Is Plasticiser Necessary in Patio Mortar?
Mortar additives like plasticiser is a necessity for some people rather than just a simple sand and cement mix. But it really is a debatable topic and the answer the this question depends on each to their own.
Some people think plasticiser makes it much easier to work with the mortar, while some of them think it doesn’t make any difference at all and it’s just an optional thing in a mortar.
Plasticiser isn’t necessary to make mortar but it helps to create a smoother and creamier mixture without adding too much water.
I’ve made a poll inside a landscaping community which is full of landscapers and traders across the UK. Majority, like 65 of them said that they use plasticiser in the mortar and 11 of them said they don’t. That’s 6x more people use plasticiser in the mortar that who don’t.
Plasticiser in pointing mortar
Again, plasticiser is not necessary to make the mortar for pointing a patio with a trowel. You can add if you have or skip it when making the mortar the pointing and you’re going the traditional way for pointing that’s with a trowel.
If you’re in the process of making the mortar for pointing and you’ll be using a trowel then read the post on how to make mortar for pointing that I recently wrote.
However, if you’re going to use a mortar gun for pointing then definitely use some plasticiser in the mix because it will save you from a lot of frustration which you will get when you fill up the gun and ready to point the joints.
The plasticiser will prevent the gun from blocking as creates a creamier mix that’ll flow far easier from the gun into the joints of your slabs. Also, because you need less water for the mortar when you use plasticiser, there’s a lesser chance that the gun will squeeze out the water and block.
There’re a few other things to keep in mind when making mortar mix for pointing guns to avoid any problems. I have a complete post on how to get a perfect mortar mix for pointing gun that I highly recommend you to read if you’re going to point with a mortar gun.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does plasticiser do to mortar? Basically in simple terms, plasticiser creates air bubbles in the mortar which increases its workability and makes it easier to spread.
Do plasticisers change the colour of mortar? Plasticisers make no change to the mortar visually. It doesn’t have any effect on the colour of the mortar.
Does plasticiser weaken the strength of mortar? Plasticiser doesn’t make much of a difference to the mortar strenth if you use it in the right quantity. However, too much plasticiser can weaker the strength and the mortar could crumble because too much plasticiser can leave too many voids from the air bubbles when the mortar dries.
How much plasticiser do you need for mortar? The bottle of plasticiser has written instructions about how much plasticiser to add to your mortar.
Using washing up liquid in mortar? Some people use washing up liquids like Fairy in the mortar when they run out of feb. Though it works like a plasticiser, it’s not a plasticiser. It’s always recommended to use proper plasticiser for better results.