The Job of Mortar in Brick Wall Installation
Learn About the Importance of Mortar in All Aspects of Brick Wall ConstructionBrick construction is held together by mortar. Basically brick and mortar are the two ingredients you need in order design and build a residential or commercial building from the ground up. However, there is so much more to mortar just being the “glue” that holds everything together. Subtle changes in color, texture, and moisture directly affect brick installation. Mortar color can change the way that the brick appears once thousands of brick have been installed on the side of a building. Mixing mortar in brick wall installation includes paying attention to climate factors and weather patterns to ensure that bricks have space to expand and contract and “breathe” once the mortar has dried.
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Key Takeaways
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Factors to Consider About Mortar in Brick Wall Installation
Joint Definition of the Bricks
How sharply the joints of the bricks stand out upon completion comes down to the selection of the brick and mortar colors. A sharper contrast of color between the brick and the mortar can expose more uneven edges and / or the bond pattern can become easier to see. This can completely change the look that the architect or builder is trying to achieve. More blended colors that are closer together on the color palette make the appearance more seamless with softer edges that obscure the joint definition. Depending on the goal of the final appearance of the building, brick and mortar color selections are extremely important in brick installation.
Cohesiveness of the Finished Appearance
Mixing mortar for your brick installation is so much more than dumping the bag out and mixing it up. If the mortar mix is inconsistent over batches, you will see that same inconsistency in color on the finished brick wall. Improperly mixing the mortar will result in obvious color changes throughout the brick wall installation. While not impossible to fix, it definitely creates a lot more work to try to blend the mortar color after the work has been completed. The importance of consistently mixing the mortar throughout the project cannot be overstated.
Vapor Permeability of the Brick Wall
All construction responds to and is affected by moisture, and brick and mortar installation is no different. Once the mortar has dried, it must be flexible enough to handle new moisture in the form of weather and climate. If the mortar mix is too dense, it will absorb and trap rain and moisture, not allowing it to evaporate back into the environment. In cold temperatures, this trapped moisture will cause the brick to crack, destabilizing the construction of the wall. When mixing mortar, you must have experience in considering environmental and weather factors on the mortar density, so that the brick and mortar can dry out after it is affected by rain, snow, or ground moisture.
Brick Wall Seasonal Flexing
In addition to moisture, changes in temperature also affect how you mix your brick mortar. Time is also a factor in how brick behaves relative to mortar. Seasonal climate changes cause the brick to expand and contract. It is an unavoidable part of brick installation. However, if you mix the mortar correctly and pay attention to where there might be instability in the mortar application, you can anticipate this natural movement and plan accordingly.
As you can see, mortar mix and application are vital parts of the brick installation process. Achieving the correct mixture of mortar and consistently mixing this over the course of the installation of the brick is imperative to successfully building brick structures which will last.
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