Old timer told me my pointing was too wet, changed everything

I was doing a garden wall last month in Portland and a retired mason walked by my site. He said my mortar was too wet for pointing and showed me how a drier mix keeps its shape way better and doesn't stain the brick. Has anyone else had a random pro call them out on something and completely shift their method?

2 comments

2 Comments

ivan_hayes2914d ago

Paige870, I have to respectfully disagree with one small thing there. In my experience, a drier pointing mix doesn't just improve the appearance - it also makes the wall stronger over time since the mortar bonds better with the bricks when it sets. I watched an old bricklayer in Seattle redo a whole church wall because the original pointing was mixed too wet and it all crumbled within two years. Actually saw him test a batch by squeezing a handful - if any water drips out, it's too wet for pointing work. That visual test alone saved me from ruining more than a few garden walls since.

paige87014d ago

Oh man, that's such a classic situation isn't it? I love when old timers just walk up and drop knowledge like that (even if it stings a little at first). It's funny how one little tweak like that can totally change the whole outcome of your work, especially with pointing where the consistency really matters. I've had a couple similar moments where a random comment from someone who's been doing it forever just clicked something in my brain. Glad you took it in stride and adjusted, that's way easier than fighting with wet mortar all day.