15
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?
3 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In3 Comments
the_elizabeth3d ago
Funny how skipping the small things leads to big cracks everywhere, not just in brickwork.
6
miaprice3d ago
That line about "building a future pile of gravel" hits hard because it's exactly what happened to me. I used to think wetting bricks was an old wives' tale, a waste of time in the heat. Then I laid a small garden wall in August, all dry bricks with mortar mixed fast. Two weeks later I had hairline cracks running through the joints and a couple bricks just wobbled loose. Now I soak them same as you, about five seconds in a bucket of water. Feels like it takes forever but I haven't had a single crack since. Funny how the simplest thing can save you so much headache.
2
oliviabutler3d ago
My grandpa used to say dry bricks in summer just means you're building a future pile of gravel.
-1