Masonry History Integrity - National Center for Preservation ...

Chapter 2: Got Mortar?
2. Scooping and Spreading Mortar
Materials:
trowel
lime mortar
mortar tub and stand
bench or board 2 to 3 feet long, 1 foot wide, and
approximately 2 feet off the ground
Procedures:
A mason gets mortar onto the wall by scooping it from
the mortar pan then spreading it along the top of the
brick or block.
How to scoop mortar:
Holding your trowel in your strong hand, stand over
the mortar tub and take a swipe at the mortar.
Angle the trowel and aim deep to get a full trowel.
Scoop up the mortar.
Snap it. You do this by flicking your wrist. This is
important. This “wakes up” the mortar and keeps it
on your trowel. You have to snap every trowel full of mortar you pick up.
How to spread mortar:
Holding the trowel with mortar, stand about one foot away from the practice bench.
Stretch your arm out and put the trowel and mortar about 6 inches above the bench.
Aim the near edge of the trowel at the center of the board.
Slowly twist your hand toward you so the mortar starts to slide off the trowel, and pull your
elbow in towards your hip.
Direct the mortar along the bench and let it slide off in a narrow strip.
Keep twisting your trowel until the mortar is all off and you’ve got a line that looks like a
mountain range stretching along the board.
Try to get as much mortar as possible onto the board, and not on the floor.
Now, twist your trowel in your hand so the bottom of the blade faces the sky.
Use the trowel tip to tap the mortar at about every 6 inches. Start at the front of the mortar line
and work the trowel to the bottom. This is called “furrowing” or “frogging” the mortar. It
spreads it out for an even setting bed and lets you make sure there are no rocks or lumps in the
mortar.
Continue these motions until they become smooth and easy. Practice will build arm and hand
muscles while increasing accuracy and speed.
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