The BrickWood Super Duty Mortar Guide
Super Duty Refractory Mortar, Dry Heat-Set: For Kilns, Furnaces and Industrial Fire Brick
What a heat-setting super duty mortar is, who it's for, how much to order and how to mix it. Please read the section on who this mortar is not for before you order.
BrickWood Super Duty Mortar, Dry Heat-Set is a dry-mix, heat-setting, super duty refractory mortar rated to 2,900°F. You add water and lay or dip your brick, and the mortar develops its full ceramic bond when the lining is fired to high temperature. It's made for professional and industrial work: kilns, furnaces, forges, incinerators and other high-temperature equipment lined with high-alumina or super duty fire brick.
Super Duty Dry Mortar: Quick Answers
- What it is: a dry, heat-setting, super duty refractory mortar.
- Rating: 2,900°F maximum service temperature.
- Who it's for: professional and industrial customers. Not for outdoor or DIY pizza ovens.
- Mixing: about 20 to 25% water by weight, roughly 5.25 to 6.5 quarts per 55 lb bag.
- Coverage: 300 to 400 lb per 1,000 bricks troweled, or 250 to 300 lb dipped.
- Order: 55 lb bags, minimum order of 2.
- Shipping: FREE to the contiguous United States. Non-refundable once shipped.
Inside this guide
Who This Mortar Is For (and Who It Isn't)
A heat-setting mortar doesn't fully harden on its own. It reaches its strength when the lining is fired to the high temperatures found in kilns, furnaces and industrial equipment. That makes it the right choice for professionals laying super duty fire brick in equipment that runs hot and steady.
Not for outdoor or DIY pizza ovens
- A wood-fired pizza oven never gets hot enough throughout its walls to fully set a heat-setting mortar.
- Until it's fired, this mortar has little strength and won't stand up to rain or snow.
- Building a pizza oven, fire pit or outdoor fireplace? Use our outdoor-safe Refractory Mortar instead.
Super Duty Dry Heat-Set Mortar Specifications
| Type | Dry mix, heat-setting, super duty refractory mortar |
| Maximum service temperature | 2,900°F (2,910°F recommended maximum) |
| Pyrometric cone equivalent (PCE) | 33 |
| Pier test at 2,910°F (ASTM C-199) | No flow from joints, no cracks or shrinkage |
| Water to mix | About 20 to 25% by weight. Use less water if using right away, more if mixing for later use. |
| Coverage, troweled joint | 300 to 400 lb per 1,000 standard 9 inch brick equivalents |
| Coverage, dipped joint | 250 to 300 lb per 1,000 standard 9 inch brick equivalents |
| Chemistry | Silica 48.39%, alumina 47.21%, titanium dioxide 1.28%, iron oxide 0.55%, other oxides 2.43% |
| Size | 55 lb bag |
Values are typical results from standard ASTM testing and can vary slightly from batch to batch.
How Much Super Duty Mortar Do I Need?
Count your bricks (in standard 9 x 4.5 x 2.5 inch equivalents) and use the table below. The minimum order is 2 bags.
| Bags | Troweled joints, lays about | Dipped joints, lays about |
|---|---|---|
| 1 bag (55 lb) | 140 to 180 bricks | 180 to 220 bricks |
| 2 bags (110 lb) | 275 to 365 bricks | 365 to 440 bricks |
| 4 bags (220 lb) | 550 to 730 bricks | 730 to 880 bricks |
How to Mix and Lay Super Duty Dry Mortar
- Gear up. Put on a NIOSH-approved dust mask, gloves and safety glasses before you open the bag.
- Add the water. Use about 20 to 25% water by weight. Use the lower amount if you'll use it right away, and the higher amount if you're mixing for later use.
- Mix to a smooth consistency. Some retempering with a little water may be needed as you work.
- Trowel or dip. Lay brick with thin troweled joints, or dip brick for the thinnest joints and best coverage.
- Fire the lining. Follow your equipment's heat-up schedule so the mortar develops its full bond.
Safety and Handling
Like all refractory products, this mortar contains crystalline silica. Breathing the dust over time can damage your lungs.
- Wear a NIOSH-approved dust mask or respirator while mixing the dry powder.
- Wear gloves, long sleeves and safety glasses. Wet mortar can irritate skin and eyes.
- Mix in a well-ventilated area, and don't eat, drink or smoke while you work.
- If mortar gets in your eyes, rinse with water. Wash skin with soap and water.
- Store unopened bags in a dry place.
WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals including crystalline silica, which is known to the State of California to cause cancer. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.
Super duty mortar mistakes to avoid
- Using it in a pizza oven. It needs kiln-level heat to set. Use Refractory Mortar instead.
- Using it outdoors before firing. Unfired heat-set mortar won't hold up to the weather.
- Thick joints. Thin troweled or dipped joints are stronger.
- Skipping the mask. Wear one every time you mix dry powder.
Which Refractory Mortar Do I Need?
We sell four refractory mortars. Only one is made for outdoor and DIY pizza ovens. The other three are for professional and industrial work. Since refractory products are non-refundable once shipped, please check this table before you order.
| Mortar | Comes as | How it sets | Rated to | Water soluble? | Outdoor / DIY ovens? | Made for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Refractory Mortar | Dry mix, add water. 50 lb bag or 4-pack of 10 lb pails | Hydraulic (chemical set) | 2,700°F | No, once set | Yes | Outdoor pizza ovens, fire pits, outdoor fireplaces and chimneys |
| Super Duty Mortar, Dry Heat-Set | Dry mix, add water. 55 lb bag | Heat-set (needs kiln-level heat) | 2,900°F | Until fired | No, industrial | Kilns, furnaces, forges and industrial equipment |
| Super Duty Mortar, Premixed | Ready to use. 50 lb pail or 4-pack of 15 lb pails | Air-set | 3,000°F | Until fired | No, industrial | Kilns, furnaces, boilers and indoor high-heat equipment |
| High Heat Mortar, Premixed (Medium Duty) | Ready to use. 50 lb pail or 4-pack of 15 lb pails | Air-set | 2,700°F | Yes | No, indoor only | Indoor fireplaces, fireboxes and wood stoves |
Building a pizza oven, fire pit or anything that will see rain or snow? Choose Refractory Mortar. It's the only one of the four that stays put outdoors.
Super Duty Dry Mortar: Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use this mortar for my pizza oven?
No. It's a heat-setting mortar that needs kiln-level heat to fully set, and a pizza oven never gets hot enough throughout its walls. For pizza ovens, fire pits and outdoor fireplaces, use our outdoor-safe Refractory Mortar.
How hot can it get?
It's rated to 2,900°F and passes the ASTM pier test at 2,910°F with no flow from the joints and no cracks or shrinkage.
What does heat-setting mean?
The mortar develops its full ceramic bond when the lining is fired to high temperature, rather than by drying in air or setting chemically with water.
How much water do I add?
About 20 to 25% by weight, roughly 5.25 to 6.5 quarts per 55 lb bag. Use less if you're using it right away and more if you're mixing for later use.
How many bricks does one bag lay?
About 140 to 180 standard bricks with troweled joints, or 180 to 220 with dipped joints.
Is there a minimum order?
Yes, the minimum order is 2 bags.
Can I return it?
Refractory materials are non-refundable once your order has shipped. If you're not sure which mortar you need, contact us before you order.
How fast does it ship?
It ships within 1 to 2 days, with FREE shipping to the contiguous United States.
Please Order Carefully: Refractory Materials Are Non-Refundable Once Shipped
Refractory materials are heavy, costly to ship and can't be resold once they leave our warehouse. For that reason, refractory products can't be cancelled, returned or refunded once your order has shipped.
We're happy to help you get it right the first time. If you're not sure which product or how much you need, contact us before you order and we'll walk you through it.
Shipping
FREE shipping on every refractory product to all locations in the contiguous United States (the lower 48 states). Orders ship by ground carrier or commercial freight, depending on size, and freight carriers will call to schedule delivery. Please leave a phone number we can reach you at in the order notes.
Shop Refractory Materials
Every refractory product ships FREE to the contiguous United States.
Super duty mortar for professional refractory work
55 lb bags at the top of the page. Minimum order of 2, and shipping is FREE.
Not sure this is the right mortar for your project? Contact us before you order and we'll help you choose.
Specifications are typical values from standard ASTM testing and can vary slightly from batch to batch.
