Repointing

[Aromatic]

I’ve got some repointing to do in small areas of wall. Want to match exhisting mortar which is a sandy colour. How do I get that colour. Sent pics of the colour I want to achieve

 

[robinbanks]

I doubt you'll be able to match it exactly because the existing mortar will have weathered and acquired bilogical growth that darkens it, but you should be able to find something close (or jet wash the wall before you match)

Get a few different sands; different merchants can carry ones from different quarries, some being redder, some more yellow. Also get a few different cement brands too; they tend to vary in their shades of grey. Make up small mixes using a precise measure, eg a 2 tablespoon cooking measure, in ratios between 4:1 and 7:1, keep careful note of which is which (put each on a board labelled, underneath) and let them all dry. Chip em off and transfer the label to the mortar with a sharpie, then take them and hold them up and decide which is the one you want to use

I'd keep all of them, if you're pointing in different areas around the house, as the mix may have varied during the build. Also, when mixing using the mixer, be similarly precise; don't use a shovel as a measuring tool, use a bucket

 

[Aromatic]

I was thinking a yellow sand and cement on a 4.1 mix. Just don’t want it too be grey though.

 

[stuart45]

When you finish the joints with a.metal tool it brings a cement laitance to the surface, so the joints are more cement coloured. As this skin weathers down in time the aggregate gets exposed and shows a different colour.