I've been laying brick for about 8 years but always avoided arches. Finally took a swing at one for a client in Springfield and the keystone went in perfectly. Anyone else remember the first time an arch just clicked for them?
I was laying a soldier course for a garden wall in Phoenix last Tuesday when my nylon line just gave out. It was a cheap one I grabbed at a big box store, and it frayed right at the knot. I had to stop everything, eyeball the last few bricks, and then redo the whole section after I got a new line. Has anyone found a specific brand of line that holds up better in the heat?
I dropped about $1,200 on a portable mixer from Multiquick about five years back, thinking it was a silly luxury. That thing saved my back and my schedule on a big foundation job in Akron, mixing three times faster than my old method. Now I see the new kids with their fancy electric wheelbarrows and feel like an old timer. Anyone still using a hoe and a tub, or has everyone moved on?
I was just tracking for a tax thing and the number popped up, made me think about all the wear and tear. What's your go-to for joint support after a long day on the scaffold?
It was a no-name brand for fifty bucks and seemed fine mixing a small batch. When I tried to do a full load for a foundation course, the motor smoked and died halfway through. I had to stop everything, go rent a proper one, and remix all the material. Anyone have a reliable budget mixer they've used for a few seasons without trouble?
Read it in an old library book about ancient building. Their recipe used volcanic ash, lime, and water. No modern cement. Some of those walls are still standing today. Makes you think about the stuff we use now. How many of our jobs will be around in a century? Anyone else ever look at old work and wonder what they knew that we forgot?
Honestly, I was walking past the big courthouse job on 5th Street yesterday and the brickwork looks sharp. But I got close and saw they're using a lime mortar for the whole facade. My old boss always said lime was too soft for a public building that gets a lot of wear. The masons on site said it's better for the brick in our freeze-thaw cycles. Who's right here? Have you guys worked with lime mortar on a big job like that?
I was setting up for a long run, had my line tied off to a fence post about 30 feet away, and the cheap nylon cord just gave way halfway through the second course. I had to re-lay 40 bricks by eye, using a 4-foot level to check every few feet, and it took me the rest of the afternoon to get it straight again. What's your go-to method for keeping a long line tight and secure when you're working alone?
I was repointing an old chimney in Springfield and the new mortar just didn't grab right on the south face. The whole top course slid about a quarter inch out of line before it set. I had to pull it all down, clean the bricks again, and remix with a bit less water. Has anyone else had that happen with a sudden temperature drop? It got cold fast that afternoon.
Has anyone else found a smaller trowel works better for detailed restoration work, or do you stick with the bigger blade for speed?
I was on a chimney repair in Boise and the mixer died halfway through. Had to finish by hand and honestly, the control was better for the tight joints. Anyone else ever go back to the old way by choice?
I was working on a chimney repair near Forest Park, and I set my 10 inch Marshalltown down for just a minute. Next thing I know, a big grey squirrel grabs it by the handle and tries to run off with it. It only made it about three feet before the weight was too much, and it dropped the trowel off the side of the scaffold with a loud clang. Has anyone else had a critter mess with their tools on a job?
I was laying a brick patio in Denver last month and the homeowner insisted on the expensive stuff, but it set way too fast in the sun. I had to pull up and re-lay about 20 square feet because it skinned over before I could adjust the pattern. Has anyone else found it's not always the right choice for slower, detail work?
I was picking up 800 face bricks for a garden wall job and my truck's tailgate latch broke right as we started loading. This older bricklayer, named Frank, saw me panicking and just walked over with a length of heavy-duty ratchet strap from his own rig. He showed me how to loop it through the latch points to make a temporary hold that got me home. Where do you even learn tricks like that anymore? What's the best on-the-spot fix you've ever seen or done on site?
I just finished laying brick number 10,001 on a big apartment job in Cincinnati, and it hit me hard. Some guys say hitting a number like that is just a job, but for me it meant I'd built a whole building's skin with my own hands. Others think counting is silly and the real win is just a clean wall at the end of the day. Which side are you on, do big round numbers on a project mean anything to you?
He showed me his trick of using a story pole with every fifth brick marked in red chalk, and now I won't lay a single one without it.
I explained that's a fast track to trapped moisture and a cracked wall in a few winters. Anyone else had to talk a client out of a bad idea that seemed good to them?
He said 'the bag doesn't know it's raining' and watching a wall I built with perfect spec mix weep for a week made his advice click, so what's one old-school tip you ignored at first but now swear by?
He said, 'A crooked start is a crooked finish, and no amount of skill can fix a bad foundation.' It hit different because I'd been rushing that step on patios, thinking I could eyeball it. How do you guys handle your first course setup?
Last Thursday in Phoenix, it was hitting 110 by noon and my mix was drying out before I could even get a few bricks laid. I started adding a little ice water from my cooler and mixing smaller batches more often, which saved the whole day. What's your go-to trick for hot weather bricklaying?
I was cutting pavers for a patio in Dallas last July when the old hose on my Stihl saw split, spraying water and slurry everywhere. I had to shut down for an hour, clean the whole area, and run to the supply house for a new hose. What's your go-to move when a tool fails in the middle of a job?
I mean, I thought it was way too lean, but that patch on the chimney is the only part that didn't crack after the freeze last week. Anyone else have a weird mix ratio that actually works?