c/bricklayers

Went to that new library in Springfield and the brickwork on the exterior corners is all wrong.

Finally got the hang of keeping my mortar joints a clean 3/8 inch

Honestly, I kept seeing guys on a job in Tacoma last year with joints all over the place, some thick, some thin. It drives me nuts because it looks sloppy and can mess with the wall strength. I started using a story pole with marks every 8 inches for my block courses, and a simple 3/8 inch dowel as a spacer for my bricks. After about two weeks of being super strict with it, my lines got way straighter and the whole wall just looks pro. It's a small thing but it makes a huge difference in the finish. How do you guys keep your joints even, especially on long runs?

Finally caved and bought that $300 diamond blade for my saw last month.

It cut through the old foundation block like butter, saving me a full day of grinding and a ton of dust.

Just laid my 10,000th brick on the new library job downtown

I was keeping a rough count in my notebook and hit the number this morning on the third course of the north wall. It felt good to see that many bricks go up straight and true, especially on a public building. How many bricks do you think you lay in a normal week?

Tried a 12-inch level for a long wall versus my old 4-footer and the difference in plumb was obvious after the third course.

Has anyone else switched up their level size for bigger jobs and found it made things easier?

I finally realized my mortar was way too wet after a whole wall slumped in Houston

The inspector pointed at the weep holes and said 'that's not water, that's pure paste,' which meant I was washing out the cement. Anyone else have a simple trick for checking the right stiffness before you start laying?

Question about using a laser level for every single course. I think it slows you down more than it helps.

Rant: My mortar kept setting up too fast in the heat until I tried something dumb.

We were laying a garden wall in Spokane last July, and the mix was turning to dust in the pan after 20 minutes. I started adding a splash of cold water from my cooler every 10 minutes, just enough to keep it workable, and it actually got me through the whole afternoon without a single wasted batch. Does anyone have a better trick for keeping mortar plastic in a real dry heat?

I just realized I've laid over 50,000 bricks on this one apartment complex project in Austin.

Counting them up yesterday made me see how much sheer volume a single job can hold, and it got me wondering, what's the biggest brick count you've ever tallied on a single site?

Remember when we used to mix all the mortar by hand in a wheelbarrow?

I was on a job in Cincinnati about fifteen years ago, and we'd spend the first hour of every morning just shoveling sand and Portland cement into a barrow, adding water, and turning it over with a hoe. My shoulders would ache by 9 AM. The big shift for me was getting a small, used mortar mixer for $800 about six years back. It cut that setup time down to maybe fifteen minutes and gave a much more even mix every single batch. I held out for a long time, thinking the old way built character or something, but honestly, I just got tired of being worn out before I even laid my first course. The mixer lets me focus on the wall itself, not on my back. Anyone else make that switch later in their career and wonder why they waited so long?

Hot take: My dad said to always use a 3/8 inch joint for a brick veneer, and I should have listened.

Went with a 1/2 inch on a Chicago job last fall and the whole wall started weeping water after the first hard freeze. Anyone else had a spec bite them like that?

Warning: My mortar mixer's belt snapped halfway through a foundation pour

It happened yesterday morning on a job in Dayton. I was about halfway through mixing a 60-pound bag of mortar when I heard a loud pop and the drum just stopped. The drive belt had completely shredded. I had to run to the supply house, grab a replacement for about $25, and swap it out right there in the mud. Anyone know a good brand for a more durable belt that can handle the cold? Mine was only six months old.

Had a big mortar mix fail on a Denver job last month

I was laying brick for a garden wall and the batch of mortar was way too wet. It started sagging and sliding out of the joints after about 20 minutes. I had to stop, scrape it all off, and remix the whole thing with more sand and cement. It set me back almost two hours on the schedule. I think the helper added an extra gallon of water by mistake. What's your go-to fix when a mix is wrong on site?

Showerthought: I've been mixing my mortar too wet for a decade and a brick in Cincinnati showed me.

Saw a crew in Tampa using the wrong mortar for a pool deck in the rain

They were laying brick with a standard type N mix during a downpour last Tuesday. The whole first course washed out before they even got to the second. How do you guys handle sudden weather changes on a big outdoor job?

I finally gave in and tried a different mortar mix on a big job in Spokane

Last month I was working on a big chimney rebuild for a house in Spokane, and the homeowner insisted on using a pre-blended Type N with a plasticizer already in it. I've always been a 'mix it myself with just sand, lime, and cement' guy, thinking the bagged stuff was for amateurs. But this job had a tight deadline and the weather was turning cold, so I agreed. We laid about 800 bricks with it over three days. The stuff was way more consistent than my usual mix, especially in the chill, and the butter was perfect straight from the tub. It saved us a ton of time not having to tweak the mix every few hours. I still like knowing exactly what's in my mud, but for a fast, cold weather job, I get the appeal now. Has anyone else switched to a pre-mix for specific jobs and stuck with it?

I thought using a laser level for a simple garden wall was overkill, but I was wrong.

My neighbor asked me to build a short brick planter, maybe 15 courses high, and I figured I could just eyeball it with a string line. He had a basic laser level and kept pushing me to use it, so I finally gave in. After setting it up, I saw my first three courses were off by almost half an inch on one end. I fixed it right then and the whole thing went up perfectly straight in about two hours. What's a job you thought was too small for a tool that ended up saving your bacon?

Serious question, has anyone else tried using a standard trowel versus a pointing trowel for tight joints?

I was doing a small repair on a 1920s chimney in Cincinnati and my regular trowel was just too big to get the mortar in cleanly. Borrowed a pointing trowel from the guy on the next job and it was way faster with less mess. What's your go-to tool for tricky repointing?

My mortar mixer belt snapped halfway through a patio job in Phoenix last Tuesday

I was mixing a big batch for a herringbone pattern when the motor just spun free. The belt was only six months old, a Gates PowerGrip. I had to run to the supply house for a new one, which cost me $45 and an hour of lost time. Has anyone found a more reliable belt brand for daily mixing?

I finally tried a laser level on a long garden wall and it was a game changer

Always used a string line and a 4 foot level for runs over 20 feet, but a buddy lent me his DeWalt laser for a job in Charlotte. Set it up in under a minute and the whole crew could see the line from anywhere, no more checking and rechecking. We laid 500 bricks that day and the wall was dead straight the whole way. Anyone else switch to lasers for big jobs and never look back?

Serious question, has anyone else had a brick saw blade just shatter on them?

I was cutting some reclaimed pavers yesterday and the 14-inch diamond blade on my old saw exploded, sending pieces everywhere. I'm now convinced that checking for hairline cracks in the blade before each job is not just a suggestion. What's the best way you guys check yours?

I was wrong about that 'fast set' mortar mix for a foundation job

I mean, I bought a pallet of that RapidSet stuff for a foundation in Springfield because the schedule was tight, cost me about $350 extra. But the stuff went off way too fast in the heat, we lost a whole batch and had to scramble to get regular mix. Has anyone found a decent fast mix that actually gives you a workable window?

Had to pick between a 4-foot and a 6-foot level for a big chimney rebuild

Honestly, I went with the 6-footer for the long runs and it was way better for keeping things plumb. My helper said it looked 'straight as an arrow' when we finished. Anyone else have a strong preference on level length for tall work?

I see a lot of guys laying block with the frog down and it drives me nuts

I was on a job in Springfield last month and the whole crew was setting the hollow side of the concrete block facing up. They said it makes the bed joint easier. But that frog is there to key the mortar in and make the wall stronger. I've been doing this twenty years and I've seen walls crack where they didn't key it right. Has anyone else had to fix work because of this?

Shoutout to the contractor in Phoenix who told me 'a good bricklayer never blames his level'

Heard that line on a job last month and it stuck with me, making me double-check my setup before pointing fingers at a tool.