I was picking up brick for a retaining wall last Tuesday and this older mason, Jerry, was there getting mortar mix. He pulled out this beat up Marshalltown trowel with the handle wrapped in duct tape and said he's never bought a new one in 35 years because he keeps the edge sharp with a diamond stone after every job. How often do you guys actually dress your tools vs just letting them wear down naturally?
I was working on a re-pointing job last week on an old house from the 1920s. The homeowner wanted me to use a modern Type N mix but the historical guidelines say lime mortar only. I ended up spending almost 4 hours just on one small wall section because the lime mix kept crumbling on me. My buddy says lime mortar is a waste of time and I should just use what works faster. But the other guys on site swear lime lets the brick breathe and prevents spalling down the road. What do you all do when the old school method fights you like that?
I was at a job in Tacoma last month and this old timer saw me struggling with a corner block that kept slipping out of alignment. He told me to butter the head joint first and then tap the block into place instead of buttering the whole bed. It sounds dumb but I tried it on the next corner and it stayed put perfectly. Has anyone else found a weird little habit like that which just works better?
I still do it that way for small jobs under 50 bricks, even though my partner keeps telling me to use the mixer. Has anyone else found the hand mix gives you better control over the consistency?
I was working a big retaining wall job up in Cleveland last July, and this 60 year old mason named Frank kept telling me I needed to mix my mortar in the shade or it'd set too fast. I shrugged it off because who has time to move their mixer every 20 minutes, right? Well, after 3 batches that turned into a crumbly mess before I could even butter the stones, I finally listened and it cut my waste by almost half. Anyone else had old timers give you advice that seemed like a pain but actually worked?
Last Thursday I had a whole wall start slumping on me after about six courses and the old guy just walked over and said 'that's way too wet, you're working it like cake batter' and he was dead right, so now I'm mixing it stiffer and it's holding perfect, has anyone else had a seasoned brickie call them out on mix consistency like that?
I was on a job site in Auburn last week and this old timer bricklayer saw me mixing mortar wrong and just said 'son, you're building a sand castle, not a wall'. He pulled me aside and showed me his 3:1 mix that was way stiffer than what I was using, and it laid like butter. Has anyone else had a random guy on site change how they mix?
Kept getting gaps on the perp joints until an old mason told me to butter both ends of the brick instead of just one side, and now my lines come out tight every time - anyone else learn one simple fix that took way too long to find?
I was on a job in Raleigh last week and saw three different guys running back down for more sand every 20 minutes. You lose so much time climbing up and down, just make one big pile at the start and save yourself the hassle. Anyone else see this ruining crew speed?
Guy I was working with on a repoint job in Baltimore said I was using too much Portland in my mix, making it harder than the old brick. Cut back from a 1:3 ratio to something closer to 1 part cement to 4 parts lime and sand and the joints came out way better... Has anyone else adjusted their mix after getting feedback like that?
Was reading this old trade book from 1923 I found at a flea market in Lancaster last weekend. Turns out they added lime to almost every batch back then, like a 1:3:12 ratio of cement to lime to sand. Blew my mind because I never even touched lime in the 8 years I've been laying block. Anyone still mess with lime these days or is it all just type N and S now?
I was laying a garden wall in Portland last month and a retired mason walked by, said my mortar joints were wasting material and making the wall look bulky, and now I can't unsee the cleaner, tighter look after I slimmed them down. Has anyone else had a random passerby call out a habit you didn't even notice?
I know most guys hate working in the hot summer months. But last July, I had a job down near Austin where we had to lay a retaining wall behind a new house. The mix was starting to set faster than usual, and I had to work quick with my crew. We finished the whole pour by 2 PM, no cracks, no cold joints. The homeowner came out with ice water for us and said it looked better than the foundation his other guy did. Made me remember why I got into this trade. Has anyone else had a crazy hot day that actually went perfect?
I was laying brick on a retaining wall for a new subdivision and every single trowel strike landed smooth like butter for a solid 8 hours and I still don't know what I did different, has anyone else had a random perfect day on the trowel that they can't explain?
Been using a cheap harbor freight set for two years. Finally spent 20 bucks on a diamond stone and learned to edge them myself. Way better control on the brick face now. Anyone else ditch factory edges for a hand sharpened one?
I kept getting these hairline cracks on a retaining wall job up in Salinas and couldn't figure out why. My buddy watched me mix one batch and said "dude, you're beating the air into it like cake batter" - turns out I was running the drill way too fast and incorporating too much air. Anyone else have a basic habit that took way too long to unlearn?
I always just ground out old mortar on repoints but tried tuck pointing on this 1920s chimney. Night and day difference for the look, the lines came out so clean and straight. Took about 2 extra hours per side but the homeowner was thrilled. Has anyone else made the switch and stuck with it?
I was running a crew on a retaining wall job outside Dallas last summer. We were pushing to get done before rain hit and I started adding extra water to the mix to speed things up. The bricks kept sliding on me and the joints looked like crap. Foreman on site walked over and said "your slump is too wet, dump it and start over." That cost me about 40 minutes and part of a bag of type N. Now I mix the dry stuff first, add water in stages, and stop way before I think it's ready. Has anyone else had a boss call them out on a simple mistake that changed how they mix? I still watch my guys for the same thing.
I've been laying block for about 8 years now and I always just dumped the water in first then the mix. Last week my helper showed me he pours the mix in first, adds about half the water, lets it sit for 2 minutes, then pours the rest. I figured he was just wasting time but I tried it on a retaining wall job for a guy near Columbus. The mortar came out way smoother with less clumps and I didnt have to stop and add water as much throughout the day. I mean it's not a huge change but it adds up when you're mixing 5 or 6 batches a day. Has anyone else tried doing it this way or am I late to the party?
Went with the 4.5 inch to save on material cost, but the Texas heat cracked a few after the first summer. Should I have used the thicker brick from the start?
Used to spend hours setting up string lines, now I just click a button. Anyone else find that one tool that changed their whole routine?
I was setting up for a herringbone pattern on a 15 foot by 20 foot patio, and after laying about 50 bricks I noticed a slight but steady downhill pitch I hadn't planned for. I realized my initial string line had sagged overnight because I didn't tension it enough against the batter boards. Has anyone found a foolproof method for keeping lines perfectly level over a long stretch, especially when working solo?
Now my crew uses a portable mixer for every job over 50 blocks. Anyone still hand-mixing for smaller projects, or is it all machines now?