c/bricklayers

Pro tip: wet your bricks before laying on hot days

Last week in Phoenix it hit 108 and my mortar was drying way too fast. A old mason told me to dunk each brick in a bucket of water first. Tried it and the mortar stayed workable for twice as long. Anyone else do this or got other tricks for heat?

2 comments

the_mila•5h ago

Spent $80 on a fancy corner trowel and it was a complete bust

I figured I'd treat myself to a nice W Rose corner trowel after watching a few YouTube videos from those British brickies. Paid $80 plus shipping from a specialty tool site, thought it would make my internal corners look perfect. First two jobs it did okay but the handle started shifting on me after maybe a month of light use. Then the blade started rusting even though I clean my tools after every shift. Total waste of cash, my $12 Marshalltown from the hardware store has held up way better for years. Has anyone else had bad luck with spending extra on boutique trowels?

1 comments

jordan_webb•3d ago

Threw $250 at a used mortar mixer and it almost killed my back

Picked up a beat-up 1990s mixer off Craigslist thinking it would speed up my garage wall job, but it seized up after 4 loads and threw mud everywhere. Ended up renting a proper one for $70 a day that actually worked. Anyone else get burned buying cheap used gear that looked like a deal?

3 comments

emery199•4d ago

Old foreman said to stack brick dry without any water in the mix

My foreman Jim swore mixing mortar dry with no slake would make a stronger wall, so I tried it on a small garden wall last month. Now I got cracks forming between every brick, should I tear it down or can this thing be saved with some repointing?

2 comments

rosebarnes•6d ago

That week I tried to lay 500 bricks in one day and failed hard

Last summer I took on a backyard wall project in Phoenix and figured I could smash through it in a day... by hour 4 my back was screaming and I only had 200 down. Anyone else ever get too ambitious with a daily count and regret it?

3 comments

milessmith•7d ago

Stacked 500 blocks this morning before 10 AM. First time hitting that number.

Been laying brick for 6 years and always thought 400 was my ceiling but I just changed how I stage my mortar and it cut out all those extra trips back to the pile. Any of you guys track your daily counts and what pushed you over your own record?

3 comments

the_jordan•8d ago

Had a guy on a jobsite near Richmond show me a trick that flipped my whole approach to repointing

I was working on this old church rehab in Richmond last month and the foreman said I was wasting time mixing my own mortar for small repairs. He showed me one of those premixed bag sets and it matched the historic color way better than anything I had mixed up. Any of you guys use the premixed stuff for restoration work or do you stick to custom blending?

2 comments

scott.jana•8d ago

That 'simple' retaining wall footing took me 9 hours to dig

I was estimating a 3 hour job for a 12 foot long footing in Sandy Springs, but hit a layer of old asphalt and tree roots about 2 feet down. Ended up having to rent a mini excavator for half a day just to get through it all. Anyone else run into hidden surprises in the ground that just wrecked your timeline?

2 comments

umar59•8d ago

Spent $150 on a laser level and it paid for itself on the first job

I put that Bosch GLL 3-80 through a full day of laying block on a retaining wall last Tuesday and did not have to re-lay a single course, has anyone else found that spending decent money on layout tools saves more time than it costs?

2 comments

victorhill•8d ago

Old timer at the supply yard dropped a gem about cold weather mortar mixing

I was picking up a pallet of block on Tuesday and this retiree hanging around the yard told me I was 'fighting the water instead of using it' when I complained about slow set times. He said to heat my mix water to 140 degrees before adding it to the dry ingredients, never the other way around. Tried it on a small retaining wall job yesterday and it cut my freeze delay by almost half. Any of you guys do this regularly or is there a better trick for winter work?

2 comments

williams.jenny•10d ago

That $200 laser level I bought lasted exactly 2 weeks on a job site

I figured spending a little extra would get me something that could handle dust and a few drops. Bought a Bosch GLL 3-80 from a hardware shop near the 405 freeway. First week it was great, level lines sharp and bright even in direct sun. By day 10 the pendulum lock started acting up after a morning of grinding dust. On day 14 it just stopped self-leveling mid wall on a retaining wall job. Tried blowing it out with compressed air, no luck. Now it sits in my truck as a $200 paperweight. Anyone else had green lasers fail faster than red ones?

3 comments

the_emma•12d ago

Vent: Took on a fireplace job in Asheville and the mortar mix was off from the start

Last month I got a call to fix a fireplace in Asheville that was only 2 years old. The previous guy used a type S mortar on the firebox and it was already crumbling, which I should have spotted right away. I spent three days chipping out the old joints and redoing it with a proper refractory mix. Has anyone else run into problems with homeowners arguing about the cost of doing it right?

2 comments

williamm82•12d ago

Spent $180 on a used mixer that saved my back

I was hand mixing mud for years until my shoulder started barking. Picked up a used Jiffy mixer from a guy on Craigslist and it cut my mixing time by more than half. Anyone else jump on used gear and have it work out?

2 comments

robinson.hannah•12d ago

PSA: I was buttering my bricks for 5 years like a fool

Last month a foreman on a job in Phoenix watched me slop mortar on and just shook his head. Turns out I was putting too much water in the mix and the bricks were shifting days later. Anyone else get called out for a basic technique they thought they had down?

2 comments

the_susan•16d ago

Swapped my trowel angle after watching a guy at a jobsite in Columbus last Thursday

I was finishing a retaining wall near some old townhomes and this older mason was buttering his bricks almost flat compared to my steep angle, and after trying it on the next row my joints came out way cleaner with less cleanup - has anyone else messed with their trowel grip to get straighter lines?

2 comments

the_nathan•18d ago

Wasted $150 on a cheap mortar mixing paddle last week

I thought I was being smart saving money on a no-name mixing paddle from a discount tool store. First two batches went fine, then the shaft bent sideways on the third mix. Had to stop work on a garden wall for a whole day while I hunted down a real one. Anyone else learn the hard way that some tools just arent worth skimping on?

3 comments

keithbutler•18d ago

Mortar mixer vs hand mixing - took a gamble on a cheap mixer and it paid off

Last month I had a 3000 brick retaining wall job in Dayton and was sick of hand mixing in a wheelbarrow. Picked up a used $150 mortar mixer off Craigslist and figured if it broke I'd be out the cash. Thing ran like a champ for the whole job and shaved off at least 5 hours of mixing time. Any of you guys ever take a chance on cheap gear and have it work out good?

3 comments

richard_anderson•18d ago

Drove past that old brickyard in St. Louis last weekend and it got me thinking

I was heading back from a job near the river and took a detour past the Union Avenue brickyard. Place has been sitting empty for probably 15 years now, but you can still see those old kilns and stacks of red clay bricks scattered around. Got me wondering how many of those buildings they supplied are still standing and how their material holds up compared to the stuff we get from modern yards today. Any of you guys worked with reclaimed brick from a place like that before?

3 comments

sean782•19d ago

Tried metric bricks vs modular bricks on a retaining wall and metric won by a mile

Did a job last month up in Portland where the spec called for metric sized bricks. I've always used modular for retaining walls since that's what my old foreman taught me. But the metrics laid out way cleaner, less cutting around the corners, and the whole wall went up in 3 days instead of 4. Anyone else get stuck on one brick size and found switching was better?

3 comments

the_elliot•20d ago

Best day I ever had laying brick was a Tuesday in July near Nashville

I was working a retaining wall job and the weather was perfect, the mortar mix was spot on, and every single brick fit like it was made for that spot. By lunch I had done more than I normally do in a full day, and the homeowner brought us sweet tea and sandwiches. Has anyone else had one of those days where everything just clicks and you start wondering if you should quit while you're ahead?

2 comments

skylerrobinson•20d ago

Spent three hours trying to fix a mortar joint that kept crumbling

I was working on a retaining wall in my backyard last Saturday and the mortar just wouldn't hold up in one spot. Turns out I had mixed it too dry and didn't wet the bricks enough beforehand. Has anyone else dealt with a batch that just falls apart no matter what you do?

2 comments

verawhite•20d ago

Saw a guy in Charleston using those new interlocking brick pavers for a driveway

Went down to Charleston last weekend and watched a crew lay down probably 500 square feet of those Unilock pavers in one day, and I'm wondering if the glue they use actually holds up longer than a traditional sand-set bed, has anyone put these things through a real winter yet?

2 comments

the_derek•20d ago

Mortar mix debate: Type S vs Type N for a residential wall I built last month

I was working on a retaining wall in my backyard in Austin last month and went back and forth on mortar types. I used Type S because it's stronger, but now I'm wondering if Type N would have been better to let the wall flex a bit more with the ground movement here. The wall hasn't cracked yet but I keep second-guessing myself. Anyone here have a strong opinion on which one is actually better for residential work?

3 comments

karen_roberts4•21d ago

Old timer at a job site in Omaha told me my mortar mix was too wet

Guy named Hank watched me lay a row and said I was making soup, not mortar. He told me to cut the water by 20% and wait an extra 2 minutes before mixing. I tried it and my joints stopped slumping. Has anyone else gotten handed a reality check by a retired mason?

3 comments

sullivan.spencer•22d ago

Hand mixed mud vs. bagged mortar for small jobs, which side are you on?

I got into it with a guy on a jobsite last week over this. I was doing a little repair on a chimney in Fayetteville, maybe 50 bricks worth, and I just grabbed a bag of pre-mixed mortar from the lumberyard. He shows up with his wheelbarrow and starts mixing sand and cement from scratch, saying the bagged stuff is too weak and won't match the old lime mortar. I get his point about strength, but for a quick patch I swear the pre-mixed sets up fine and saves me 15 minutes. I used it and it's held up through a few rainstorms so far, no cracks. What do you guys do when you're just patching an old wall? Do you stick with the traditional mix or take the easy route with bags?

3 comments