Real mortar vs. the stuff in the tube

[addy1]

Np-1 is a really good tube adhesive. I believe it's a polyurethane adhesive and is rated for below grade. Really good stuff!

Haven't seen np-1 but will look for it at my fav store .........5200 is rated to fix boats and for under water use again at my fav store.....

 

[DrCase]

I like the mortar thick enough to stay were i put it
This is my hunting apt bar i built this spring
I cleaned the rocks with acid and then brushed on a few coats of polyurethane to bring out the color

 

[addy1]

Very nice dcase.

 

[malatu]

Very nice stonework!

 

[Telkwa]

Is that real rock, Doc?

I googled around and it seemed that most masons said you can "lick and stick" cultured stone directly to a vertical surface, but real rock had to be done using traditional masonry techniques. In other words, you can't defy gravity with mortar.

It appears the rocks you used were fairly thin? What sort of mix did you use to "glue" them to the surface? Just plain old mortar, or did you toss in some thinset, portland cement, or some other additive?

I tried a mix, roughly 50/50, of portland cement and Type S Quikcrete mortar just the other day. First time I'd tried mixing products. Got a nice, workable paste that stuck readily and was easier to handle than plain mortar. It's drying to a darker color than the Type S mortar alone.