Brick Repair/Mortar Color Matching

 

Call AMR Labs for pricing/details
817-366-8376

AMR Mortar Testing Labs provides mortar matching services for brick mortar repair.

The most important part in any brick repair is the mortar used. The replacement mortar needs to match the original mortar in mortar type and crushing pressures. We also match the color and the sand to provide a complete mortar match.

Brick Repair Products

Repairing Brick Mortar

Brick mortar repair is a detailed process of fixing cracks in brick walls. This often requires replacing broken bricks and cracked mortar. Because the appearance of brick repair is all about the details, it is important to get suitable matching materials for the repair. Finding a matching brick for the repairs is a matter of availability and time to look for it, but matching mortar color is a far more detailed and difficult process than most brick repair companies understand.

Mortar Color Matching
Mortar color matching is only part of matching mortar or the color of it. While you may know the mortar type used in the old mortar, there are various details about the mortar that you may not know. Among these are the color, particle gradation, and shape of the masonry sand, and the sand to mix ratio used. This information is important to matching mortar and more especially matching mortar color.
About 60% of the mortar is composed of sand. If a brick repair mortar has a different percentage in the ratio of mix to sand, it will change the color, texture, and strength of the repair mortar. A change in sand color changes the mortar color, and a change in particle size or shape changes the texture and strength of the repair mortar. This is why it is so important in masonry repair to properly match the brick repair mortar to the existing mortar including matching mortar color. To get proper mortar color matching, you need an analysis of samples of the existing mortar for matching.

AMR Labs is a mortar testing lab dedicated to the analysis of mortar for matching new mortar to the existing mortar of masonry through a variety of mortar analysis and testing methods. Our tests are all for the analysis and matching of hardened mortars, and follow the ASTM testing standards for testing old or historic mortar. Our full mortar analysis provides the most detailed report about the sample mortars, and provides the most reliable results for determining the mortar composition and formula of any mortar testing procedure available. We get the most reliable results by collecting more data about the mortar being tested. This is done through the combination of multiple testing methods. Some of the tests of mortar include testing compressive strength of mortar, chemical analysis or acid digestion test of mortar, microscopic examination or magnification of mortar samples, and analysis of the sand. Then we use some scientific mortar analysis in the use and interpretation of testing results to narrow the range of results. This portion uses things like the weight loss during analysis with the specific gravity of the identified binder materials of the mortar and allows us to provide more reliable interpretations and recommendations for matching old mortar. You may also be interested in our custom mortar color matching services and bags of pre-matched mortar.

Mortar Matching is a detailed process of mortar analysis whereby you get a complete match of the mortar from its composition and formula of binders and sand to the proportions of types and colors of sand, pigments, and other factors that effect the color of mortar.
Mortar Composition is acquired through Mortar Analysis and determines the mortar formula, part of the base tones of the mortar color, performance of the mortar, and the color and graded particles of the sand. It also identifies contaminates in the mortar. These are often called fines.
From this point in the analysis and testing of the mortar, we have a good starting point and references to guide us in matching the color. This is done by adjusting base tones then pigments and testing the color until a suitable mortar color match is made and confirmed to match the samples provided. This formula completely matches the old mortar type, composition, and color and from this formula we can produce bags of custom mortar or you can mix the proportions on location.
Some of the services we offer are: 

Mortar Testing - Mortar Analysis - Mortar Matching and Mortar Composition Testing -

 

 

Colorado Get Mortar Testing - Mortar Analysis - Mortar Matching and Mortar Composition Testing - in your area: 

• Boulder