Frequently Asked Questions

Most orders are processed within 1–3 business days after payment clears, subject to product availability and order verification. Ground shipments typically take 3–5 business days in transit after that. Business days don’t include weekends or U.S. federal holidays, and all times are estimates, not guarantees. Full details are in our Shipping Policy. If this summary differs from our Shipping Policy, the policy controls.

Shipping is calculated at checkout from your address, the package weight and size, and the method you choose. Faster UPS services such as Second Day Air and Next Day Air appear at checkout when they’re available for your items. Faster shipping can shorten the time in transit; processing time stays the same.

When your order ships, you’ll typically receive a shipping confirmation email with tracking information when the carrier provides it. Small packages such as sample jars may ship by USPS and arrive in your mailbox. If tracking stops moving, or shows delivered and you can’t find it, email info@promasonsupply.com with your order number and we’ll help you work with the carrier.

Please inspect your order as soon as it arrives. If anything is damaged, email info@promasonsupply.com no later than 3 business days after delivery with your order number and photos of the product, labels and packaging. Keep the packaging until we reply, and file a claim with the carrier if the carrier requires one. We’ll reasonably assist with the carrier claim. Whether a replacement or refund is available is governed by Section 5 of our Refund Policy. If this summary differs from our Refund Policy, the policy controls.

Take a second look inside any 5-gallon bulk box, because small tools are often packed inside. On colored mortar, the color pack comes as a separate bag, often taped to the container. If something is still missing, email info@promasonsupply.com with your order number within 3 business days of delivery and we’ll look into it promptly.

All sales are final, whether a product is opened or unopened. The only exceptions are the remedies in our Refund Policy for a wrong item, a packing or shipping error on our part, or a manufacturing defect, and the limited options it describes for shipments lost or damaged in transit. If this summary differs from our Refund Policy, the policy controls.

Because our mortars, plasters, stains and cleaners are specialty masonry materials, unopened products aren’t eligible for return or exchange for a change of mind or product selection. That’s why we offer 1-quart sizes and 4 oz sample jars, so you can test before you buy the full amount.

Our Refund Policy doesn’t include exchanges or refunds for ordering the wrong size, color, formula or quantity. The easiest way to get it right the first time is to email us photos before you order so we can recommend a color, and then test with a 1-quart size.

Email info@promasonsupply.com within 3 business days of delivery with your order number, a short description, and photos of the product, labels and packaging. Please don’t discard the item or packaging until we reply. At our option, we may replace the item, issue a partial or full refund, or offer another remedy, as described in Section 4 of our Refund Policy.

Please inspect your order within 3 business days of delivery for the correct items and quantities, any visible damage, and any defects you can spot. Report a wrong item, a packing error, visible damage or a defect to info@promasonsupply.com within 3 business days of delivery. If a shipment is lost, let us know as soon as you learn of it. Keep your packaging, packing slip and photos until you’ve confirmed everything is right. Our Refund Policy has the details and controls if this summary differs.

Start with when it was built, then check the brick or stone itself. As a general guide: before about 1920, or with soft brick, use a PHL lime mortar (most often PHL 3.5); from about 1920 to 1950, Type O; after about 1950, Type N. The masonry always overrides the date: the mortar must be softer than the brick or stone, so soft, handmade or crumbling brick calls for PHL whatever the building’s age. This is guidance, not a guarantee, so build a small test panel first. You can also shop by era: Pre-1920, 1920s–1950s and Post-1950. If your wall doesn’t fit the guide, email us photos and the building’s age and we’ll recommend one.

PHL is pozzolanic lime: a lime mortar concentrate with no Portland cement that you mix with clean masonry sand. It’s made for older, softer brick and stone, where a softer, breathable mortar works best. Browse our Lime Mortars for Brick & Stone.

All three are pozzolanic lime mortar concentrates. PHL 2.0 is the softest, for fragile brick; PHL 3.5 is the middle grade we most often recommend for historic brick; PHL 5.0 is the hardest-setting of the three. Each is formulated to target a strength comparable to the NHL with the same number, that is, comparable to NHL 2, NHL 3.5 or NHL 5, and is intended for similar applications. PHL is a pozzolanic lime, not NHL, and is not tested or certified to EN 459-1. The number in the product name is a Pro Mason product designation, not a strength rating. No compressive strength values are claimed. Not sure which one fits? Send us photos.

No. PHL is pozzolanic lime, which is a different material from NHL, and our PHL concentrates contain no Portland cement. Choose a PHL grade based on your building and masonry, and email us photos if you’d like a recommendation.

Like traditional lime mortars, PHL retains some free lime that can slowly re-carbonate and may help close fine hairline cracks over time. It does not repair structural cracks or cracks caused by ongoing movement.

Both are Portland cement-lime mortars: they contain Portland cement and lime. Type O is made for transition-era masonry built from about 1920 to 1950, and Type N for modern masonry built after about 1950. Both are made to the ASTM C270 proportion specifications for their type, using industry-standard proportions, and are designed to meet or exceed the strength for that type of mortar: a minimum of 350 psi for Type O and 750 psi for Type N at 28 days.

Yes. Our Type O and Type N are made to the ASTM C270 proportion specifications for Type O and Type N mortar, using industry-standard proportions, and are designed to meet or exceed the strength for those types: a minimum of 350 psi for Type O and 750 psi for Type N at 28 days.

Older brick and stone do best with a mortar that’s softer than the masonry, so the joints take the wear and moisture can move out through them. Matching the mortar to the building’s age is intended to keep the joint softer than the brick. Whether a cured mortar is softer than a particular brick depends on the brick, the sand, the mix and the curing, so treat the age guide as a starting point and build a test panel. Read more in When the Joints Look Perfect but the Brick Is Crumbling.

Masonry Responder is a ready-to-use water repellent for above-grade brick and stone, designed to dry with no gloss or sheen. It goes on last, after any repointing or plaster has cured, so repoint open joints and fill cracks first; it isn’t a substitute for repairs. Read the label and SDS before use.

LimePro Lime Plaster is for sanded coats, such as base coats, parging and lime stucco on brick and stone. For a thin skim coat or decorative finish, use Color Skim. LimePro is a breathable preservation coating, not waterproofing.

Type O may be used below grade, including interior basement walls and exterior foundations, in appropriate settings where it matches the existing historic mortar. It’s not for structural repair or new load-bearing construction. It’s not for walls with active water infiltration or hydrostatic pressure (including retaining walls); correct water sources first. Type O isn’t a waterproofing product. Where a waterproofing membrane is specified, it may be used as the parge coat beneath it; confirm compatibility with the membrane manufacturer. Protect it from freezing and rapid drying, and allow at least 2 weeks of curing before backfilling. If you’re not sure Type O suits your wall, email us photos and the building’s age.

For severely exposed masonry such as chimney tops, use PHL 5.0, our hardest-setting PHL grade; the mortar still has to be softer than the brick or stone, so send us photos if you’re unsure. For steps, PHL 5.0 is the right choice when you’re replacing a traditional lime mortar that has no Portland cement in it. If the existing step mortar contains Portland cement, replace it with Type N. Type N isn’t for paving. Not sure what’s in your existing step mortar? Email us photos at info@promasonsupply.com and we’ll advise.

Mix 1 part concentrate with 2.5–3 parts clean masonry sand (use 3 for most repointing), then add water gradually until the mortar is workable. For a partial batch, measure the concentrate and sand in the same proportion. For a step-by-step walkthrough, see Repointing Brick with Lime Mortar.

Yes. Our concentrates come in 1-quart, 1-gallon and 5-gallon bulk box sizes. Contents are sold by volume and may settle during shipping; mix the full container with the full measure of sand as directed. At the usual 1 : 3 repointing mix, that’s 3 quarts of sand for a quart, 3 gallons for a gallon, and 15 gallons for a 5-gallon bulk box.

Use clean, bagged masonry sand, and choose a coarser masonry sand for wide joints. Skip play sand, polymeric sand and clay-bearing sand with all of our products.

Keep fresh work damp, not soaked, while it cures: mist it lightly as needed and shade it from direct sun and drying wind. Work in mild weather and keep fresh work from freezing. Before you stain or seal, wait until the mortar is fully hard and evenly light in color, with no dark damp patches, and can’t be marked with a fingernail. For Type O below grade, allow at least 2 weeks of curing before backfilling.

Plan exterior repointing for mild weather, keep fresh work from freezing, and keep it damp, not soaked, as it cures. Cold months are also a great time for interior and basement projects, and we’re happy to help you plan one.

Apply Masonry Responder only to clean, dry, sound, above-grade masonry, after any repointing or plaster has cured, when the surface is 40°F or warmer. Test a small area first. Stir it and apply it as supplied; don’t dilute it. Apply two coats wet-on-wet, putting the second coat on right after the first soaks in. Dry to touch in about 1 hour; protect from rain for 6 hours; full water repellency in 72 hours (longer in cool or humid weather). Coverage depends on the surface’s porosity; run a test area to set your rate, and email us your wall area if you’d like an estimate. Read the label and SDS before use.

Mix 1 part LimePro with 2.5–3 parts sand for every coat, because LimePro is always used with sand. You don’t need a bonding agent; just dampen the masonry first, and apply the next coat when the previous one is thumbprint-hard. For a thin skim or decorative finish, use Color Skim instead.

Email us clear photos of your existing mortar and the brick or stone around it, and we’ll recommend a color. We suggest testing with a 1-quart size before you buy the full amount. Many older buildings look right at home in a buff tone; see Mortar Makeover: Why Old Buildings Like Light Buff.

For mortar and plaster, our 1-quart size is the sample size; we don’t offer color strips. Water-Based Masonry Stain and Limewash come in 4 oz sample jars, and Color Skim colors offer a 2-inch sample color chip.

Our mortar concentrates come in White (Natural White on PHL), Gray, Light Buff, Dark Buff and Dark Red, with the color pack packaged separately so you blend it in yourself. PHL and LimePro are naturally off-white. Type O and Type N in Gray and the tinted colors start light gray before the color pack is added; White Type O and Type N are made with white cement. Color packs are also sold on their own.

Add it during the dry blend: mix the color pack thoroughly into the concentrate and sand before you add any water. Colored 5-gallon bulk boxes come with separate color bags.

Test a 4 oz sample jar of Water-Based Masonry Stain on your brick first. It’s made for absorbent, porous brick and stone, not sealed or dense polished surfaces. Stir thoroughly, since pigment settles, then apply with a brush, roller or sprayer to masonry that is fully dry. On new mortar, wait at least 14 days before staining. Dilute with water for a more see-through look and build color with a second pass; average coverage is 250–500 sq ft per gallon. Read the label and SDS before use, and follow its protective-equipment and ventilation directions, especially when spraying. If it won’t stir smooth, email us a photo.

Yes. Water-Based Masonry Stain comes in twelve masonry colors for interior and exterior brick, stone and mortar, and you can mix colors for a custom shade. It needs no topcoat or sealer.

Yes. Apply with the Trade Account Application. Our team reviews each application, and we confirm approval by email.

Fill out the Trade Account Application; it takes a few minutes and asks for your contact and business address, business details (trading name, email, website and EIN), and your business type and expected material needs. Our team reviews each application, and we confirm approval by email.

It’s our three-step approach to historic masonry: Clean, Repair and Protect, with the mortar matched to the building’s age. To learn more, email info@promasonsupply.com.

Yes. Our mortar concentrates and LimePro come in 5-gallon bulk boxes, each making up to about 20 gallons. For larger quantities, email info@promasonsupply.com with what you need.

SDS available on request: info@promasonsupply.com. Technical data sheets are available the same way; just tell us the product name.

No. Our products, including Masonry Responder, are available to all customers; a trade account isn’t required to order.