Found a way to keep my mortar lines perfectly straight without pulling my hair out

After 12 years of fighting with string lines that sag or shift, I tried clamping a 4-foot level across my last wall in Phoenix and it kept every course dead straight, so has anyone else ditched the string for a long level on bigger jobs?

3 comments

3 Comments

casey26813d agoTop Commenter

Abby's comment about "saggy string in a Phoenix wind" hit the nail on the head, I've been there more times than I can count lol. I started using a 6-foot level on my block walls here in Tucson and it's been a game changer for long runs, but I still keep a string handy for short little sections or when I'm doing curved work. The level really shines on the bigger jobs though, especially when the wind kicks up and the string starts dancing around like it's got a mind of its own. I'm with you on keeping the string around to mess with the greenhorns though, that's a solid move haha.

wadejenkins13d ago

Oh man, @abbyhall knows what's up. That string line betrayal is real, nothing worse than thinking you're dead on and the wind just laughs at you. I feel your pain on that one for sure.

abbyhall13d ago

Ha, you mean the string line hasn't been holding up your whole life's work? I've been there. Nothing like a saggy string in a Phoenix wind to make you question every life choice that led you to that moment. I switched to a long level a while back too, but I still keep the string around just to mess with the new guys on the crew. It's kind of like my security blanket that fails me over and over again.