Advantages And Disadvantages Of Cement Mortar

What is cement mortar? What are the advantages and disadvantages of cement mortar? What are cement mortar used for? Are these questions you have no answers to. Not to worry, this article will be discussing all you need to know about cement mortar together with the advantages and disadvantages of cement mortar.

Homeowners may use cement mortar to build driveways and patios or to patch foundations and seal cracks. Some people use it because it is cheap, easy to apply, and not damaging to natural materials.

However, there are a number of disadvantages that you should know before you decide on using cement mortar in your home”.

Many homeowners may think that the advantages of using cement mortar outweigh the disadvantages. However, this is not always true as there are risks associated with using this type of material.

Cement mortar can cause damage when used improperly or in circumstances outside its intended scope of application.

What Is Cement Mortar?

Mortar is an aggregate paste made by sand, cement (binding material) and water or by lime, surkhi & water. The cement makes mortar more durable, stronger and helps to bind the sand and gravel particles called aggregates together.

It is important to note that there are different types of cement mortars available. Note, however, that any type of mortar that you use must possess similar characteristics; it must be strong, durable and able to withstand weather conditions.

Cement mortar is easy to apply. All you need to do is prepare the surface first by sweeping or washing away any dirt or dust. Then pour on the cement mortar and spread it evenly using a trowel. It is used for both interior and exterior applications.

This substance has been widely used in construction establishments for many years. Over time, it has become one of the most widely used components in construction works due to its durability and resistance to deterioration.

Cement mortar is the oldest type of mortar that is still widely used today, thanks to the various properties that make it good for building applications. This material was derived by mixing lime and cement together with water, which produced a paste that could be applied to walls as a protective coating.

In the 1800s, cement mortars were used to create mortar for using in masonry construction. Through time, this substance has changed from one that was used for construction purposes to a completed building material.

Cement mortar is inexpensive as compared to other materials which are used in the construction industry. It is easy to apply and does not require any special tools except a trowel or a spreader.

This material can be put on site relatively quickly, which provides significant savings in both time and money spent on labor costs. This substance can also resist heavy rainfall with relative ease and can be used over almost any surface.

This material is a great choice for carrying out repairs or minor construction jobs around the home. It helps to reduce the costs of building new structures. These types of cement mortars are also ideal for wall repair as it can be used to fill gaps between bricks and stones.

Cement mortars does not present any particular health risks, as long as you take precautions when you are using them. For example, if you are mixing the cement mortar on site, make sure that it is away from other individuals who may be in the vicinity.

Cement mortars possess a number of qualities that make them ideal for home construction and repairs. This substance is easy to apply, inexpensive and can be used over almost any surface.

Uses Of Cement Mortar

Cement mortar has many other uses. These include:

1. Sealing tile joints in the shower and bathroom.
2. Cement mortar is great for sealing any cracks in your driveways and patios. It is also great for smooth outdoor surfaces such as concrete driveways, patios, cement walkways, slabs and steps.

All you need to do is mix the cement with sand or soil, add water, and then spread it evenly over your desired area using a trowel or other device with a flat edge on it. The same method applies if you want to fill gaps between wall tiles such as in the bathroom or kitchen.

3. Cement mortar can be used to patch any foundations that are cracking or damaged. With cement, you can easily fill and seal your home’s foundations without having to demolish the entire area.
4. You can use this material to repair cracks in your home’s plumbing walls and floorboards.
5. Mortar is often used to tie bricks or stones together within brick or stone masonry.
6. It’s being used to offer a comfortable and then even bed among various layers of brick or stone masonry with even pore pressure over the bed.
7. It’s being used as a structure of concrete.
8. It’s utilized to disseminate in uniform load over the lower bricks.
9. It’s utilized to cover the open joints of brickwork & stonework.
10. It additionally supplies water-protection against erosion.

Heading to the next topic which are the advantages and disadvantages of cement mortar, let’s have a look into the different types of mortar.

Keep Reading!!

Types Of Mortar

There are various types of cement mortar that have been used by builders. With this, you can use it in different places such as where you need a protective coating and you can also use it with other types of concrete components as well.

The major types of mortar found today include:

1. Cement Mortar

This is one of the most widely used types of mortar in the world, particularly in places where cement is readily available. Before using this type of mortar, you need to first add water to it and then mix it thoroughly with a trowel or a cement mixer.

You can use cement mortar for various applications such as fixing gaps in the walls or between the bricks, filling cracks that are within the walls, or laying bricks over a cracked driveway.

Cement mortars provide excellent adhesion to almost any surface that you apply them on. They do not flake, peel off or break apart when exposed to pressure.

2. Lime Mortars

This type of mortar is similar to cement mortars, but they have a higher acid content. Lime mortars are generally used for making plasters and renders. They are known to mix well with sand and cement, and they also dry hard when exposed to water.

However, lime mortars have a tendency of cracking when they come into contact with cement-based materials such as steel reinforcement bars, metal drain pipes and concrete blockwork. To protect these materials, you need to coat them first with cement mortar or paint them using a waterproof paint product.

3. Gauged Mortar

Gauged mortar is a form of mortar whereby cement as well as lime are being used seen as a binding medium and sand is being used as a fine aggregate. It is essentially a lime mortar whereby cement is applied to improve its strength.

This substance can also be used for building up the face of new brickwork on older buildings. It is also ideal for laying paving slabs over old brickwork. This type of mortar has a high compressive strength, so it can be said that its best quality is its durability.

4. Surki Mortar

Surki mortar is a form of mortar in which lime is being used as a binding medium and surki is being used as a fine aggregate.

Surki mortars are sometimes seen to be more economical than cement mortars and they are also easy to obtain. They are very similar in appearance, color and texture to regular clay lime mortar, but they have a much lower compressive strength than other types of cement mortars.

Moving on to the next topic, let’s dive into the advantages and disadvantages of cement mortar.

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Cement Mortar

Here, we will be looking into the advantages and disadvantages of cement mortar but firstly. we will discuss the advantages of cement mortar and then later it’s disadvantages.

Advantages Of Cement Mortar

Cement mortars are known to possess a number of excellent qualities:

1. One of the best qualities of cement mortars is that they are compatible with most existing building materials. You can easily use them for repairing the cracks or gaps in existing brickwork, stonework and concrete without having to demolish the entire area.
2. Cement mortars are self-levelling fillers that can be immediately grouted after application over a wide range of substrates. They produce high bond strength between substrates and fill materials and are highly effective for bedding materials under brick, block and stone masonry without any screeding requirements or formwork requirement.
   3 . Cement mortars are strong and durable, so they can enhance the safety of your home.
3. Lime provides high water retention that allows for maximum early curing of the cementitious materials.
4. High initial flow permits easy complete coverage of masonry units.
5. Effortless application
6. It can be tamped in shapes effortlessly which aids to achieve a slanting surface if required.
7. It is Time-Saving.

Disadvantages Of Cement Mortar

Although cement mortars are highly effective and durable, they also have a number of shortcomings:

1. They are not very flexible when it comes to repairing or remodeling existing brickwork. If you want to do any modifications like removing a few bricks, you will have to use new bricks rather than using the existing ones.
2. They need frequent maintenance in order to retain their protective coating. When used on exterior surfaces, they need frequent cleaning because dirt tends to stick on them easily.
3. It’s excessively ponderous & requires to be attentive when carrying.
4. It requires a plenty of strain to combine until & unless methods are employed, it must be blended to correct consistency.
5. It can’t be utilized in paramount temperatures.
6. Employing mortar requires some skill since it has a tendency to slide off the surface.
7. There are chances of shrinking.

Conclusion

Cement mortars are the most commonly used types of mortar in the world. Some people use them for interior work, and others for exterior work. They are very versatile materials, and you can easily fix things with it. It has a number of advantages as well as disadvantages, but overall it is a great building material to use.

When you’re thinking of investing in some quality masonry products, then you’ll want to find out what makes a good quality masonry product so that you can make the right choice.

Throughout this article, you have learned about the various types of cement mortars and its advantages and disadvantages. You will now be able to make an informed choice before settling on a particular type of mortar for your home improvement projects.