c/bricklayers

The pointing job in Charleston that made me rethink my mortar mix

I was down in Charleston last month doing some repointing on a row of 1840s townhouses. The joints were crumbling but not from age, the homeowner had someone redo them 10 years ago with a modern mix that was way too hard. It trapped moisture and blew out the brick edges. I mean, I've been doing this for 15 years and I've always just used the same bagged mix for everything. But watching that damage up close, I think we all need to stop being lazy about matching the old lime-based stuff. Has anyone else had to fix work that was too strong for the brick, or am I the only one running into this?

That Monday in 2019 with the frozen mortar tub

Cold morning up in Burlington, wind off the lake was brutal. We had 3000 brick to lay on a retaining wall and the mortar kept skinning over before we could butter a joint. By noon we'd only set maybe 14 courses, felt like we were going backwards. The boss finally said 'heat the water, not the mix,' and a $40 tank heater turned it all around by 2pm. Anyone else fight winter mortar or do you just mix smaller batches?

Overheard a homeowner call mortar 'brick glue' at the supply yard

Guy in front of me at the counter in Columbus asked for two bags of 'the strong glue that holds bricks together.' Clerk just handed him Type S without blinking. I bit my tongue, but it got me thinking how many folks have no clue what we actually do. Anyone else ever let a customer keep calling it that just to avoid a 20 minute explanation?

50,000 bricks in one season, never noticed until the count

I keep a tally of every brick I lay for my own records. Last Friday I added up the numbers from March through October and hit 50,280 exactly. That number shocked me because 5 years ago I was doing maybe 15,000 a year on small residential jobs. This season I worked on a big retail center outside Columbus and a church addition, so the volume just climbed. It made me realize my back and hands have been holding up way better than I expected at 44. Has anyone else ever tracked their yearly brick count and been surprised by the total? How do you pace yourself on those monster commercial runs?

That job in Savannah made me give up my old mortar mix for good

I was on a repair job down near Forsyth Park last March, patching a retaining wall that kept cracking. The homeowner's dad was a mason back in the 60s and he told me to stop using the pre-mixed stuff and just do a 3:1 with lime. I thought he was old school for the sake of it, but he showed me how the original mortar was soft and let the bricks breathe. I re-did a small section his way and the difference in how it grabs and flexes was wild. Has anyone else switched to a lime mix after fighting hairline cracks for years?

Chose lime mortar over Portland on a 1910 re-point, no regrets so far

I had to re-point a brick cellar wall in Cincinnati this month and had to pick between modern Portland cement or traditional lime. I went with the lime mix because the old soft bricks need to breathe, cost about $80 more but it feels right. Did 6 test panels in the back corner first to see how it cured, and the color blends way better than the grey stuff. Anyone here stick with lime for older homes even when it takes longer to set?

My uncle swore by using old bed sheets for mortar mixing

He said it catches all the dust and you just toss it when done. Tried it last month on a small patio job in Dallas and yeah, way less cleanup than tarps. Anyone else use weird stuff for mixing?

Snapped a cheap trowel after 2 weeks and finally saw why the pricey ones matter

Bought a budget trowel at the hardware store in Austin last month figuring a trowel's a trowel. After laying maybe 600 bricks the handle cracked and the blade warped, which messed up my line work for a whole afternoon. Has anyone else found that mid-range trowels hit the sweet spot or am I just unlucky?

Was team convinced quick-setting mortar was a gimmick, now I swear by it after a retaining wall job in Austin last June

Tried that lime mortar mix on a 1920s repoint last week and the stuff wouldn't set right for three days

Had to keep the tarps up through a rainstorm and learned that old bricks need way more babysitting than new ones, has anyone else had curing issues with heritage lime?

Heard a guy at the supply yard say metric brick is a gimmick

I was picking up mortar at Builders Mart on Tuesday and overheard this older bricklayer tell a new guy that metric sized bricks are just a fad and don't lay right. I've been using metric modular bricks on the last three jobs in Raleigh and my courses come out way more consistent with less waste. I get that people get set in their ways, but have you guys actually tried them on a big wall?

Learned a trick for mixing mortar on a wet tarp

Was working a patio job in Atlanta last spring and kept getting way too much water in my mix because the tarp had puddles. Old timer told me to punch a few small holes in the tarp corners so the water drains off. Has anyone else tried that or got a better solution for rainy days?

Old timer told me to wet my bricks before laying them in summer heat

Used to skip this step thinking it was extra work until I laid a wall in July that cracked after two weeks. Now I dunk each brick in a bucket for 5 seconds before buttering. Anyone else do this or am I just slow?

Spent $80 on a used mortar mixer and it paid for itself in one day

Picked up a beat up old mortar mixer at an auction last month for $80. Threw a new motor on it for $60 and it ran like a champ on a retaining wall job in Bakersfield last week. Mixed 30 bags in the time it would take me to hand mix 10. Anyone else find good deals on used gear that actually works out?

Bought a $200 mortar mixer off Facebook Marketplace that died after two hours

The guy said it was barely used but it threw a belt in the middle of a retaining wall job and I spent more time trying to get my money back than if I just rented one from Home Depot, anyone else get burned on used gear from strangers?

A old timer in Phoenix told me to quit using a level on every course and just trust my eye for straight lines

Spent 20 minutes arguing with him on a job site last Tuesday before I tried it on a garden wall and somehow my plumb readings came out tighter than when I used the tool.

Rant: Lost $200 on a mortar mixer attachment that broke on the first job

Picked up one of those cheap mortar mixer paddle attachments for my drill from a hardware store in Tulsa. Figured it would save time on a retaining wall I was doing last weekend. Second batch of mix and the shaft started wobbling, then the paddle snapped clean off. Tried to return it but they said no refunds on used power tool accessories. Useless piece of junk. Has anyone else had bad luck with those universal mixer attachments or did I just grab the wrong brand?

Dropped $80 on a laser level that couldn't handle direct sunlight

Figured I'd try a cheap brand from Amazon for a patio wall job. Thing was useless outside by noon. Could barely see the line past 10 feet. Had to switch back to a chalk line for half the day. Stick with the HUEpar or just save up for a green beam next time. Anyone else have luck with cheaper units in bright conditions?

The day the mortar mix arrived pre-set. Literally.

Last Tuesday was supposed to be a normal job. Stacking brick for a retaining wall in Omaha. But I opened the first bag of mortar mix and it was already solid. Like a rock. Clumped up into one big mass. Turns out the supplier stored them outside and a leak got in. Had to hand bust each bag with a hammer just to get powder out. Whole crew wasted 2 hours breaking up 20 bags. Foreman just stood there laughing. Anyone else ever deal with a whole pallet of ruined mix?

Finally saw those $30 masonry chisels from Harbor Freight snap on a blue stone after just 3 hits

I used to think cheap tools were fine for occasional use but that chisel broke in half on the third strike and dented my safety glasses, so has anyone else had a cheap tool fail in a dangerous way?

Hit 10,000 bricks laid on a single wall today

I've been working on this retaining wall behind the community center in Oakville for three weeks. Counted today and I'm at 10,043 bricks with no major blowouts or cracks. Has anyone else kept track of their personal best on one project?

Found out at a plumbing supply house that my mortar mix is wrong for tile

I was picking up some thinset at Ferguson's in Denver and the guy behind the counter asked what I was laying. He told me my go-to Type N mortar has too much lime for porcelain tile, which I've been using for years on bathroom floors. Has anyone else had their standard mix cause adhesion problems down the line?

Is the brick hammer really better than a trowel for splitting? Here's what I found on a job in Nashville

I was on a patio job last month and needed to split some old pavers quick. Normally I use my trowel edge to score and snap, but I grabbed a brick hammer for a change. It split clean every time without the jagged edges I usually get. My partner swears by the trowel method for speed though. Anyone else notice the hammer gives a straighter break or am I just slow with the trowel?

Bought a tube of expired mortar from a hardware store in Fresno last week

I grabbed a bag of Type N mortar from a little hardware store near a job I was doing in Fresno. Got home and noticed the date stamp said it was 14 months old and the mix was clumpy and wouldn't hold a consistent color. Has anyone else dealt with buying expired materials from smaller shops and what do you look for on the bag to avoid it?

I wasted $85 on mortar that was already expired

Picked up a pallet from a guy on Facebook Marketplace in Akron last month. Seemed like a good deal. Got home and started mixing and it just wasn't setting right. Took me three rows of block before I checked the date stamp. Stuff was 11 months past. Had to tear it all out. Anybody else get burned buying materials secondhand?