My brother-in-law said something about my pointing that stuck with me

He's a carpenter, not a mason, but he watched me repoint a chimney in his backyard. He said, 'You move like you're fighting the mortar, not working with it.' I've been laying brick for fifteen years and always thought speed was the main thing. That one comment made me slow down and really feel the mix, and the joints look better than they have in months. Anyone else have a non-bricklayer give them a tip that actually worked?

4 comments

4 Comments

wade_anderson1mo ago

Wait, he's a carpenter and he gave you bricklaying advice? Honestly, that's wild. Tbh I'd be kind of annoyed if my brother-in-law did that. But ngl, it's crazy that slowing down actually worked. Makes you wonder what else we're doing wrong just because it's fast.

the_jessica1mo ago

What other fast things should we actually do slow?

ray5628d ago

Fast work tricks your brain into thinking you're being productive. Slow work actually lets you see the mistakes before they set. That carpenter probably saved you a full day of fixing sloppy joints later.

claire_craig321mo ago

Honestly, that carpenter probably saw the same thing in your joints that he sees when someone fights a nail gun. Maybe we all need an outsider to tell us when we're just wrestling with our work instead of actually doing it.