Question about mixing mud for a chimney rebuild

I keep seeing guys at the yard just eyeball the lime to sand ratio, and it drives me nuts. Did a repair on a 1920s chimney in Pasadena last month where the old mortar was still perfect because they measured, not guessed. Anyone got a good trick for getting the mix right every time without a scale?

3 comments

3 Comments

marydavis11d ago

Eyeballing it is how you get cracks.

smith.nancy11d ago

Exactly right. A tape measure costs a few dollars and saves a lot of headache. That little bit of guesswork is what leads to things not fitting together right later on. It might seem fine at first, but stress builds up in the wrong places. Then you end up with a split seam or a broken piece when you least expect it. Taking the extra minute to measure is always worth it.

reesej2711d ago

Smith.nancy is spot on about that stress building up.