Overheard a older bricklayer say he never wets his bricks before laying

I was at a supplier yesterday and this guy with 30 years experience said he never soaks his bricks even on hot days. He said modern bricks are made tighter and wetting them just makes the mortar slide around. I always thought you had to wet bricks to stop them sucking water out of the mortar too fast. Anyone else heard this approach or had trouble with bricks drying out too quick on a summer job?

2 comments

2 Comments

milessmith2d ago

Have you considered that @cole356 might be onto something with modern suction rates being different than old clay bricks?

cole3562d ago

Can't believe he'd skip wetting bricks on a hot day. The suction pulls water out of the mortar so fast it barely gets a chance to bond right. Seen plenty of jobs where dry bricks led to weak joints and cracked mortar later on.