I’m putting on my technical hat this week to discuss mortar.  Admittedly this may not be the most exciting topic for many of my readers out there, but before you click away, I think its worth noting that it is important to understand the different types of mortar and what they’re used for, whether you’re tackling a DIY project yourself, or hiring a contractor to undertake some improvements.
 
But before we begin, I need to offer a real quick lesson in terminology.  
 
I hear clients and prospects throw around a lot of incorrect terminology when it comes to masonry. Just as I would most likely butcher terminology if talking about insurance or quilt-making, its understandable. But important nonetheless.  So lets get a few terms straight.

Cement is, at its most basic level, simply a binder which sets and hardens independently.  There are a number of different types of cement mixes out there, but the most commonly used ones are Portland cement blends which are derived primarily from limestone and sulfate (gypsum).  Cement by itself is quite brittle and not used as a building material, but rather as an ingredient for concrete and mortar. To say a sidewalk or patio is made of “cement” is technically incorrect (and quite frankly, a nails-on-the-blackboard pet peeve of mine).

Concrete is a construction material made from mixing cement with aggregate (small stones or gravel) along with sand.  There are a number of “recipes” for concrete depending on the desired strength and application.  The aggregates and sand add additional strength to the mix and help to eliminate some of the “brittle” and “shrinkage” qualities of cement.  Fibers and manmade materials can also be added to the mix to help increase strength.  When you see a sidewalk or patio being poured, this is concrete.

Mortar is a separate construction material used to adhere stone, brick, or blocks.  Historically there have been a number of different recipes for mortar, but the most commonly used mortars used for our purposes today consist of
various ratios of Portland cement, lime, and sand.  Portland cement offers compression strength, lime offers flexibility and bonding qualities, and sand works to minimize shrinkage during curing. And that is where I want to get into a bit more detail.

There are five generally accepted classifications of mortar types used in the trades;  M, S, N, O and K.

Type M mortar consists of 3 parts Portland cement, 1 part lime, and 12 parts sand.  This is the strongest mortar in terms of compression strength, but may not offer the flexibility of forgiveness that some “softer” mortars offer.  It is commonly used for applications where some load-bearing capabilities are required, such as stone foundations.  In many cases the high compression strength results in the mortar being stronger than the materials they are binding, resulting in cracked bricks or blocks.

Type S mortar is the mortar that we typically use for our wet-set flatwork applications.  The generally accepted recipe is two parts Portland cement, one part lime, and nine parts sand.  It offers high compression strength with increased bonding qualities and flexibility.  For this reason it is recommended for exterior applications at or below grade, or when high compression strength is needed in conjunction with softer stones or bricks.

Type N mortar is perhaps the most commonly sold “all-purpose” mortar, consisting of one part Portland, one part lime, and six parts sand.  It offers medium compression strength, and is commonly used for non-load-bearing applications above grade, such as walls or chimneys (not exposed to direct heat).

The remaining two classifications of mortar, O and K, are the softest of the mortars, and are generally used for tuckpointing or repair work above grade, when compression strength is not necessary and flexibility/forgiveness are more important. Type O mortar generally is made up of one part Portland, two parts lime, and nine parts sand.  Type K is the weakest of the mortar types, with a one-three-ten ratio, and is most commonly used in historical preservation repair work.
 
And just as a good creative cook may tweak a few recipes to achieve desired results in the kitchen, these recipes can be tweaked a bit too depending on the application.  Additional factors such as the coarseness of the sand being used and amount of water used to mix the mortar can also have an effect on how the mortar will behave.
 
It’s also important to note that when it comes to mortar, stronger does not necessarily mean better. The strength of the mortar itself would be of little value if it doesn’t effectively bond to the materials that are meant to be held in place.  And as mentioned earlier, some degree of flexibility may be desired to work with temperature contractions or lateral load.

Additionally there are also a number of “specialty” mortar mixes available such as refractory mortar for use in ovens or chimney interiors where heat is a concern, and specialty additives are also available for enhanced bonding or durability qualities in certain applications.

So there you go. Mortar 101.  Even if you’re not going to use this information on a regular basis, it never hurts to have a basic understanding of materials and how they’re used.  Keep it handy if you never need it as a reference.

A few random musings as we enter the Memorial Day Weekend ...

*  I always love Memorial Day weekend -- the unofficial kick-off to summer.  An excuse to grill more, wear flip-flops, hit the swimming pool, enjoy outdoor concerts and festivals, and entertain with friends and neighbors.  But I have to admit, I'm often guilty of forgetting the true meaning of the Holiday -- to recognize those who have given the ultimate sacrifice so the rest of us can enjoy the aforementioned items.  To all the men and women who put their lives at stake so we can enjoy our country's freedoms, thank you!!

*  Here on the East Coast, the blossoms and greenery are astonishing right now.  Roses, iris, clematis, peonies, and too many more to mention are in full bloom right now.  Wow!  Decorate your house all you want, but nothing beats the color show that Mother Nature offers.  (See pictures below)

*  A little bit of history -- Did you know Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day?  Seems appropriate given the show Mother Nature is giving us right now.  After World War I people began referring to it as Memorial Day.  Hard to believe, but it wasn't an official US Holiday until 1971.

*  This spring has been one of the busiest and craziest seasons I can remember in some time.  Lots of calls, lots of estimates, and lots of great projects.  We're cranking out the work right now, and looking forward to more great projects in the pipeline.

*  Despite the fact that I've been running myself ragged between project management, meetings, and estimates, this has to be by far my favorite time of year.  Between now and early July, everybody just seems to be in a better mood.  Everybody's looking forward to summer, the kids (and teachers) are looking forward to break, the weather is gorgeous, the bugs aren't horrendous yet, everything is in bloom, the days are getting longer, the evenings are nicely pleasant -- I could go on.  Enjoy it everybody.  Before we know it we'll be in the dog days.

*  The American Automobile Association (AAA) expects decreased numbers in travel this year for the Memorial Day weekend.  I'm not exactly sure why, but if a "stay-cation" is in your plans, I know a really good hardscaping contractor who could hook you up with a new patio.  Just sayin'...

*  As of the time I'm writing this post, I have absolutely no idea what my weekend menu includes, but I know it will involve the grill.  My top 5 grilling items, in no particular order:  Pork ribs (dry rub with wet on the side -- I'll post my recipe sometime if you're lucky), Fish Tacos, Kabobs, slow cooked Pork Butt (same rub and sauce as the ribs), and medium rare ribeye steaks.  All with a good IPA to wash it down.  There's a lot more too, but you get the idea.

*  "I have never been able to think of the day as one of mourning; I have never quite been able to feel that half-masted flags were appropriate on Decoration Day.  I have rather felt that the flag should be at the peak, because those whose dying we commemorate rejoiced in seeing it where their valor placed it.  We honor them in a joyous, thankful, triumphant commemoration of what they did".  ~Benjamin Harrison

*  Random horticultural thought -- Why are annuals called annuals?  Perennials I get, they come up perennially.  But annuals?  They don't come up annually.  They last one season and boom.  They're done.  And yes, you could argue that you have to plant them annually, but that seems like kind of a cop-out answer to me.

*  Canoeing and fishing are also on the agenda for the weekend.  The one drawback of doing what I do for a living is that I have very little free time in the spring to enjoy these two favorite pursuits of mine.  It's happening this weekend.  I'm psyched.

*  Happy Memorial Day everybody.  Stay safe, have fun, enjoy life, and be thankful for what we have!

In our house we have two basic rules.  Be nice.  And be a good listener.

Sure, these rules can be expanded and built upon, but ultimately when you get down to it, all the basics of good, acceptable behavior fall into one of these two categories.

We start teaching these rules to our kids from as early as we can.  But the rules are applicable not just to infants or school-age kids, but to adults as well.  And I think they’re also cornerstones of good business practice.

But unfortunately not all business people adhere to these rules.  And I have a few recent encounters that illustrate this.

As a small business owner I get calls all the time from people trying to sell me things.  Advertising, processing services, staffing services, you name it.  A few months back, before the season really started kicking into gear, I got a call from an online listing agent trying to sell me on online advertising.  This was one of those calls where I pretty much knew from the get-go that I wasn’t interested, but the sales rep caught me at a slow time, so I figured it couldn’t hurt to take the call.

He went through his whole schtick, providing all sorts of stats as to why his service was the best. I had one question – how much?  Being a small business owner this is perhaps the most important question, working on a limited marketing budget.

But I didn’t get an answer.  He kept going on and on about the benefits of his service.  I told him I was aware of the service, I knew they had some name recognition, but if the cost didn’t fit into my budget then we were wasting each
others’ time.  I needed to know how much.

“Our listings are picked up by Google, and our clients continuously place near the top of online search results …” 
He kept going on and on.  “I understand,” I replied.  “I need to know how much.”  My patience was growing thin at this point.

I never really have the time to deal with people who don’t respect my time, but for some reason, mainly out of curiosity I suppose, I stuck with his call this time.  It wasn’t until a half-hour (Half-hour!!) into the call that he finally revealed the price.  And as expected the cost was outside my budget range.

I understand he might not have cared one ounce about my time.  But you would think he cared about his time, right?  A half-hour plus on the phone, no sale, and a potential customer who was left with a real sour taste in his mouth as far as his company is concerned. I’m pretty confident I won’t ever be utilizing their services.  All because he wasn’t a good listener.

Around the same time period I got another call from a different sales rep, this one trying to sign me up for a referral service.  I explained that I wasn’t really interested – thanks but no thanks.  He was persistent.

“Why wouldn’t you be interested in expanding your sales?”, he asked.  Again, normally my patience would have expired by now, but I thought let’s see where he goes with this.

“Well since you asked,” I replied, “I don’t really like the business model of referral services. They add costs to the projects, throw a lot of unqualified leads at you that don’t fit into my service umbrella or geographic service area, and they tend to find prospects who are more tire-kicking as opposed to be a serious prospect.”

As expected, he went on and on about how his service was different, yada yada yada.

“Not interested,” I reiterated.

“So I guess you’re not serious about growing your business?” he asked.

“Excuse me?”

At this point he proceeded to question my intelligence, started raising his voice towards me and called me short-sighted and ignorant.

I hung up.  I’m pretty sure that nobody in the history of marketing has ever recommended insulting your prospect as a good way to sell them something.  He failed in the “Be nice” category.
 
I now remember why I typically don’t take calls from telemarketers.

The point here is not to vent (although it is all I can do not to include the names of the service providers these guys were representing).  No the point here is to illustrate that good business practices, or specifically in this case good sales techniques, are really just good human practices.

Be nice.  Be a good listener.  Do what you say you’re going to do when you say you’re going to do it.  Respond to people’s calls.  Say thank you.  Heck, chew with your mouth closed for that matter.

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of books and articles out there on delivering good business practices.  And yes, they can get into a great bit more detail.  But ultimately it all boils down to the two basic rules.

Be nice.  Be a good listener.  Doesn’t get much simpler than that.

One of my biggest personal enjoyments I get from my garden is my summer vegetable crop.

But when I mention the possibility of including a vegetable garden in with my clients’ yards, I’m often met with a fair amount of hesitation.  I can see their eyes rolling as they envision countless hours turning soil, pulling weeds, managing pests, and harvesting the crops.

But it really doesn’t have to be that complicated.  In fact, its one of the more simpler tasks I undertake.  And trust me, if I can find the time to work the garden, it certainly can’t be that time-consuming.  The rest of my ornamental gardens?  Well not so much, (they’re kind of a mess, to be honest), but the veggie garden is so simple to maintain, and the payoff is so great it’s really a no-brainer.

And yes, like anything you can make it as complicated as you’d like, but for those of you who don’t have the time (I’m guessing most of you?), it can really be quite simple.

Here’s what you need to get started; a small corner of the yard with moderate to ample sunlight, a few cages or support screens to support the plants as they grow, and a little bit of loose pocket change (OK, maybe some loose pocket cash).

If you’re just starting out as a hobby vegetable gardener, I’d like to suggest limiting your growing season to just the summer crops.  Tomatoes and peppers alone will give you a great crop, and are about the easiest of the veggies to
grow.  Depending on how you enjoy the experience, or how much time and space you have, you can always add to
your  crops down the road.

Here’s a few misconceptions about vegetable gardens I’d like to put to rest:

You don’t need a dedicated space.  Sure, if you’re starting a small suburban farmstead you might want a dedicated space, but if your intention is just providing some fresh vegetables for the summer dinner table, its actually quite easy to incorporate a few vegetables in with your existing beds. 

Interplanting vegetables amidst the ornamentals is a great way to make sure you don’t have large barren swaths of dirt during the non-growing season.  And I think you’ll be amazed how many visitors to your garden will comment on how fun it is to see an edible tomato plant tucked in between the ornamentals.  It invites you to interact with the garden, and after all that’s half the fun, right?

The vegetables don’t have to overtake your yard.  Tomatoes in particular do have a reputation for being rather “leggy” plants.  But there are plenty of varieties out there that are meant for small spaces without crowding out the surrounding gardens. Some are even meant exclusively for small or medium sized containers.  A few tomato varieties worth looking into include Better Bush, Husky Cherry Red, Bush Goliaths, and Sweet ‘N Neat Cherries. 

There’s plenty more out there, just look for varieties labeled for container gardening.

It doesn’t have to entail a large-scale construction project.  We’ve built plenty of raised beds with extensive pathways allowing access to the gardens, but that doesn’t mean it has to be that way.  The time involved in getting your garden started can be as straight-forward as a few minutes just to plant the 4” containers

It’s not a costly endeavor. Most big box stores and gardening centers sell 4” starter plants that run about $2 to $3 per plant.  Selling vegetable plants is also a popular fundraiser for garden clubs and schools, so you can support your local community while getting your garden started at the same time.  Pre-fab tomato cages also run just a few bucks per, and can be re-used every year down the road.  If you want to forgo the cage costs, you can even get a bit artsy by using old garden tools, sporting equipment, window frames – you name it – and tying some twine as
support cables to hold the plants as they grow. 

Pests and disease aren’t that big an issue.  Most tomato varieties that are sold in retail outlets are engineered to be disease-and-pest-resistant.  The biggest issue I have with pests is the native deer population and even that isn’t that big of an issue.  Rabbits are another fun little creature to deal with, especially when the plants are young, but even their damage is typically minimal to the plants.  And the burgeoning fox population in my neighborhood has worked wonders to solve this problem.

There’s really no excuse not to give it a go.  Put the plants in the ground in May, and by mid-July you’ll be enjoying
the fruits of your labor.  Literally.

And trust me, if your only experience with summer vegetables is eating what they sell in the stores, you’ll be amazed at how much more flavorful the homegrown ones are. 

Get started with the tomatoes and peppers, maybe a few herbs like basil, and once you get this down you can experiment and add new crops as you see fit.  Depending on the space you have available, beans, peas, lettuce, eggplant, and squash varieties are also quite easy to grow with tremendous payoff.  

Gotta love hardscaping.  Just when you think you've seen it all in this line of work -- Boom!  Another surprise.

We started a new patio project this week.  Part of the job includes demolishing the old patio that was in need of some serious repair.  I suppose a little background is in order before we begin.

This was a house that had been sitting vacant for some time before the current homeowners moved in last year.  There was a variety of repairs and improvements that needed to be addressed both inside and out.  Somewhere down the list was the hardscaping which included the rear patio.

The patio sat about 18" above grade, with a stone retaining wall bordering the rear edge of the patio with a set of steps leading down to the yard.

Not entirely uncommon so far.  Pretty straight forward in fact.  After meeting with the homeowners this past winter, we designed a new patio to replace the existing one, which was, quite frankly, beyond repair.  And the old size and shape didn't really fit the needs of the homeowners.  Sayonara old patio!

So as we approached the start of the job this week, I began lining up my services.  My excavator and I met at the site, and after we poked around a bit at the existing patio, we both agreed we needed some serious heavy equipment to remove the 18" thick patio.  We discovered a concrete shelf directly below a few of the loose perimeter stones, leading us to believe we were looking at an 18" thick concrete pad.  Some serious demo work no doubt.  And of course, some serious demo fees to go with it.

This past Monday was a rainy mess, and as a result our schedules got pushed back and reshuffled.  My original Wednesday demo got bumped back to Thursday, and because of some other necessary schedule shuffling, we found ourselves with one of those days where we can finally address a billion little things that had been cluttering up my to-do list. 

We started the day over at the patio site.  I figured we could salvage what we could off the patio, and stage some of the flagstones off to the side for the homeowner.  Old flagstones make great garden stepping stones you know.

So we began lifting the flagstones.  We started where I had done my prior investigative work.  Sure enough, there was that concrete shelf right behind the stone wall.  We continued lifting stones. The half inch mortar pad was crumbling beneath the stones as we lifted them.  After getting a few more up I wanted to see if that concrete could be broken up easily, and whether or not it was indeed 18" thick.

So I brushed aside the crumbly mortar, and discovered it was set atop a sand bed.  Interesting.  I brushed aside the sand, and discovered ... more sand.  I grabbed my shovel and started digging.  And kept digging.  And kept digging.  18" of pure sand!!!  I checked a few more spots, and same thing.  There's enough sand here to rebuild the Jersey Shore!

Needless to say, we discovered why the old patio was in such a state of disrepair.  The patio had been framed around the outer perimeter with a solid mortared stone wall, and then the interior grade had been beefed up 18" with pure sand.

There are many things wrong with this approach to building a patio, too many to mention in fact.  But I will mention a few.

The obvious one is that 18" of sand is not an acceptable base.  Heck, 4" of sand is not an acceptable base.  A little bit of sand atop compacted crushed gravel is great.  A lot of sand on top of more sand is not.  That sand washes out, the patio settles, and what you're left with is a mess.

And framing the sand out with solid walls?  You've basically just built a pool that will fill up with water as it seeps into the sand.  No wonder the mortar (what little of it there was) was failing.

As for the demo?  Well it went smoothly and quickly.  But it did serve as another reminder why foundations are perhaps the most important aspect to quality hardscaping.  And a reminder that when it comes to demo, you never really know what's there until you get started ripping her out.

I'll follow up with a recap post once our project is complete.