c/bricklayers

Had a guy in Phoenix tell me my mortar mix was too wet, I laughed until I looked up the absorption rate on that specific brick

Turns out that local clay brick from the yard I use soaks up water way different than the standard fired stuff, and that extra slump was causing weak bonds on 3 jobs I did last quarter has anyone else noticed big differences between brick types from different suppliers?

Spent $80 on a rubber mallet and wish I'd done it years ago

I was using an old metal hammer to tap bricks into place on a retaining wall job in Ohio last week. Kept chipping the edges and felt like I was fighting every course. Picked up a 2-pound rubber mallet from the supply house for $80 and it made a world of difference. Bricks sat flush without any cracks or damage. Has anyone else switched to rubber mallets for fine adjustments?

Shoutout to the guy who told me to wet my bricks before a big wall

I tried laying a long garden wall last summer in Nashville and kept having mortar dry out way too fast in the heat. An old timer walked by and said dunk my bricks in a bucket of water first. I thought he was nuts but gave it a shot on the next section. Turns out dry brick sucks the moisture right out of the mud and makes it crumble. After that my joints stayed workable for twice as long and I didn't have to remix every fifteen minutes. Has anyone else had a simple trick like that totally save a job on a hot day?

I finally caught my mortar mix mistake after 8 years

Been laying brick for 8 years. Always mixed my mortar by eye. Water, sand, cement. Just went by feel. Last month on a job in Arlington, I had this one brick keep sliding out of place after I set it. Happened 3 times on the same course. My foreman walked over and just looked at my mix. He said "that's soup, not mud". Told me I was adding too much water by nearly a quart per batch. I was basically using watered down paste. No wonder my walls never felt as solid as the old timers' work. Got a bucket and measured exact amounts next batch. Night and day difference. Everything locked in tight. Anyone else have a boss call them out on something basic after years of doing it wrong?

Figured out I was mixing mortar way too wet after a brick blew out on me

Was working a retaining wall last spring in Austin, temps hitting 95 and I was mixing like normal. Added extra water to keep it workable cause it was drying fast. Then I set this one brick and next morning it had literally slid right out of the wall. Mortar looked like crumbly mud instead of a solid bond. My old timer neighbor walked over and asked if I was making soup or bricklaying. He had me mix a batch stiffer, just enough water to get it to hold a peak. Night and day difference on the next section, bricks stayed put and the mortar actually cured hard. Any of you guys run into this with hot weather jobs?

Figured out after 6 months I was mixing mortar way too wet because of a YouTube video

Switched from mixing by eye to using a mortar gauge

For years I just eyeballed my mortar mix on every job. Figured close enough was good enough. About 6 months ago I picked up a simple mortar gauge for like 15 bucks at a supply house near Richmond. The consistency is way more even now and I waste way less material. Has anyone else tried using one of these or do you still just go by feel?

Ever spend a whole day on a corner that shouldve taken an hour?

I was laying a herringbone pattern walkway last month and the first corner section just would not line up. I must have pulled and reset those first 30 bricks maybe 5 times thinking I was off on my string line or my cuts were crooked. It ended up taking me close to 6 hours to get that one corner right when I had planned maybe 90 minutes tops. The problem was I was rushing the dry layout and not checking my 90s with a square every course. What do you guys do when a simple detail turns into a whole day nightmare? Do you stubborn it out or pull everything and start fresh?

Had to choose between stacking brick and laying block for a foundation job in Tucson

I took on a small foundation job last month and had to decide between using traditional brick or concrete block for the stem wall. I went with block after a buddy told me it holds up better against the desert heat and soil shifts we get here. The block was easier to lay because the cells let me pour rebar and grout straight down without extra framing. It cost me about 40 bucks more for the materials, but I saved a full day of work compared to brick. The homeowner was happy with how solid it feels, and I havent had any callbacks yet. Has anyone else run into this choice on a job out west?

Pro tip: I spent 10 years buttering my bricks the wrong way until a foreman in Cincinnati set me straight last Tuesday

Talked to an older mason who said he never uses a level for long walls

I was working on a retaining wall near Columbus last week and an old timer walked up and watched me for a bit. He said he just trusts his eye and the string line, and that he's been doing it 40 years without a level on anything over 10 feet. Has anyone else tried ditching the level for long runs and just using a good string?

Traditional lime mortar vs modern cement - which one actually lasts longer?

I tried repointing an old stone wall with lime mortar on one side and Portland cement on the other three years ago, and the cement side has already cracked while the lime side is still fine, so what have you folks found holds up better over time?

I finally visited that old brick yard on Route 7

Saw a guy there using a butter knife to clean his trowel and it actually worked better than my wire brush, has anyone else tried that trick?

Tried a lime mortar mix on my last job and the bricks won't stop sweating

I gave in to this old school guy at the supply yard who said lime mortar is the only way for period properties. Mixed up a batch for a retaining wall in St. Louis last month. Now every time it rains the wall looks like it's crying. Learned that lime needs way more curing time than Portland and I was too impatient. Anyone else had moisture issues switching to traditional mixes?

Spoke with a restoration guy last week and he made me rethink how I mix mortar

I was on a job site downtown last Thursday and this older guy named Pete who does historic building repair stopped by. He told me I was using too much water in my mix and that it causes more cracking down the line. I always thought wetter was easier to work with, but he showed me some photos of his work from 10 years ago and the joints looked perfect. Has anyone else tried cutting back on water and seen better long term results?

My level went missing so I tried using a 2x4 as a straight edge on a brick wall

Last Thursday I was laying a garden wall out back of a house in Oakville and somehow my 4 foot level vanished into thin air. I searched the truck, the site, even the portajohn with no luck. I was in a hurry because the client was coming by at noon to check the progress. So I grabbed a good straight 2x4 from the lumber pile and figured I'd just sight down it like a madman. Turns out if you clamp a string line tight against the wood at both ends it actually works pretty well for checking plumb on face brick. It's not gonna replace a real level any time soon but it got me through that course without any major wavy spots. Has anyone else pulled a dumb substitute trick on site that somehow worked out okay?

Bought a used mortar mixer off Craigslist and thought I got scammed

Found a 5 cubic foot mortar mixer for $400 last spring from a guy in Akron. Turned out the engine just needed a carburetor cleaning and it runs like new. I was ready to write it off as junk but a buddy talked me into taking it apart. Anyone else score a good deal on used equipment that needed simple fixing?

Question about buttering both ends of a brick - waste or good practice?

I was taught to only butter one end but a guy on the last job said both ends stops water getting in later. Which way do you guys do it on cavity walls and have you seen issues with either method over time?

Dropped $80 on a fancy trowel and it messed up my rhythm

I saw a guy on YouTube using this expensive lightweight trowel from Europe and thought it would make my day smoother. Bought it for $80 plus shipping, figured it was an investment. First job with it on a retaining wall last Tuesday felt totally off, the balance was all wrong and my wrist was killing me by noon. Had to switch back to my beat up Marshalltown halfway through the day. Anyone else blow cash on a tool that just didn't click with how you work?

Chat with an old brickie at the boneyard changed how I mix mud now

Switched from wet saw to a grinder for brick arches

Used to drag out my wet saw for every arch cut. Messy, heavy, took forever. Buddy at the job site in Phoenix showed me using a grinder with a diamond wheel instead. Faster cuts, way less cleanup. Anyone else made that switch or still sticking with the saw?

That old timer at the job site in Austin who told me to check my mortar before I even mixed it

He stopped me cold and pointed at a bag that had been sitting in the rain and said the lime was already dead. Now I always pop open a bag and look for hard chunks before I start, has anyone else had a bad batch ruin a whole wall?

Shoutout to the old-timer who corrected my mortar mix on a job in Pittsburgh

I was laying brick on a retaining wall last month near the Strip District, mixing my mortar like I always do, a little on the wet side. This guy maybe 70 years old walks by, watches me for a minute, then says 'son, you're making soup, not mortar.' He showed me how to get it to a stiff peanut butter consistency and let it sit for 5 minutes before using it. I tried it on the next batch and I could actually hold my line without the bricks sliding around. It cut my waste down by maybe 20 percent that day. I guess sometimes the old school methods are the best. Has anyone else had a random stranger give them a tip that actually stuck?

Lost a whole wall of face brick because of a bad mix

I was working on a retaining wall out in Frederick last Tuesday and mixed up a batch of mortar that was way too wet. The whole top course started sliding after about an hour and I had to tear down 12 feet of work before it set. Has anyone else had a batch go bad on them like that and had to start over?

Wasted $150 on a fancy brick splitter that barely worked

Picked up a new brick splitter from a big box store last spring, figured it would save time on a patio job. First 10 cuts were fine, then it started chipping edges and leaving ragged faces on every single brick. Anyone else had luck with those cheap splitters or am I stuck renting the big one from the equipment yard?