I finally measured it: 3/8 inch joint on a 40 foot wall, and half the crew says it's fine

Ray Williams · 2026-10-24T06:00:05.929546+00:00

Two weeks back on a job in Lansing we had a 40 foot block wall and the mason on the lead end was leaving 3/8 inch joints on the head and bed while the other two of us were holding 3/8 to 1/2 as the spec called out. He told me a little extra mud never hurt a wall and it fills better, but I pulled a line and that one end ran almost an inch and a quarter off over the whole run. I get that a fat joint feels safer and a tight one looks cleaner, so I want to hear both sides on this. My point is that joint size sets your coursing and your coursing sets your height, so you can't just eyeball it course by course and hope. I check mine with a folding rule every 4 or 5 courses now, takes maybe 10 seconds each time. What do you all run for head joints on block, and does your crew actually hold one number or does it drift by lunch?

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I finally measured it: 3/8 inch joint on a 40 foot wall, and half the crew says it's fine | Bricklayers - Free To Speak