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Old timer told me to wet my bricks before laying and I never listened
Had a guy named Fred who's been laying since the 70s tell me to dunk my bricks before mortaring them. I always thought it was some old school waste of time. Then last week on a job in downtown Portland the damn mortar was drying too fast and cracking. Fred was right, the water slowed it down and the bond held way better. Any of you guys still wetting your bricks or am I behind the times?
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the_thomas10d ago
Yeah "Fred was right" about sums it up. I was the same way for years, figured it was just more work for no reason. Then I hit a hot dry spell and watched my mortar turn to dust before I could even get the level on it. Now I soak em good the night before if I can, or at least give em a good spray right before laying. Makes a huge difference in the bond strength and keeps your joints from shrinking and cracking later on.
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alicemurphy10d ago
Hear you on the hot dry spell thing... soaking the night before is the way to go if you can plan ahead. But if you're like me and forget half the time, a good misting right before you lay them works in a pinch. Just don't drown them, you want them damp not dripping. I've also noticed it helps keep the mortar from setting up too fast on the trowel, gives you a bit more time to wiggle things into place before it grabs.
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