How to Cure Mortar Mix

Mortar will cure to an acceptable hardness on its own without assistance from you. However, if you want to improve the strength of the mortar and its resistance to moisture, slowing down the curing process will effectively increase the tensile strength of the mortar. Mortar cures by evaporation of the water within the mortar mix. Preventing this from occurring too quickly is desirable when the brickwork is used for a load-bearing structure.

Masonry pointer
Garden hose
Sheet of clear plastic
Rocks or nails to anchor the plastic

Instructions

- 1
  Smooth the fresh mortar joints between the bricks with with a masonry pointer until the surfaces are smooth and uniform. This tool is what creates the smoothly rounded masonry joint between bricks.
- 2
  Mist the brick surface with a garden hose to wash excess mortar off of the exposed brick and to moisten any mortar that has begun to surface cure.
- 3
  Place the plastic sheet over the brickwork, anchoring it in place using whatever anchors suit the need. For walls, use excess bricks or rocks. If the brickwork has a wood backing, use nails or furring strips. The cover doesn't have to be air tight, just enough to slow the process of evaporation.
- 4
  Remove the plastic sheet from the brickwork after approximately two weeks. The mortar will be adequately cured by this time.

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