Brick steps repair.

[N80]

I have brick steps in my garage. Several bricks have broken loose and need to be repaired. I've cleaned off the old mortar.

What do I use for mortar? .....I know, mortar, dummy. But I don't know anything about mortar. What exactly do I need to get from the home store? Are there different types? Does it come premixed? Does it come in small bags (its only 4 bricks)?

Any special tips or tricks?

Thanks for any help.

 

[Egon]

Check in at your local Home Supply store and ask. It should come premixed. This may come with various set times. Also get a little paint mixer that fits in your drill. They work well for mixing small batches.

The old fashioned way is to get Mortar Cement in bags, buy sand of the quality you need, have a little lime and Portland cement on hand and brew up your own mix to your desired consistency and strength. The lime adds to stickiness and the Portland cement to strength.

 

[CurlyDave]

I think you want an acrylic admix also, which improves strength and bonding to the bricks.

You only need a small quantity, so getting the best is not going to be a financial burden.

 

[N80]

Thanks guys. Maybe it would be easier for one fo you to drop by and fix it for me, I've got a pretty good idea I'm going to make a mess of this.

And then I'll have to listen to my wife tell me how great a fix-it man her dad is, again.

 

[JB4310]

Type S mortar mix is available at Home Depot.

It's a premix, just add water.

I normally mix my own sand and cement using type S masonry cement, for masonry repairs. Type S is a higher strength cement.
Actually I make my mortar with different concoctions of sand and cements (type 2 Portland and type S masonry) for the jobs specific needs, which alot has to do with color, in the masonry restoration field of work.

The quikrete type S comes the closest to what I would make and I have used it on occasion.

Quikrete Mason Mix Type S Mortar | AToolForYou.com

JB.

 

[N80]

I'll look for that. Fortunately these steps get no outdoor exposure and the appearance is not critical. Thanks.

 

[JB4310]

The big mistake everyone makes is mixing the mortar to wet, You need it soft for bedding the bricks, but need it dryer/stiffer for filling the joints.

When you bed down the bricks by tapping them in place, CUT the excess ooze with the sharp edge of the trowel, don't smear it with the flat part, let them set up a bit then fill the joints carefully with a joiner, keeping the mortar off the brick face. give the joints enough time to set up also then finish with lite brushing.

The most important factor in masonry repair is timing, to know when it's ready to finish.

Like you said yours is in an out of sight location so nothing to worry about, but I've seen home owners or even inexperienced contractors, permanently mess up the prominent fronts of houses or buildings with bad masonry repairs.
Once done wrong it's difficult to fix and can stay that way (looking bad) for 20 years.

JB.

 

[N80]

Thanks JB. I got it done this afternoon. I used the type S mix as you suggested. Had to get a 60 pound bag, but it was only about $4. It looks fine. However, it seemed like the mortar didn't want to 'stick' to anything. It was fairly cold but I don't know if that had anything to do with it. I don't think it was too wet as it was fairly stiff but still 'spreadable'. Anyway, the bricks are in place and the mortar is drying. The finish looks as good as the original which is not great but at least it matches. I'll just have to see if everything is staying in place in the morning.