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Appreciation post: The time I used a garden hose to fix a stubborn mortar slump
I was building a curved garden wall in Phoenix last summer, and the mortar kept slumping off the trowel in the 110-degree heat. After three tries, I was ready to pack it in. My old boss once said, 'If the mud's too hot, cool it down,' so I ran a garden hose over the sand pile for about five minutes before mixing. The cooler sand brought the mortar temp down just enough that it held its shape perfectly. Has anyone else found a simple trick like that for working in extreme heat?
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mia_park8d ago
My buddy used frozen water bottles in his mix.
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hugo_cooper7d agoTop Commenter
Oh man, @mia_park, that's the best trick! I do the exact same thing with plastic bottles. They work like a charm and don't water things down like ice cubes would. I've found the big soda bottles last way longer in a cooler too. Your buddy is totally onto something.
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