Best Mortar for Outdoor Stone Fire Pits

Key Points

For outdoor stone fire pits, a durable mortar is essential.
If you’re working on a warm, dry day, cover the mortar with plastic to slow evaporation, preventing shrinkage and cracking as it sets.
Properly mixing the mortar is key to a long-lasting fire pit. QUIKRETE offers detailed online tutorials to help you get the right consistency for strong, lasting results.
Cracks in the mortar can be due to fast drying or improper mixing, so take precautions to ensure a stable, well-mixed foundation for your fire pit.

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Key Points
Transcript

Transcript

LESLIE: Alright. Now we’ve got Michelle in Iowa on the line, who’s looking for the best mortar for outdoor stone fire pits. How can we help with that project?

MICHELLE: Well, we started making a backyard fire pit with fieldstone. And our mortar that we seem to be using, it just seems like it’s awfully dry and it’s like, it’s cracking. So, didn’t know if you had a different brand that you thought would work or any suggestions.

TOM: Well, one tip is that if it’s a really warm, dry day when you’re working, you might want to consider putting some plastic over the areas that you’re working on, to slow the evaporation rate. Because if it dries really quickly, sometimes it can shrink and crack.

MICHELLE: And no certain brand of mortar you think would work best as what the stores recommend for outside fireplaces?

TOM: Well, I mean QUIKRETE works extremely well, so you could look to the QUIKRETE brand for mortar for outdoor stone fire pits. And one of the advantages of QUIKRETE is they’ve also got lots and lots and lots of videos online that give you the step-by-step on how to properly mix the product, for example, in this case.

MICHELLE: OK. Thank you.

TOM: Good luck with that project. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.