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Category: Masonry Product: Latex mortar patch mix in a tube
Temperature Limitations: Use above +4 C (+40 F) and below +38 C (+100 F)
Rain Limitations: No rain for 12 hours
Wind Limitations: n/a
Humidity Limitations: High humidity will slow down cure.
Continuous Conditions: Keep dry for 12 hours and frost free for 24 hours.
Comments: Latex brick mortar fix is not a structural mortar and is designed only for small jobs of repointing mortar lines. The surface and the material must be above freezing when applied and while curing. Remove old mortar to a depth at least as deep as the mortar line is wide or it will fall out later. Repointing mortar sticks to the bricks, not to the underlying mortar.
Weather limitations on most renovation products can be located on the WEATHER tab above.
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APPLICATION / INSTALLATION DETAILS
Latex brick mortar repair in a caulking tube is a useful product for small repointing jobs.
It is not considered structurally solid as is standard mortar but is fine for limited repairs.
It is especially convenient in that it is pre-mixed, comes in small quantities and even has a square nozzle with its own built in spatula for a smooth flat application.
It has its limitations in that it comes in only one light grey colour and because it comes directly out of the tube you do not have the opportunity to stain it. See Aging brick mortar. Also if you smear it over the face of the brick it is much more difficult to remove than regular brick mortar because of its caulking like consistency.
As with all brick repointing it is important to realize that it does not stick to the mortar already between the bricks, it sticks to the bricks. Hence the old or cracked mortar should be removed the full width of the mortar line and as deep as the mortar line is wide. This means that you will fill it with a square bead of mortar that is pressed into the brick on each side. Trying to just apply it over a crack will end up with it simply falling off within a year.
For lots of details about the task of repairing brick mortar, look up the keyword REPOINTING in the database.
You may want to compare using this quick fix to using regular mortar by checking out WEATHER RESTRICITIONS: BRICK MORTAR