You can now take this container to your local DIY sheds, builders merchants or other locations that sell sand so that you can compare it and hopefully get a close if not exact match. As you may imagine, this is quite a costly process but if you are set on getting the best, most naturally blended finish possible, it may be something you’re willing to dig a bit deeper for. Essentially you have to repeat the above process e.g. creating several different mixes but adding the required dye or tone colour in different quantities until you have a decent colour match. Please find some colour examples from the pictures below. More will be added soon. Colours may vary depending on many factors such as the brand of cement used, the colour of sand used, the ratio's of stone and sand used etc. Computer monitor settings and angle at which you view your monitor will also lighten or darken the colour shades. So please use this chart as a guide only.

You now need to drain off your sand solution. Using a container with a fairly large mouth that can again be sealed, stretch an old pair of tights over the mouth and secure it with a strong elastic band.As we have established, the colour and tone of the sand that is used in your mortar mix has pretty much the greatest bearing on the overall colour of new mortar. It’s no coincidence that both the colour of most standard mortars and cement is a grey’ish colour. This is due to the fact that the grey colour-tones of the cement go a fair way into the overall colour of the mortar. The next part is a waiting game! You will need to leave the solution for 2-3 days for the Muratic Acid to get to work on the on the cement and dissolve it (and also any lime that may also be present). Essentially, there is no science involved in matching a sand and cement mix to that of your existing wall or property, it’s really just a question of trial and error and also possibly a little research. Our selection of cement additives and cement dye can help you to achieve the best results in your latest construction projects. Additives can help assist or enhance the properties of the mortar or cement mix depending on the desired outcome or the job requirements. We offer a great range of plasticisers, accelerators, retarders, water proofers and frost proofers, colourers and much more. What concrete additives and mortar additives do we have available?

This is also the case for your test mixes, so when measuring quantities for each mix component use a set size object such as a measuring jug or cut down soft drink bottle, filling each one to the brim each time and then levelling it off. If you have gotten to this point, done a vast array of test mixes, tried every dye, tone and tint you can find and still cannot get a match there is yet still more hope! This may take a day or so but you will need to be patient as each one needs to be fully dried to get an exact colour.Ask if you can have a small sample of each so that you can run some colour matching experiments (more on this later). Its boring and time consuming, but if you do not want your repairs to stand out a mile off, it has to be done! The last job now is to dispose of your acid solution. As this is classed as hazardous waste DO NOT simply pour it down the drain! It needs to be disposed of safely and correctly. Concrete mix coloured grey due to colour of the cement used What Other Factors Affect Mortar Colour? In some cases it is possible to take a sample of the original mortar, break it down and separate out the sand. With a sample of the original sand to hand you can then use it to compare against sand from different sources until you find an exact or very close match. Step 1 – Get Samples

For this reason it is fairly essential that you identify and use the same sand that was used for the original mortar, although often this isn’t always possible as pits, mines and quarries close or run out of materials, local suppliers shut down, sand supplies are sourced from abroad etc. If you have read through the above you should now know exactly why mortar can vary in colour and how a fresh mortar mix can be a totally different colour to existing mortar, it’s now time to look at the methods that can be used to actually colour match cement and mortar. Experiment With Different Mortar Mixes and Raw Materials Our cement plasticiser range includes Bond It’s Water-Resistant Plasticiser which improves the workability of concrete and mortar in its wet state whilst also doubling as a cement waterproofer. The Sealoproof Cement Waterproofer creates a durable waterproof finish while also acting as a cement and render retarder to slow down the setting process, whilst Sealomix’s Mortar Plasticiser supplies added strength to concrete and adds frost-resistance against freezing and thawing. This is easy enough to do but does involve a little time and patience as you will need to create a range of different mixes using different ratios of cement to sand. If you know the age of your property and its pre-1900’ish then the chances are it may feature a lime-based mortar, especially if it is light in colour.

What Other Factors Affect Mortar Colour?

Now that you know exactly how to create some test mixes and compare to your existing mortar to find a colour match, it’s now just a question of getting it done, but before you make a start there are a few further points to be aware of: Aside from the techniques we have run through above for extracting sand from the original mortar, which is very effective by the way, you can also undertake some local research.

The key to this whole process is consistency with the mix ratio. If you have a lot of pointing or repair work to do then to maintain a consistent colour match from your first mix to your last, everyone has to be the same.Don’t be tempted to use anything too heavy or blunt for this. If you get too carried away you will grind the actual sand particles down too much and have nothing to compare other than a pile of dust. Step 3 – Mix Muriatic Acid Solution On having a close look at the sand, pay attention to the size of the particles. If they are fairly small and of a uniform size, then it most cases this will be a standard building sand. However if small visible stone chips of varying sizes are evident this may indicate the possible use of sharp sand. Step 8 – Dispose of Acid Solution While waiting for your test mixes to dry you can still do some preliminary tests by giving a section of your existing mortar a good soaking with some water. This should then reflect the damp drying state of your test mixes So as you can see, not only does the colour and type of the sand that used in a mortar mix affect its colour but so does the cement and the presence of lime if it has been used. How do I Know What Colour Sand was Used in the Original Mortar? Similar to the way in which lime can significantly lighten the colour of mortar, as you may imagine, using white cement has the same effect.