Question about mortar color (drying time)

[Uncle Matt]

A question about brick mortar drying time (to reach final color)...

My house is 15 years old, was mostly brick (Arlington Antique), except
for the gables on the left and right ends of the house. I removed the
siding from the gables, moved the second floor stud walls back about
4-1/2", added a brick pocket under the eaves, and finished out the
gables with brick. A lot of work, but I've wanted to do it for years.
Anyway, I was a little anxious to get started, and now I am affraid I
did not do enough research on matching the mortar color. The bricks
match really well, but the new mortar is noticeably darker. It was
started in early November (2004) and finished late November (weekends
only), and so now it has been about 4-6 weeks. I live in Birmingham,
Alabama, and we've had lots of rain, and fairly high humidity until the
last couple of weeks brought in some really cold (for us) weather. The
drying of the bricks seemed really slow, until, in just 2 days in the
really cold overnight temps (17-25 deg F), I saw the bricks finally dry
out a lot. I am hoping the mortar will come along too.

So... how long would you say it will take until the mortar has reached
it's final COLOR, baring fading? Also, might it fade a lot in the
first year or two, and then kinda stabilize?

In the winter, the sun does not hit the gable ends of my house very
much, but it does get more sun in the summer?

Should I at least wait one full year to let the sun have a go at it?
And, what could be done to help lighten the new mortar if it does not
get where I want it to be.

By the way, the mortar color used was a 50/50 mix of "Magnolia Dark"
and "Coosa Gray". In tetsing, this mix seemed to give me the right
color, but it hasn't gotten there yet.

Also, my brickwork has really deep grooves in the mortar joint, about
1/2"-5/8".

[Sinpac]

Matt,
it takes 30 days for mortar to cure, but you should see the set color in a
few days. have you acid washed the brick yet? this will lighten the mortar a
little cause the sand will be exposed once it's washed
--
Chris Voorhis
F&AM #193
Morristown, Indiana
Union Bricklayer
Local #4
Indianapolis, IN.

Post by Uncle Matt
A question about brick mortar drying time (to reach final color)...
My house is 15 years old, was mostly brick (Arlington Antique), except
for the gables on the left and right ends of the house. I removed the
siding from the gables, moved the second floor stud walls back about
4-1/2", added a brick pocket under the eaves, and finished out the
gables with brick. A lot of work, but I've wanted to do it for years.
Anyway, I was a little anxious to get started, and now I am affraid I
did not do enough research on matching the mortar color. The bricks
match really well, but the new mortar is noticeably darker. It was
started in early November (2004) and finished late November (weekends
only), and so now it has been about 4-6 weeks. I live in Birmingham,
Alabama, and we've had lots of rain, and fairly high humidity until the
last couple of weeks brought in some really cold (for us) weather. The
drying of the bricks seemed really slow, until, in just 2 days in the
really cold overnight temps (17-25 deg F), I saw the bricks finally dry
out a lot. I am hoping the mortar will come along too.
So... how long would you say it will take until the mortar has reached
it's final COLOR, baring fading? Also, might it fade a lot in the
first year or two, and then kinda stabilize?
In the winter, the sun does not hit the gable ends of my house very
much, but it does get more sun in the summer?
Should I at least wait one full year to let the sun have a go at it?
And, what could be done to help lighten the new mortar if it does not
get where I want it to be.
By the way, the mortar color used was a 50/50 mix of "Magnolia Dark"
and "Coosa Gray". In tetsing, this mix seemed to give me the right
color, but it hasn't gotten there yet.
Also, my brickwork has really deep grooves in the mortar joint, about
1/2"-5/8".