Brick Mortar

When brickies sand arrives before the brickwork is done, is it usually orange?
We have picked natural mortar with a grey brick and whilst I realise the sand is mixed with something else I'm still terrified the mortar will be too dirty looking.
I didn't want a white mortar but that orange sand scares the crap out of me!!!

http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc424/montelliJC/IMG_0885.jpg

Can this be turned into a really nice 'natural mortar' for our espresso brick, like a grey/cream color????

I would have thought a natural mortar would have called for a lighter sand ...

Concerned

As far as I'm aware there is natural grey mortar and natural buff mortar.

White sand is used for grey and orange sand is used for buff.

Both are classed as natural, I guess it depends on what your builder interprets 'natural' to be.

Did you specify white sand?

We have off white mortar and had really dirty looking brown sand

Our contract states rolled mortar joints with " natural sand and Grey cement ".
What color is natural sand, I didn't think that orange color was natural sand?
I'm so confused about the grey cement part ... I want grey, not buff which I think has a more yellowy brown tinge to it.
Far out this is stressful stuff!! Fully aware it could ruin the look of the house.
Will attempt contact with SS.

I think with orange sand it will turn out the yellow/brown colour you don't want!!

This is my understanding;

White/beige sand and grey cement = natural grey
White/beige sand and white cement = white
Orange sand and grey cement = yellow/brown
Orange sand and white cement = yellow

I would call your SS and see if you can get white sand delivered, even if you have to pay for it.

Good luck.

Oh I'm so disapointed, its my own fault for not checking what natural meant, I knew it would be grey concrete mixed in but I just thought natural meant a lighter sand, not orange.
Will see if they will let us pay for lighter sand tomorrow, with our SS I'm not hopeful ... this is all so painful and I'm a bit gutted, but thanks so much for your help, appreciated.
Just not enjoying the build at all

I remember reading somewhere that 'natural' sand just means sand that comes from your local area.

Definitely get your sand right.....we were delivered orange sand and wanted creamy mortar to go with the brighton lite cement. Check out my thread for pics of what we changed the sand to. In Sa it was simply called white brickies sand.

You poor thing!! I really feel for you!!

You never know your SS might let you arrange white sand if you can get it delivered asap, other than that I would even maybe go direct to the brickies and see if you can plead your case to them.

Let us know how you go.

Crisis may be over, will know Monday

Fingers crossed for Monday!

Did the builder get it changed? Did it cost you anything?

We are sorting that out with our builder but the main thing is we got it changed and the mortar looks so much better!
I never want to see orange sand ... ever again!

Great news!