 4:1 or 3:1. With bricks they are generally softer, unless they are engineering bricks where you can do a strong mix, so I’d suggest a 5:1 unless you know they are an engineering brick or similar

[@MarcusT86]

Rewatching this, I can see you’ve got the same brand cement, but I can’t work out why my mortar has been so dark grey. Almost like too much cement. But, I’ve been doing 4:1 as well. So now I realise it’s because my Travis Perkins sand, which is so dark, is what’s causing it. Yours in this video is much nicer sand, and looks less gritty. I’m buying from the local builder’s merchant today, as the Travis Perkins stuff has been like sharp sand, and even has tiny stones and seashells in it.

[@SamDaviesBuilder]

Yea the Travis sand can be poor! The stuff from the branch by me has shells in it. Will make a difference with different sand, might stick better when doing perps too!

[@MarcusT86]

Haha you just knew I’d be back to watching this. Still amazed how it goes from seemingly bone dry to a nice perfect consistency with no more added water! I think Monday is the day I’ll be knocking up my first batch. Just hope I can get the Feb amount right. 125ml-250ml per 25kg bag of cement, so need to work out roughly what kg of cement I’m using, then go for the low end of the recommended Feb and I should be alright! How long do you have to use the mortar? About 2 hours isn’t it buddy?

[@SamDaviesBuilder]

Yea it is amazing sometimes how it goes from nothing to nice consistency quickly, which is why you need a bit of patience to stop you adding too much water too soon! Depends on the weather for how long you have to use the mortar, this time of year you have a good few hours but in the summer you'd have to add a bit of water every half hour/hour or so to knock it back up and make it workable. That's the thing with cement, it behaves differently all year with so much different weather conditions!

[@itsallbullox3310]

Good content n well illustrated Sam.. would you recommend using plasticiser for all type of mix.. or job specific.. good channel mate👍

[@SamDaviesBuilder]

Thanks, I’d always use a plasticiser for a sand and cement mix

[@pauldubar6014]

Smooth

[@SamDaviesBuilder]

Thanks 😃😃

[@stevevv583]

Will that mix look less grey and more sand coloured once dry?

[@SamDaviesBuilder]

Yea it will dry a lot lighter

[@Ivysaurss]

What ratio would you recommend for laying building stone down? (2 courses).

[@SamDaviesBuilder]

I’d go 5:1 (5 sand 1 cement)

[@Ivysaurss]

@@SamDaviesBuilder Thank you kindly Sir.

[@Wayne-pb5zx]

Great video. What type of sand do you use?

[@SamDaviesBuilder]

Thanks. I use building sand although we don't have much choice of sand round here in West Wales. What would you be using the mortar for?

[@Wayne-pb5zx]

@@SamDaviesBuilder thanks for getting back. Repointing a sandstone patio.

[@SamDaviesBuilder]

@@Wayne-pb5zx I’d get a sand suitable for building/bricklaying. You don’t want a sharp sand as it’ll be too coarse

[@SamDaviesBuilder]

@@Wayne-pb5zx and there’s a few videos of repointing patios on my channel if you’d like to check them out

[@MarcusT86]

Nearly up to 1k views already on this buddy! I think I’m 100 of them 😆

[@SamDaviesBuilder]

😃 hopefully this video keeps growing!

[@MarcusT86]

@@SamDaviesBuilderhaha you made it to over 1k buddy! Something I just noticed, but how come you added the plasticiser to the sand and not the mixed up sand and cement? Also, my unconcentrated stuff says 125-250ml per 25kg bag of cement. Would you lean more towards 125ml or 250ml, or somewhere in the middle like 187.5ml?

[@SamDaviesBuilder]

@@MarcusT86 I always add it at the start of the mix before I’ve mixed anything. What brand plasticiser is it you have?

[@MarcusT86]

@@SamDaviesBuilder Febmix buddy!

[@SamDaviesBuilder]

@@MarcusT86 is it red and is it the SW one?

[@bladez837]

2 parts sand to 1part cement if you want a stronger mix

[@SamDaviesBuilder]

Yea nice strong mix that