c/bricklayers

Old foreman told me to wet my bricks before laying in summer heat, I thought he was full of it

Last July we were framing a retaining wall for a driveway in Phoenix. Temp was pushing 106. This old timer named Chuck kept yelling at me to dunk the bricks before I laid them. I figured they'd dry out in like 5 mins anyway so what's the point. After about 2 hours the mortar started cracking and pulling away from one section. He came over and showed me how the dry bricks were sucking all the moisture out of the mud before it could set. Had to tear out a 4 foot section and redo it. Has anyone else ran into this or am I just the only one who had to learn the hard way?

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the_nathan•2d ago

TIL some guys butter the back of brick and some don't - which side are you on?

I was on a job last week in Kansas City with a crew that does things totally different. They slap the mortar straight onto the wall and just press the brick on, no back buttering at all. Meanwhile I've always been taught to put a thin coat on the back of every brick for better bonding. They told me back buttering is a waste of time and mortar, but I've seen too many walls crack from poor adhesion. The way I see it, you either trust the wall butter method or you take the extra 30 seconds per brick. So which way do you do it and why?

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davis.emma•3d ago

Tried a wet lay on a retaining wall last weekend and it was a mess

I was working on a job over near Maple Street in Oakville, and I figured I'd save time by laying the first course on a wet footing instead of letting it cure overnight. Big mistake... the blocks shifted like crazy and I spent an extra 2 hours trying to get them level again. Lesson learned: always let the footing set at least 12 hours before you start. Anyone else ever rush a wet lay and regret it?

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davis.emma•5d ago

Guy at the supply yard told me to stop wetting my bricks and I thought he was nuts

Old timer named Rick at Builders Depot in Phoenix watched me soaking a pallet and said 'you're just making mud, kid.' Told me to keep them dry and use a plasticizer instead for Arizona heat. Does anyone else adjust their method based on local climate or do you stick with what you learned?

c/bricklayers

Old foreman told me to wet my bricks before laying in summer heat, I thought he was full of it

TIL some guys butter the back of brick and some don't - which side are you on?

Tried a wet lay on a retaining wall last weekend and it was a mess

Guy at the supply yard told me to stop wetting my bricks and I thought he was nuts

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