How to Make Mortar from Recycled Bricks

Making mortar is a process that has been around for centuries. It consists primarily of cement, lime and sand. As an alternative, it is possible to use other binding materials in the mix. To use old bricks, it is necessary to get them into a powdered form by breaking them up and substituting the brick dust in place of some of the cement. This is a good use of old bricks and makes a more ecologically friendly mortar by recycling. Breaking the bricks up is time-consuming and messy, but it works as well as the cement in the mixture.

Portland cement
5-gal. bucket
Sledge hammer
Ball peen hammer
Builder's lime
Garden hose
Masonry trowel

Instructions

- 1
  Pour 1/2 bag of Portland cement into a 5-gal. bucket.
- 2
  Smash bricks using a sledge hammer to break them into small chunks. Grind the small pieces with a ball peen hammer to reduce them to brick dust. Continue with this process, breaking up and grinding the bricks until there is enough dust to match the amount of cement in the bucket equally. Add the brick dust to the bucket.
- 3
  Combine 1/4 bag of builder's lime and 1/2 bag of sand into the bucket and stir the four compounds together until they are well-mixed.
- 4
  Add water to the bucket with a garden hose and stir the dry materials into the water thoroughly. Slowly mix the water so that it doesn't get too soupy. The mortar is best at a consistency of gritty oatmeal.
- 5
  Cover the bucket with a lid if you won't use the mortar immediately as it will cure quickly. Fill a masonry trowel with mortar and add to brick or concrete block construction projects.

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