The color of your mortar has a dramatic impact on the overall appearance of your masonry. It can create contrast or bring out accent colors in your bricks, or your mortar can help your bricks look like a seamless wall of materials. Let’s compare natural mortar vs. colored mortar to help you decide what’s right for your home.
What Is the Most Common Mortar Color?
Gray is the most common mortar color. It is the natural color for the dry materials in mortar, making it more economical to produce than colored mortar. Colored mortar requires additional dyes to adjust the hue.
With this in mind, there are many variations to gray mortar. Some are lighter than others, depending on the raw materials and where they are manufactured.
We’ve seen a big uptick in white and light-colored bricks over the last few years, and many homeowners prefer lighter mortar to accommodate that. If you want the look of a solid white wall, you’d likely want white mortar to go with your white bricks. If you’re using traditional red or brown bricks, gray mortar could be a great complement.
How Mortar Color Affects the Look of Your Bricks
The color of your mortar can help your bricks stand out from one another or blend in. If you choose a high-contrast color or darkness, you’ll be able to see each brick more distinctly. If you choose a mortar color that looks like the primary color for the bricks, you’ll create the illusion that the bricks all blend in with one another.
The color of your mortar also brings out different colors in your bricks. If you want to draw attention to one of the accent colors in the bricks, you could choose a mortar color that matches. Test our different mortar samples next to your bricks to find the design you like best.
Don’t Forget about Mortar Texture
Mortar texture can also play a role in how your bricks look. This is something we strongly consider for brick restoration projects because we want the new mortar to match the texture of the existing mortar. Some mortar formulas are smoother than others, which may impact the end result. Talk to your bricklayers about what mortar texture is right for your project.
Choose the Best Mortar Color for Your Goals
At the end of the day, it all comes down to what you want your bricks to look like. Natural mortar and colored mortar both have the potential to secure your bricks and create beautiful masonry. Our experts are here to help you navigate these decisions and get the exact look you’re going for. Contact Mortar City Masonry at (586) 533-1305 to schedule a brick installation consultation and learn more about mortar color selection.
