August 27, 20224 yr I have a project in Brighton and we are using a light grey brick. The standard building sand around here is from Nutfield quarry and is dark orange. When it is made into mortar it ends up drying to a buff / beige colour and looks awful with the brick. I tried adding some black dye to the mix but the mortar just looks like cow dung. I can get hold of rendering sand that is OK for colour but not good for mortar. I have tried a few builders merchants without success. I am after bulk bags, delivered with a hiab. Any ideas?
August 27, 20224 yr Google can find very expensive white sand but most seems to be much further north, like Scotland. There is grey/silver on ebay from Cornwall.. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fine-Building-SAND-in-a-Bulk-Dumpy-Bag-NATIONWIDE-delivery-from-Cornwall/264718480404?mkcid=1&mkrid=710-53481-19255-0&campid=5338624526&toolid=20006&customid=a73f1d7d0c7be307511759f94c6d873c&pageci=50c334c0-58c6-4b6e-b669-048735570dc9&redirect=mobile But I would try and find the quarry and buy direct rathe than through ebay.
August 27, 20224 yr Author 7 minutes ago, Temp said: There is grey/silver on ebay from Cornwall.. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fine-Building-SAND-in-a-Bulk-Dumpy-Bag-NATIONWIDE-delivery-from-Cornwall/264718480404?mkcid=1&mkrid=710-53481-19255-0&campid=5338624526&toolid=20006&customid=a73f1d7d0c7be307511759f94c6d873c&pageci=50c334c0-58c6-4b6e-b669-048735570dc9&redirect=mobile That seems good but the pallet delivery could be an issue. It is a few steps up to the slab so I will see if a ramp would work. I have contacted the seller to find out carriage costs. Thanks!
August 27, 20224 yr Author 1 minute ago, Temp said: See if they will send a sample? Good idea. I would be happy to pay so we can mix a small batch of mortar.
October 15, 20224 yr Author Well I went with @Temp's suggestion and ended up with sand from Cornwall. With the shipping it cost a fortune but I had already bought the bricks and had them approved by Planning so no way of going back. I bought 2 tonne bags. Material was about £80, shipping £175 (2 pallets). I will need 2 more. I think it will dry a bit lighter than the photo but you can see in the foreground the colour of mortar made with our local sand would not have worked.
November 6, 20223 yr What ratio was used to achieve this shade and was it just the buff sand cement? I know cement is different shades too depending on the brand. Nice brick whatever it is, really hard to find a decent grey brick and the price of them are expensive. I have a grey brick to use & need a similar tone or mortar or a bit lighter than that, any hints of beige look terrible with grey.
November 6, 20223 yr Author 2 hours ago, ruggers said: What ratio was used to achieve this shade and was it just the buff sand cement? I know cement is different shades too depending on the brand. Nice brick whatever it is, really hard to find a decent grey brick and the price of them are expensive. I have a grey brick to use & need a similar tone or mortar or a bit lighter than that, any hints of beige look terrible with grey. The sand was from Kernow Mixers in Cornwall. Mix is something like 1:1/2:4 cement:hydrated lime:sand.
November 6, 20223 yr Author 3 minutes ago, ruggers said: Was the hydrated lime for workability or did it alter the colour? Workability mainly. Stopped the bricklayer whining.
November 7, 20223 yr Author 17 hours ago, bassanclan said: Did you try white cement? I thought about it but price and availability ruled it out. It is already a palaver having 2 different sand colours so mixer needing thorough washout if they change from blockwork to face work.
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