Alright, folks, let’s dive into my little DIY adventure from this weekend – fixing up some crumbly mortar between the bricks on my garden wall. It wasn’t a massive project, but hey, gotta keep things looking tidy, right?
First, I grabbed my tools. Nothing fancy, just the basics:
- A sturdy chisel
- A hammer (nothing too big, just a regular one)
- A wire brush (the kind you’d use for grilling, works great)
- A pointing trowel (it’s got that pointy end, perfect for this)
- A bucket of pre-mixed mortar (I’m not mixing that stuff from scratch!)
- A spray bottle filled with water
- Some safety glasses, Gota protect my eyes.
The Process:
I started by chipping away at the old, loose mortar. I just placed the chisel against the crumbling bits and gave it a few gentle taps with the hammer. No need to go crazy, just get rid of anything that’s already falling apart. It’s a little dusty, but it is very important.
Once I had a decent groove going, I took the wire brush and scrubbed the heck out of the joints. This helped to remove any remaining dust and debris, making sure the new mortar would have a good surface to stick to. I brushed those joints until they were squeaky clean.
Next, I grabbed my spray bottle and gave the bricks a good misting. This is important because dry bricks will suck the moisture out of the new mortar too quickly, making it weak and crumbly. We don’t want that, do we? It took me a bit of time.
Now for the fun part! I scooped some of that pre-mixed mortar onto my pointing trowel and started pressing it into the joints. I made sure to really pack it in there, filling every nook and cranny. I used a level to make sure I had a good result.
After filling a section, I used the edge of the trowel to smooth out the mortar and give it a nice, clean finish. It’s like frosting a cake, but with cement. Seriously, the idea is very similar.
I kept working my way along the wall, section by section, until all the damaged joints were filled. The weather outside was hot so I didn’t want to work too long. I think I have already done the main body.
Finally, I let the mortar dry for a couple of days, keeping an eye on it and misting it occasionally if it looked like it was drying out too fast. Be Patient!
And that’s it! My garden wall looks much better now, and I’m pretty happy with my little DIY fix. It wasn’t rocket science, but it was satisfying to get it done myself. Plus, saved a few bucks by not calling a professional! Next time, I am going to start some more complicated work, maybe.