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[[File:Three old bricks held together with mortar.jpg|thumb|250px|Mortar holding weathered bricks]] 
'''Mortar''' is a workable paste which hardens to bind building blocks such as [[stone]]s, [[brick]]s, and [[concrete]] masonry units, to fill and seal the irregular gaps between them, spread the weight of them evenly, and sometimes to add decorative colors or patterns to masonry walls. In its broadest sense, mortar includes pitch, asphalt, and soft [[mud]] or [[clay]], as those used between mud bricks, as well as cement mortar.

Cement mortar becomes hard when it cures, resulting in a rigid aggregate structure; however, the mortar functions as a weaker component than the building blocks and serves as the sacrificial element in the masonry, because mortar is easier and less expensive to repair than the building blocks. Bricklayers typically make mortars using a mixture of [[sand]], a binder, and [[water]]. The most common binder in modernity is Portland [[cement]], but the ancient binder [[lime mortar]] is still used in some specialty new construction. [[Lime]], lime mortar, and gypsum are used particularly in the repair and repointing of historic buildings and structures, so that the repair materials will be similar in performance and appearance to the original materials. Several types of cement mortars and additives exist.

== Dependencies ==
* [[Sand]]
* [[Water]]
** '''Mortar'''
** [[Brick]]
** [[Concrete]]
** [[Stone]]

== See also ==
* [[Cement]]
* [[Clay]]
* [[Lime concrete]]
* [[Lime mortar]]
* [[Mud]]
* [[Wood]]

== References ==
{{wa|Mortar_(masonry)}}

[[Category:Building materials]]