Mortar Matching Services

AMR Labs
817-366-8376
MortarLab@gmail.com 

You can send samples of hardened mortar for testing to us at the following address.

AMR Labs
1525 Corona Dr.
Granbury, TX 76048

We are making brick mortar cracks disappear. - AMR

AMR Labs is dedicated to matching mortar.
This is why we offer various forms of matching mortar including mortar analysis, mortar testing, sand analysis, mortar composition testing, and custom mortar color matching.

Click here to order/get prices and procedure for mortar matching.

Mortar Matching Services/AMR Labs

AMR Mortar Matching Services
AMR Labs provides mortar matching services to help you better match mortar for fixing brick mortar cracks and deterioration. When repointing or tuckpointing is needed to repair mortar, it is important to get a repair mortar that is designed for matching the existing mortar to ensure a better bond, match color, match composition formula and ratio, and compressive strength or crushing pressure of mortar. These will all affect the quality of the repair, durability of the repairs, the appearance of the restoration, and can prevent re-cracking, spalling, popping, or additional damage to the bricks.

Mortar Matching

Mortar Matching
If you already know the mortar type and crushing pressure, and only need to match the color, you can get mortar matching to custom match mortar color. Our mortar matching process uses a base mortar formula for the specified mortar type or crushing pressure, and is adjusted in the tones of grey or white and then with pigments as needed to get a custom mortar match for the old mortar.
This analysis will provide you a recipe for matching the existing mortar sample that includes the base formula for mortar type with adjustments for a matching mortar formula that you can measure and follow, or use for ordering custom mortar mix. This test is often added to our mortar composition testing or mortar analysis to match the mortar color after determining the composition or compressive strength and mortar type.

Mortar Color Matching Service

Matching Existing Brick Mortar

Matching Existing Mortar Color
As mortars age, they change in color from their original mortar color at the time of installation. This is the result of sunlight fading the mortar, dirt, pollen, and smoke or exhaust absorbing into and staining the mortar, and mold and mildew growing in the pores of the mortar and causing yellowing or darkening of the mortar.
As these change the mortar color over time, it is important to match these changes in an adaptive manner when you need to make repairs. This means that each time over the years that you make repairs, you may need to adjust the mortar to match, and when matching brick mortar, it needs to be matched in a manner that will continue to adjust with the normal aging of the wall. It is for this reason, mold and mildew should be allowed to re-grow naturally, and the repair mortar may look a bit cleaner for a while. It generally don't take long to re-grow and blend away.
Matching mortar color
Matching mortar color is done through adjusting the tones of the known mortar formula. By adding more or less of the grey or white tones of the binder materials to match the grey tone, and adjusting pigments or stains to match the color tones from pigments or staining.
If your mortar type and formula are unknown, you will need to get mortar composition matching or at least a crushing analysis to determine the general mortar type. A sand analysis may also be needed if you are unsure of the sand to use for your mortar mix. Sand composes most of the mortar, and will affect the color and texture of the mortar mix. Matching the sand is vital to getting a good color match. If you need all of this, it is recommended to get a mortar composition analysis and add a color match for matching mortar color.

Mortar Composition Matching Test

Matching Mortar Composition

Matching mortar composition is done through a series of tests to determine the formula of the original mortar, and match the materials used in the same ratio. By matching the mortar composition, matching mortar color is much easier and will get better results.

Mortar Composition Testing/Analysis

Mortar composition testing includes a crushing test of the mortar, acid digestion analysis, and a general sand analysis. The crushing test is needed to identify how the existing mortar performs and how the replacement mortar will need to perform in order to bond and not cause damage. Acid digestion identifies Portland and lime and the ratio of binders with sand, and provides a base formula for matching mortar. The general sand analysis that is included in mortar composition testing provides a general description of the sand color and gradation and a sample of sand from the mortar tested for matching, and provides more information about the sand and how it will affect the color when matching mortar. We do offer a more detailed analysis of the sand that includes sieve testing and can help to better match the texture and bond ability of the mortar.

Matching Sand Color/Gradation

The sand analysis provides detailed information about the original sand used. This includes a gradation analysis of the sand particle sizes, color description of particles, and identifies the shapes of sand particles used. Through this analysis, we are able to provide recommendations of quarried sand or river sand particle distributions.
Add this test to the composition analysis testing to get a more detailed composition formula with more information about the original sand used in the mortar mix and the ratios of graded particle sizes.

Historic Mortar Matching

In matching historic mortar, you will certainly want to match the mortar composition through mortar analysis in order to identify the binder materials and mortar type. To meet the historic preservation guidelines, the existing mortar must match the original composition formula and ratio. This includes matching the sand used, and will likely require a sieve analysis of the sand.

Custom Matching Brick Mortar

Through testing and matching brick mortar, we determine the mortar composition formula and color matching and are able to make custom brick repair mortar to the formula provided, or you can follow the formula and produce the matching mortar on location.