Browse Forums Building A New House 1 Nov 02, 2014 4:34 pm Hi Folks,
Thanks in advance for your opinions. We are building with Burbank and have a specific issue that is driving me dizzy at the moment. We paid for Off White Mortar (understand it is off white, not "white") and the contract says Off White but it just does not look like. I compared with other off white walls in our surrounding area - they are all better than ours. Here are a couple of photos. We have been waiting for mortar to cure - and it has been 3 months now. Is it something to do with the sand and the wrong mix of sand and mortar? It concerns me everyday now. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Thanks for your help. ---------------------Update with comparison picture---------------------- In same lighting condition, I took a photo of some proper off white mortar from a house in local area. The house is not new, 10+ years old. The difference is so clear when they are put side by side. The left is the other house's wall, the middle is my wall and the right is a side by side comparison of the brick joints. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Re: Issue with Off White Mortar - Building with Burbank 2Nov 02, 2014 4:51 pm I'd be happy with that. We've chosen cream bricks with off white mortar and I hope it looks that good! What don't you like about it? Re: Issue with Off White Mortar - Building with Burbank 3Nov 02, 2014 6:18 pm Thanks for ur reply Tomcat. My concern is that the mortar looks too grey to be called off white. Especially because the bricks are cream, off white joints would be able to make the wall to have better/desired looking. Right now with the greyish joints - I look at the house/wall from just 5m away, I see an grey/orange washed cream panel. I look at the house from the street, the dull colour really concerns me. I have compared the off white mortar joints on other houses with ours, All those others clearly fall into the category of off white, while ours are more grey. And I compared the colour of mortar only, removed the variable of brick colours. Re: Issue with Off White Mortar - Building with Burbank 4Nov 02, 2014 6:45 pm Hmm quantumps I can see where your concerns would be coming from, as I can see what you see - from afar it does give a more grey look than the off white you're after. I'm pedantic. But, the close up look, actually does show off-White, without a doubt. Maybe more pics in different angles? I know that light bricks which is what you have, will lessen then effect of off white mortar, so perhaps that's what's happening? Your mortar looks just like mine, taking the bricks out of the picture. We asked for off white mortar, in our tender it says "bright white" which they said equates to off white. We do have dark bricks so the contrast is strong. Maybe others can give u a more professional opinion but that's my 2 cents --- Re: Issue with Off White Mortar - Building with Burbank 5Nov 02, 2014 7:28 pm I also think that it looks off white, but like MHL said I suspect it's the effect of the brick colour that's making it appear greyish. Just have a look on site you should see the remnants of white sand. They will then mix this with grey cement. Re: Issue with Off White Mortar - Building with Burbank 6Nov 02, 2014 7:45 pm One thing I've come to accept are the numerous variations that can occur with raw building materials. You just can't get a consistent guaranteed result like you can with a paint colour based on a technical formula. Sand (as in mortar) and clay (as in bricks) will vary as they are natural occurring products. You can't press a button or formulate it. If you chose these things, it can be perceived as a risk if you expect a particular result. Anyway Quantups, I genuinely think your bricks and mortar look good Re: Issue with Off White Mortar - Building with Burbank 7Nov 02, 2014 8:07 pm Well, thanks a lot for the replies. I will make side by side comparison with another house's wall photo - just on the mortar, and post the comparison photo. Another reason made me feel the mortar is strange is, if I just rub my bare finger on the brick joint, some mortar sand just falls off as if my finger is a file - makes me wonder if sand is too much in the mortar mix - resulting in colour question as well as mortar strength question.... Re: Issue with Off White Mortar - Building with Burbank 9Nov 03, 2014 5:39 am I did find when I changed brickies here, that one used a very white sand and a light cement, and the newer brickie used a very white cement and a light coloured sand. In the end you can't tell the difference between the two of them. Owner Building at Jimboomba Woods in Logan City Qld. Blog : http://bandlnewhomebuild.blogspot.com H1 thread : viewtopic.php?f=38&t=68283 . Re: Issue with Off White Mortar - Building with Burbank 10Nov 03, 2014 5:49 pm I updated the opening post with some comparison picture where I put my joint mortar and another house's side by side. Mortar for our walls seemed to be made from white cement with normal colour looking sand. I have a picture of the sand used at the time. I think light colour white sand should be used. Otherwise how do you justify the high charge on off white mortar? the price difference between white cement and common cement is minimal. Thanks. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Re: Issue with Off White Mortar - Building with Burbank 11Nov 03, 2014 7:08 pm Quantumps I updated the opening post with some comparison picture where I put my joint mortar and another house's side by side. Mortar for our walls seemed to be made from white cement with normal colour looking sand. I have a picture of the sand used at the time. I think light colour white sand should be used. Otherwise how do you justify the high charge on off white mortar? the price difference between white cement and common cement is minimal. Thanks. You have what is called off white, if you use white sand with white cement you get white mortar, if you choose this you pay more again as the White sand is considerably dearer then standard loam. Re: Issue with Off White Mortar - Building with Burbank 12Nov 03, 2014 8:13 pm There is quite a difference in your pictures and it definitely looks like white mortar. In any case our builder specified off white as white sand and normal cement. I'm not particularly perturbed by it as normal will look good anyway. Re: Issue with Off White Mortar - Building with Burbank 13Nov 04, 2014 9:39 pm Maybe go to your brick suppliers show room and see if the bricks are shown with off white mortar and see if yours looks the same. Also ask for addresses where the bricks are used and drive around and see what mortar they have. Better to compare against your brick rather than a darker one as the darker will look different. But yes in that case they certainly have a white white mortar. Re: Issue with Off White Mortar - Building with Burbank 14Nov 05, 2014 9:32 am Here's a couple of photos of the same bricks with off white mortar and plain mortar, and don't forget there are various versions of off white mortar. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ This is my new home with off white mortar Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ This is another house, and I just checked the timestamp, and it is 2 hours later in the day with the sun further down in the sky. The bricks even look different with the darker mortar, but I was told by the brickie that did that house it was the same Boral Sandstone Gold bricks as on my house. Owner Building at Jimboomba Woods in Logan City Qld. 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