This guide provides a step-by-step guide on how to mix mortar for bricklaying, patios, and other masonry construction using a cement mixer. A good mortar mix makes brick laying easier by providing a bed for the bricks to sit into, taking up any discrepancies in the size of the bricks and keeping the top nice. The process of mixing mortar requires precision and understanding of materials, as knowing how to mix mortar for brick specifically ensures that the brickwork has the structural integrity.
Type N mortar is a general-purpose mix usually recommended for exterior and above-grade walls (including stone veneer) exposed to severe weather and high heat. Type N mortar mix has a specific ratio of 1 part cement, 3 parts sand, and enough water to create a workable consistency. Mortar is a mixture of water, sand, cement, and sometimes hydrated lime. The key is to use the proper ratio of cement to sand for your specific project.
For general purposes, mix 6 parts sand to 1 part cement. For heavy-duty projects, mix 6 parts sand to 1 part cement. Mix mortar from scratch by blending one part Portland cement to three parts sand. If using a ready mortar mix, the dry ingredients are already combined. If you are new to bricklaying, suggest a 4:1 sand/cement ratio and some plasticizer and following instructions on the container. Cement mortar ratio should be 1:6 for 9″ brickwork and 1:4 41/2″ brickwork; mortar thickness should not be more than 10mm between the courses.
When mixing mortar, consider one part water to three or four parts mix as a starting point and add additional water as needed if the mix is too dry.
📹 How to Mix Sand and Cement for bricklaying step by step
Stu please support my journey on this channel by becoming a patreon so i can keep producing content.
📹 How to mix mortar, perfect creamy mix for bricklaying
How to make the perfect mortar mix for bricklaying, patios etc using a cement mixer. This is a step by step guide on how to mix …
Have you built any round raised brick flower beds because this will be my first brick project and you seem like a good teacher because you explain every detail. I know I need a step by step vid so I don’t balls it up and get exactly the result I have in my mind of at least damn near close. Any help will be appreciated so I don’t make a complete arse of myself because this is in my front garden and all 👀 will be on me
Hello ! Thank you for your article ! It’s very clear !! One more question. It seems like your builder sand is softer than what I find in Paris. We use 0/4 mm sand for bricks. 0/2 mm is for plaster finition coat. Do you Know the granulometrie of your sand ? Take care of you !! A french rope access technician brick laying With your advices !!!
As a complete bodger I mixed by hand for a 3m x 3m blockwork lean to I attempted and it nearly killed me. I resorted to a decorators mixing paddle on a power drill mixing it all in a big bucket, haha. Fortunately my son in law eventually loaned me his Belle mini mixer which was so much easier. The sight of a shovel and mixing board brings me out in hives now ….
Stu, that’s a shovel, not a spade. You dig your garden with a spade. A spade has a curved blade and is a pain to mix with. Your shovel has a flat blade, perfect for mixing. Your vids are great, doing a small job on Monday in the garden, lot easier after perusal your vids. Just need to find my shovel now!
Stu. I am a DIY bricky. 1) I find my mixes are too grey for my liking. How do I get that more natural sandy coloured mix? 2) I am using Wienerberger ‘Renaissance’ bricks. Even after soaking them pre laying and spraying the lower course, I find they are still very porous and mortar starts to go off very quickly. Current temp @20C. Is this normal?
Nice article and nice website. I think that bricklaying is an art. Unfortunately your English accent is a little difficult to understand 🙂 I’d like to know what type of sand you were using. The producer site doesn’t say anything diy.com/departments/diall-building-sand/35706_BQ.prd ; no technical informations (river sand, volcanic sand, …. the size of grains). It looks like a 0 to 1 millimeter grain size. Thanks for all 😉 Greetings from Sicily
Hi mate,,I’m about to make a shed,,I’ve just had a 12×9 concrete base done ready build a shed on..I’m going to lay one course of engineering brick around the edge of my concrete base to put the shed on then,,il be drilling through the brick and probably in to the concrete base to bolt the shed down,,,I’ve never layed bricks before but for what I need and after perusal some of your articles then I think I should manage it,,,I’m just wondering if this 4 to 1 mix would be ok for what I need or would you do it different,,cheers pal
Hi mate, been perusal your articles and learning a lot. laid a row of bricks yesterday and today the mortar is looking drier but feels a little weak when I try to squeeze some loose mortar that I didn’t use. It takes a lot of effort, not just instant crumbling. and was a 4 – 1 mix. should I worry about this?
hi hunn iv just moved in my new house and i need a new brick wall. i wanted 2 ask the mix you just showed will it be strong enuff 4 a brick wall? or do i need 2 mix some thing else in it 2? i cant afford 2 get it done from a professional at the mo. so need all the help from ytube articles. and if you got any more advice i wld be very greatfull. winks keep the articles rolling.
just a quick questiuon im trying this for my lvl 1 bricky at college and because off lockdown just a question you can take this down and re use the same mix instead off buying and using a different mix every time right, so like i can use that 4 to 1 ratio then once built the wall i can knock down and re use the same mix i used for that wall right?
I hope your mix is better than the camera work! Most of the footage is focussed on you. You don’t actually say how much plasticizer to use nor show the consistency of the mix as you pour the water into the mixer. Some of those spades of sand going into the mixer looked well under weight. Sorry but gave up on this one.
The febmix bit i was hoping to learn from but from your very useful comments and replies from your other articles regarding sand wetness, dry blocks, clamp or class b bricks, its a judgement call. Ive done well so far by just reading the instructions on the tub! Ive only done hand or liger board mixes but a mixer for half an hour is way more than i thought BUT when we did the Concrete block destruction tests the longer dryer mixes (then cured in water) were like iron! Ive done a few single skin practice walls now using salvaged bricks where the mortar course is mirror smooth and stronger than the bricks! Practice practice. The current crop of ‘builders’ in the north could do with your articles because i can drag my van vault key down their mortar and it goes 2-5mm deep! They are builders. Not brickies! (B.S artists more like!) Do you have a article on pointing? Repointing is an ARSE job! Is rhere an efficient fast way and just to see the skill involved would be very useful. Cheers!
You should always gauge your mix with bucket so you always get right amount of cement and sand..for perfect mix then its same amount every time your not to old to learn young man also its same strength and colour every time, I’ve seen people big shovel of sand and not the same when putting cement in, so your getting different mix every time.