# Forum Home Renovation Brickwork  White coloured mortar

## zacnelson

I've always loved the look of bright white mortar, especially when it's next to nice red bricks.  When I've done bricklaying in the past, I have just used the normal ingredients and get that typical light grey colour. 
I would like to start using white mortar; what do I use to achieve this?  Is it a different type of cement, or is it a different type of sand?  I know oxides would also change the colour, however I'd much prefer to achieve white mortar without using oxides. 
Many thanks, 
Zac

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## Chumley

It's a different cement. 
Cheers,
Adam

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## Planned LScape

white brick sand, white cement, and lime all make a white mortar 
Same 6:1:1 sand/cement/lime standard mortar mix

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## Terrian

> white brick sand, white cement, and lime all make a white mortar 
> Same 6:1:1 sand/cement/lime standard mortar mix

  that would be using Brighton Lite, which is actually an off white cement, you can get pure white, but it is about 3 times the price of the off white...  having said that, off white cement with white brick sand is what is normally used  :Smilie:

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## zacnelson

Thanks for the advice guys, I should be right now.

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## autogenous

Most bricklaying mortars are 6 sand, 1 cement, 1 lime 
White washed sand, White cement, lime will give you a very stark white mortar 
White washed sand is very hungry too. 
Off white cement will be either a Ice Blue or Ice Green clinker. Mixed with white washed sand you will get either a green or blue tint mortar. 
If I was to do my own house, I would use 3 white washed sand, 3 yellow plasterers sand, 1 white cement, 1 lime all guaged with a bucket. 
White white is a bit stark in my eyes. The plasterers sand tones it down a little. 
Both white washed sand & Plasterers sand are harsh aggregates with little loam. The loam tints the mortar yellow a little especially when it gets wet.
You may have to put a "small" (under dose with some aeration agent) "clear calair" amount to increase the workability with the harsh aggregates. 
Some blended cements have higher fly ash content which produces a silver finish. Hydrochloric acid doesn't react with fly ash to well either so harder to clean. 
Ideally a white sand of 60 microns is good but that is an expensive exercise. 
Do a sample panel to see what "you" like.

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## Terrian

> Most bricklaying mortars are 6 sand, 1 cement, 1 lime
> White washed sand, White cement, lime will give you a very stark white mortar

  White washed sand for kids sand pits... white brick sand for mortar  :Redface: )  (at least in this neck of the woods... ok, triple washed for kids sand pits if ya going to be picky  :Smilie:

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