Am I the only one who gets totally thrown off by bricklaying in the rain?

Honestly, I was working on a garden wall last Tuesday and out of nowhere, this drizzle started. Tbh, the bricks got slick and my mortar turned into soup, so my lines were all over the place. Ngl, I ended up with a wobbly course that I had to tear down the next day. It got me thinking, how do you guys handle wet weather jobs? I've seen some fellas use tarps or tents, but that seems like a hassle. Is there a mix that sets better when it's damp? I'm just curious if I'm missing a simple trick here. What do you all do when the sky opens up mid-build?

4 comments

4 Comments

tara_stone421mo ago

Oh, the rain turning mortar into soup is basically nature's way of saying 'take a break, buddy.' In my experience, once those bricks get wet, it's like trying to stack bars of soap. Tarps and tents? Sure, if you enjoy wrestling with giant plastic sheets in a breeze. Honestly, I've just accepted that some days the weather wins, and you're better off packing it in. Your mileage may vary, but I've never found a mix that laughs in the face of a proper downpour. It's one of those jobs where you learn to keep an eye on the sky like a paranoid gardener.

aaronroberts1mo ago

Reading @tara_stone42's take on wet mortar, it hit home. Came across an old builder's tip in a forum that said once the mix drinks too much water, it's basically game over. They joked about trying to salvage it being like herding cats. Honestly, that idea of watching the sky like a paranoid gardener is spot on, makes you wonder why we even try sometimes. Still, heard some crews use quick-set mixes in damp conditions, but never seen it work magic in a real storm.

jordan_wood281mo ago

Man, @tara_stone42, I used to fight the weather so hard on jobs. But you're right, some days you just gotta call it. Watching the sky is half the job sometimes.

the_laura28d ago

Nature's way of saying take a break" seems a bit dramatic. It's just water, not a natural disaster. A little drizzle never killed a wall.