Patio Furniture and More

Brick patios that are mortared in place have an elegant, stately look to them, but they’re also prone to the mortar breaking down in places over time as water and weather takes it toil. The good news is that you don’t have to throw the baby out with the bath water, and it’s an easy do-it-yourself job to simply repair the cracks and gaps in the old mortar.

The first step is to thoroughly clean the bricks and mortar, preferably with a pressure washer. You’ll need to try to match the color of the old mortar as closely as possible, and a good cleaning will help you find the color and particle size of sand that you’re trying to match. Don’t just focus on the color, as sand comes in different particle sizes, so match both color and size when you go shopping for sand at your local building supply store.

Once you have your sand (and a mortar grout bag), mix one part sand with one part Portland cement. This will mix up really rich, which is what you need for a job like this, as the strength is important since you’re patching areas, and any patch is inherently weaker.

Lightly moisten the areas that you’re going to repair but don’t get them soaking wet. Fill the grout bag about half full and apply just enough pressure to make the mortar mix flow smoothly. If it won’t flow, add a bit more cement and water.

Move the grout bag along steadily and apply enough mortar so that it rises above the level of the brick by about one-quarter inch. Let it set until the mortar loses it’s glossiness and turns a dull grey color, then use a small triangular trowel to scrape off the excess mortar so that it’s flush with the brick.

Keep the new mortar slightly damp for 2-3 days to allow it to cure properly.