Face brick mortar gauging consistency?

[ruggers]

Hi, I have 240m2 of light grey facing brick to used for my self-build so have been playing around with different sands and ratios to achieve a mortar thats lighter than the brick. This is the shade used on a large development and looks good, so I want to copy it, only they've used a silo.
Because it's a grey brick with grey mortar, the colour consistency is key, using other brick colours, you don't seem to need to be as fussy. 

 

I think I've got it to where I need to be now with a cheap & simple 5:1 mix of Hanson cement & a buff sand only. I know plasticiser will need added.
So, have a few questions if anyone with experience can help?

 

1. Does adding hydrated lime add any value and does it affect the colour?

2.Does liquid plasticiser affect the colour, if so, in what way, and can you recommend any brands I should aim for or avoid?

3. Whats the simplest way of gauging the ratio without seeming like a pain in the backside for a bricky. Make a wooden gauging box for both the sand & the cement, or use other? 

4. Should sand be alternated between bulk bags or is this a bit anal?

There's only 2 bricky's and they are willing to work with me, but I want to keep it as easy as possible for them. Gauging boxes all look to be 2 man lift unless this is fine. It's too easy to forget how many buckets of sand have gone in the mixer without one.

 

Any advice appreciated, thanks.

[Canski]

1 hour ago, ruggers said:

 

 

1. Does adding hydrated lime add any value and does it affect the colour?

 

Not for me it plays havoc with my skin and doesn't always mix in well.

 

1 hour ago, ruggers said:

2.Does liquid plasticiser affect the colour, if so, in what way, and can you recommend any brands I should aim for or avoid?

I've never noticed any colour change with Optimix and it is by far the best. Try Fastbuild supplies for a good price. I buy it by the box full. No other plasticiser that I have used performs any where near as well.

1 hour ago, ruggers said:

3. Whats the simplest way of gauging the ratio without seeming like a pain in the backside for a bricky. Make a wooden gauging box for both the sand & the cement, or use other? 

Buckets and lots of them. Easier to load into the mixer I would get 5 buckets for the sand and one for the cement. load the buckets on a 8 x 4 sheet and scrape them off level with the shovel.

1 hour ago, ruggers said:

 

4. Should sand be alternated between bulk bags or is this a bit anal?

Anal 

1 hour ago, ruggers said:

There's only 2 bricky's and they are willing to work with me, but I want to keep it as easy as possible for them. Gauging boxes all look to be 2 man lift unless this is fine. It's too easy to forget how many buckets of sand have gone in the mixer without one.

not if they fill five at a time. It doesn't' take much longer than shovelling in to the mixer

1 hour ago, ruggers said:

 

Any advice appreciated, thanks.

You're welcome

[ruggers]

@Canski Thank you. I'll have a look at the optimix. 

 

At least the buckets can be loaded by 1 person. It just needs to be the easiest method for the builder that is fail proof.

 

If counting, everyone forget how many went in at some point or 10.

[BadgerBadger]

Our brickies requested Sika MaxMix - they definitely preferred the concentrated stuff. It's such a small amount I can't see it affecting colour significantly.

 

We just used buckets for gauging.  Whatever you do make sure it's simple and convenient.  Make sure you explain to them why the gauging accuracy is important, I found almost everyone wanted a good result and would do things if they understood why it mattered.

 

Are you buying all the sand at once? Our cement mortar isn't visible, so this didn't matter to us and you can clearly find the different coloured areas where we switched sand suppliers along the way.

[Canski]

You can also buy dry silo mortar in bulk bags from some suppliers. Just add water. It’s not cheap and has to be very well covered as the slightest bit of water ingress will ruin it. 

[ruggers]

4 hours ago, BadgerBadger said:

Our brickies requested Sika MaxMix - they definitely preferred the concentrated stuff. It's such a small amount I can't see it affecting colour significantly.

 

We just used buckets for gauging.  Whatever you do make sure it's simple and convenient.  Make sure you explain to them why the gauging accuracy is important, I found almost everyone wanted a good result and would do things if they understood why it mattered.

 

Are you buying all the sand at once? Our cement mortar isn't visible, so this didn't matter to us and you can clearly find the different coloured areas where we switched sand suppliers along the way.

Thats good to know with the small amount required and that it's not enough to affect any colour, I've only ever used cheap everbuild 3 in 1 5L plasticisers for block work in the past.
Not buying all the sand at once because I think roughly I'll need 30 bulk bags for 250m2 face brick 245m2 blocks. I need to check that figure is correct. The supplier uses the same sand source from North Yorkshire as some developers who build high spec houses locally need consistency.


 

22 minutes ago, Canski said:

You can also buy dry silo mortar in bulk bags from some suppliers. Just add water. It’s not cheap and has to be very well covered as the slightest bit of water ingress will ruin it. 

Just looking at the optimix concentrate, it says 5-10ml per 50kg of cement, so you'd probably only need a few bottles for a full house?
I think with Cumbrian wet weather that would go off in no time unless it was kept in a shelter. They do a pre mixed mortar in 0.33m3 tubs but its £40 a tub, lasts 1 day, £70 delivery and £60 deposit per tub. 

[Canski]

52 minutes ago, ruggers said:

 

Just looking at the optimix concentrate, it says 5-10ml per 50kg of cement, so you'd probably only need a few bottles for a full house?
 

That’s right it’s very concentrated. I’ve tried dozens of other makes but found this to be the best. Others claim to be as good but it’s not.