c/bricklayers

Seeing more thin brick jobs that test your timing

Lately, a lot of clients want thin brick for interior accent walls. It looks sharp, but you have to wait for the adhesive to tack up just right before placing each piece. Rush it, and the alignment goes off, meaning redoing whole sections. This slow method is becoming standard, making jobs longer but way more precise.

The increase in sidewalk supervisors has me thinking

Lately, many people stop to watch or comment on our brickwork, and it often helps catch mistakes early.

Figuring out brick counts was all guesswork back in the day

My crew would just estimate and toss in extra for breaks. These days, digital estimators handle it, but who doesn't miss that gut feeling when you nailed it?

That special order for arched bricks held up the whole job for weeks.

Why I now mix mortar by hand for small jobs

Always used a mixer for everything. Thought hand mixing was too slow. Did a repair last month where power was out. Hand mixing gave me better control over the consistency. Now I do it for patches and fixes.

Sitting out with a strained back, let's talk lifting safety

I was on a job last Tuesday and got careless picking up mortar bags. My back TWITCHED and I knew right away I messed up BAD. The pain shot down my leg and I could barely stand up straight for days. Turns out, I've been bending at the waist for years and my body finally said NO. I'm looking at light duty for a while, and it's KILLING me not to be on the wall. My chiropractor said this is super common for us and proper form is NOT optional. From now on, I'm committing to the squat lift every single time, no matter how tired I am. Do yourself a favor and really think about how you're picking things up before it happens to you.