Masonry Cement & Mortar Mix Types and Strengths

Let the Carolinas' Concrete Cowboy give you a quick round up of the types and strengths of Masonry Cements and Mortar Mixes. Goodness gracious, go lay some block!

[@mingteaacademy5791]

Detailed and down-to-the-earth explanations! Thank you!

[@Upstateaerial]

Prepping for an architectural exam.; this was super helpful. Thank you!

[@CliffForziat]

Excellent, concise introduction to understanding (1) what differences exist in mortars, and (2) why those different grades of mortar exist in the first place. Well done.

[@atruewild]

Want to learn how to make my own stone wall. You are a great teacher! Thank you.

[@todmills]

This was very enlightening. I recently had a flue chimney block chimney replaced (with clay tile liner) and the builder used Type M on the blocks. From what you've said, it sounds like a good choice for that application.

[@dc-wp8oc]

Worth more than the price of admission! This site is another B.S. free zone. Love it. Thanks Mr. Tharpe!

[@hpengineprep]

Great video. Just trying to build a 1 ft by 8 ft sandstone wall but this answered a lot of questions no other videos answered. You got a great presentation style.

[@frankrambo963]

wow! insane! thanks for all these answers, i search everywhere and it was never clear like your video, thanks a lot chief!

[@jess65963]

Yes!!!!!! Good lesson. I especially wanted to know what S type cement was. I want to make fake rocks. This is the one I will try first! LOL Thank you.

[@danbreault]

Thank you again for sharing your knowledge.

[@dallasjeremy1818]

Howdy Triple-C! I reside in Fayetteville, North Carolina by way of Dallas, TX, and am eager to embark on my first masonry projects in the backyard. The first project involves creating a potting station for my wife, while the second project entails constructing a brick housing wood box for storing fire pit wood, using existing bricks for both projects. As a novice in masonry, I lack knowledge in this field. I am seeking guidance on the appropriate concrete mixture for the subsurface foundation, considering the local climate. Additionally, I would appreciate recommendations for the mortar mixture suitable for bricklaying. If you have instructional videos on both topics, I would be grateful for the information. Thank you, and I thoroughly enjoy your educational content!

[@johnhajdu4276]

I compared this with the European (German) Standard with the PSI strength an I got the following: 1. Mortar S = 1800psi (about 12 N/mm2) this could be 1 portion portland cement : 4 portion sand - Name: cement mortar 2. Mortar N = 750psi (about 5N/mm2) this could be 1 portion portland cement : 1 portion slaked lime : 6 portion sand - Called lime-cement mortar type a 3. Mortar O = 350 psi (about 2.5N/mm2) this could be 1 portion portland cement : 2 portion slaked lime : 8 portion sand - Called lime-cement mortar or improved lime mortar 4. Mortar K = 75 psi this could be 1 portion slaked lime : 4 portion sand - This called lime mortar If someone makes himself a mixed mortar, the N , O and K is easy to work with. The Type S needs some mortar oil or plasticiser, that makes the mortar easy to handle. The ready made Mortar S probably contains the plasticiser. Important to know, that slaked lime cures with the precense of carbon-dioxide with help of water. Without CO2 from outside air, nothing happens. That's why here in Europe if you look some old middle age fortress buildings from 15th century, between some stones are still uncure lime mortar (which equals to type K). The portland cement can cure only with precense of water. The curing process slows down without water, sometime also stops on sunny and dry days. Anyway if you make concrete with portland cement, the given strength is reached after 28 days. Without reference to the low strength of Mortar K, because if the bond material which is slaked lime - it needs a certain time to cure and also wet environment. It is possible to accelerate inside a room with burned charcoal, which produces CO2. So making a BBQ party inside the building, can help to accelerate the curing process of lime. Nowdays no mason has time to wait for curing, because the carpenter is going to come soon, to make the roofing, because the future owner of the house wants to move in. Best regards from Hungary

[@carolinasconcretecowboy-di9499]

Wow that was a lot to digest partner. Best of luck!

[@johnhajdu4276]

@@carolinasconcretecowboy-di9499 A lot of people search that information what I shared, but noone finds it. Most people can buy ready made mortar, but the factory does not tell what is inside.

[@brookebricks1053]

wow i loved this answer. Thank youuuu !. I would like to read more about this matter. Do you have any suggestion of a book or so? I like to know what I am doing... Thank you John Hajdu !!!

[@brookebricks1053]

@@carolinasconcretecowboy-di9499 I loved to read this too ... Thank you Dirk!

[@jamoca67]

Great video! Any suggestions on an easy way to properly proportion Type O mortar, starting from a premixed type N premixed mortar bag?

[@bartosullivan8050]

Clear and concise ! Thanks for sharing.

[@trevorrotchell]

This is the very best explanation I have ever come across!!! Thanks for much that Mason Works pneumonic is super useful. Even the legal warning at the end was good. Happy trails mr Cowboy

[@maddeusdoggeus1]

Thank you Cowboy!

[@vandnguyen8815]

Great advise a lot of details showing well done

[@HomePerformance]

What a great explanation! Thank you.

[@Mack2387]

Super helpful. Thanks so much!

[@vivianberry4292]

Very helpful, thank you, now I can tell my contractors that I need the S mortar for structural strenght👍

[@puertorichard]

What do you recommend for a loose stone in a rock wall in the front yard? Type s? Thank you for your time sir you are awesome! God bless you!

[@carolinasconcretecowboy-di9499]

Type S would be fine.

[@Okie-Tom]

Very nice instruction video.

[@bsdiceman]

Useful, keep going!

[@commentsedited]

Hey thanks for the info.

[@brookebricks1053]

This is a SUPERLIKE video

[@carolinasconcretecowboy-di9499]

This is my first SUPER LIKED video! Thank you!

[@WiSeNhEiMeR-1369]

Thanks COOP ...

[@kkmullin]

I want to dry pour and stamp or mold some concrete stepping stones and don't want the rocks to show through. What is the best smooth concrete to use?

[@peterfcoyle9127]

Very Informative.

[@kevinlopera]

I've been looking everywhere i can find an affirmative answer. What type would you use for a shower pan quick and pre slope? Every video says a 4/1 mix of Portland cement and sand, but never the type.

[@jakurt9458]

I live in south carolina. What would be a good mix to use for a chimney cap?

[@youngjedi9199]

If my basement below grade is concrete (1920-30s) with lots of gravel/cement and above grade is brick. What would you recommend that I parge my walls with? Seems the mortar/cement they covered the walls with are chipping away along with the lime/portland paint over the foundation. I keep reading conflicting articles about what materials to use and how to start. Some say to get rid of all the mortar, some say to chip away any that is loose. Some say to use type s because its medium strength. Some say that type s mortar is too hard and may crack the bricks and not allow them to breathe. So use a type o/k lime based mortar to allow breathability. What is the right answer? I just want my walls to look nice and flat. And repaint the walls white again

[@jaredsilverman6309]

What would you recommend for a concrete table that you don’t want aggregate in like most concrete mixes?

[@lendavidhart9710]

Thank you for posting and sharing, but isn't psi compressive strength?, not holding power for hurricane tiles, I'm not picking on you, this is a very informative video

[@joedav02]

Thank you !!!

[@sloan2862]

thanks dirk tharpe

[@adeladahdah4418]

In type n or s it says on the bag to just add water. But others in you tube add sand to those mortar. Why?

[@brookebricks1053]

To make concrete mixture planters: I read to mix 1:1 (portland and mortar). Is N, S or O mortar type the right one?

[@carolinasconcretecowboy-di9499]

Brooke, to make a planter, I would use bagged concrete. Sakrete Maximizer is an excellent choice, if it is in your market. It is lightweight concrete with a strength of 5500-psi at 28 days.

[@carolinasconcretecowboy-di9499]

Making a planter out of mortar is going to be brittle and a little on the weak side for what you are doing.

[@brookebricks1053]

@@carolinasconcretecowboy-di9499 Thank you so much... another "superlike" for you :)

[@dfu1685]

I would use type S or N, but either one it would be best to have a wire armature to form the mortar around it for strength.

[@PEvangelistaCruz]

Can I use Type M for in top of old concrete slab that need to be level about 2" tick? for ceramic tile installation.

[@carolinasconcretecowboy-di9499]

No sir, cannot advise that.

[@carolinasconcretecowboy-di9499]

If you are going to level by hand, I would advise Sakrete Sand Mix, as one of its uses is bedding. It will hold up better than mortar. Think about putting down bonding agent on the slab before application.

[@Iran-1955]

Thank you god bless you.can I add sand to spec mix mortal typ S please

[@carolinasconcretecowboy-di9499]

If it is already a blended type s mortar, you don't add sand. It is already in the bag.