How far will cubic metre of mortar go...

[walkern]

Hello,
I've got some brickies to build my extension, but all they're doing is laying bricks.

I figured the easiest way to get them mortar, though more expensive, is ready mixed mortar.

But it only comes in cubic metres. I've searched but cannot find how many bricks that would equate to, to see if it's feasible, given the mortar will only be workable 1 or two days, or how many I'd need.

Any ideas?

Thanks.

 

[lostinthelight]

Google finds: http://paultaborbrickwork.blogspot.co.uk/p/mortar-coverage.html
litl

 

[stuart45]

Whether it's worth it depends on how many trowels on site, type of work etc. What happens if they run out half way through the day? Who is bumping out the bricks and spot boards?

 

[walkern]

Cheers. I was actually at that page but only read the big titles that mentioned bricks and didn't notice the small text

In that case, it's no use as they'll take a week to lay the 3000 bricks and 500 blocks and that page says about 1800 per m3

Wonder if I can find a labourer with his own cement mixer....

 

[noseall]

Wonder if I can find a labourer with his own cement mixer....

I think you need to find yourself a 2 & 1 gang that know what they are doing. And I don't mean pampered site brickies either.

They'll have you walking down the line with a spot board strapped to your back next.

 

[^woody^]

I've got some brickies to build my extension, but all they're doing is laying bricks

I'd f**k them right off if they ain't going to do the housework and cut the grass too. Call themselves brickies?

 

[noseall]

I'd f**k them right off if they ain't going to do the housework and cut the grass too. Call themselves brickies?

There's more to laying bricks than laying bricks you know Woodscent. There's an art to drinking tea, dunking the choccy digestives, whilst leaning trowel first on an empty spot.

 

[^woody^]

No dunking of chocolate biscuits on my jobs. Thats just wrong.

 

[garyo]

Any ideas?

Why not buy a mixer for the labourer to use. It'll probably come in handy due various other jobs at the build progresses then you can eBay it at the end.

You could labour yourself but having done it myself in a 2+1 I can tell you you need to be fit... Especially when you get to first floor level and you're bricking up and mucking up too. I won't forget that day for a while...

 

[^woody^]

The thing is, you want one mix for the foundations, another for the brickwork and another for the blockwork.

I can't see readimix being a practical option

 

[John D v2.0]

I hesitate to say given the amount of experts on this thread, but every time I've mixed up some mortar it's only workable for a few hours. Are you getting it with some kind of retarder to keep it workable for the next day? As far as I know only lime can be knocked up again the next day, although I didn't try it I can believe that.
Or do you mean the just add water type of mix?

 

[lostinthelight]

I hesitate to say given the amount of experts on this thread, but every time I've mixed up some mortar it's only workable for a few hours. Are you getting it with some kind of retarder to keep it workable for the next day? As far as I know only lime can be knocked up again the next day, although I didn't try it I can believe that.
Or do you mean the just add water type of mix?

I had not heard of it so looked it up.
http://www.cemex.co.uk/readytousemortar.aspx

 

[Ian H]

I thought every bricky would have his own mixer?

 

[John D v2.0]

I had not heard of it so looked it up.
http://www.cemex.co.uk/readytousemortar.aspx

Interesting! Has a secret ingredient?