How to Mortar a Sidewalk

Preparation

• 1

  Clean out the old mortar with a wire brush and sweep away the debris with a broom. Before adding any mortar to the crack, spray it out with water and let it dry. If you do not get all of the loose mortar out of the crack, repeat this step until the crack is thoroughly cleaned.

• 2

  Pour latex mortar mix into a bucket and add water, according to the packaging directions. The mortar comes in powder form and already has the latex additive mixed in with the mortar. However, you can purchase the mortar and latex additive separately. Mix the two components by using the ratio of mortar mix and latex additive recommended by the manufacturer.

• 3

  Stir the mixture with a mortar trowel until it becomes a paste then continue to add water until the mixture looks like smooth peanut butter. Check the mixture by picking it up with the trowel. If the mortar mix falls off the trowel, you have stirred enough water into the mortar.

Patching

• 4

  Scoop out some of the mortar mixture with the trowel and place it on top of the crack. Use the point of the trowel to push the mortar down into the crack. Ensure that the crack is completely filled with mortar before smoothing the surface.

• 5

  Add more mortar mix to the top of the crack until it forms a bump. Take the edge of the trowel and drag it across the top of the crack until it is level with the surface of the sidewalk. Excess mortar will accumulate on the back of the trowel. Scoop the excess mortar up and drop it back into the bucket.

• 6

  Repeat these steps until you have leveled the entire crack. Make one last pass over the crack and mortar repair. Start at one end of the crack and pull the trowel completely down the crack in one pass.

• 7

  Let the mortar dry for approximately two hours or until the mixture becomes firm, like Play-Doh. Use the wire brush to roughen up the surface of the mortar. Let the mortar dry for 24 hours before walking on the surface.