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Pro tip: using a leveling batten saved my wall from going crooked
I was working on a garden wall last weekend in Austin and kept fighting with the first course. It was hot and the mortar was drying too fast (classic Texas summer). So I clamped a straight 2x4 as a temporary guide along my string line and buttered the bricks against it. That trick kept everything square while I got the base layer set. Has anyone else done this or do you have a better way to lock in that first row?
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thomas_wright411mo ago
Clamp a straight board to the string line like you did. That's the move. I use a scrap piece of plywood cut real straight. Screw it to some stakes in the ground so it won't budge. Then just butter and lay against it. Keeps that first row dead nuts straight no matter how fast the mortar sets.
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the_john1mo ago
I mean, is it really that serious though? I see people going on about clamping boards and screwing stakes in the ground for a garden wall that's probably just going to have some weeds grow over it anyway. Honestly, if your first course is that crooked, maybe just tap it back into place with a level and a rubber mallet before the mortar sets. It's a garden wall, not a foundation for a skyscraper. I feel like this is overthinking something that's pretty forgiving if you just take your time. But maybe it's just me.
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hannah_price791mo ago
Wait, you're telling me people actually clamp boards and stake them into the ground for a garden wall?
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