c/bricklayers

I know everyone swears by the plastic bed joint reinforcement strips for long walls, but after building a 40-foot garden wall in Spokane last fall, I found that using a proper lime mortar with the right mix and a slower cure gave me zero cracks, while the neighbor's wall with the strips had three vertical cracks by spring.

Has anyone else had a wall hold up better without those plastic strips, or was I just lucky with the weather?

Tried a new lime mix on a chimney rebuild and the difference was huge

I was repointing an old chimney in Cincinnati and swapped my usual type N for a type O mix. The type O was way softer and more forgiving on the hundred-year-old bricks, didn't force any cracks. Anyone else use a different mortar spec for historic work?

Hot take: my new $90 brick hammer chipped on the first day laying a herringbone pattern.

The handle was fine, but the forged steel head lost a chunk hitting a firebrick, so I had to switch back to my old Estwing for the rest of the job in Tacoma.

Rant: A foreman told me my brick spacing was 'good enough for a garden wall'

He was right, and it stung. I was laying a chimney for a custom home in Boulder, and he pointed out my vertical joints were off by maybe an eighth of an inch in a few spots. I argued it was fine, but he made me step back and look at the whole line. The pattern just didn't look crisp. So now I check every third course with a story pole and a 4-foot level, not just my trowel. It adds maybe ten minutes to a day, but the work looks way tighter. Anyone else have a small critique that actually stuck with them?

I always thought a 10mm joint was just fine for everything

A mason in Phoenix pointed out my garden wall was cracking because I was using the same joint width with different brick types. He showed me how a 12mm joint with the softer clay bricks I had would have let them move properly. What's the biggest 'aha' moment you've had about mortar specs?

Hot take: I thought the laser level was just a fancy toy until last month's job

We had to build a long garden wall with a curve in it, about 50 feet total. My boss brought out a DeWalt laser level and I rolled my eyes, thinking my string line and level were fine. He set it up in 5 minutes and we laid the first course perfectly straight and level across the whole run. The curve part was way easier because we could just follow the laser dot on each brick. I've been using it on every job since. Anyone have a good trick for keeping the laser receiver working when the sun is really bright?

My uncle told me to always wet my bricks in the summer heat

He said it stops the mortar from drying too fast and cracking. I tried it on a patio job in Phoenix last July, and it worked like a charm. The joints stayed solid while my buddy's wall across town had hairline cracks in a week. Anyone else have a simple trick for hot weather work?

Talked to a mason in Charleston who only uses lime mortar on old brick

He told me his crew fixed a 1920s church wall with a 3:1 sand to lime mix, and it lets the brick breathe. I always thought modern cement was just stronger, but he said it traps moisture and spalls the face. Anyone else work on historic jobs and switch their mortar type?

Had a whole section of a garden wall start to lean in Cincinnati last fall, the mortar just wasn't setting right in the cold.

Serious question, has anyone else had a brick arch collapse on them during a repair?

I was fixing a 3-foot garden arch in my own yard and the whole thing came down because I didn't support the center properly. It took me almost 6 hours to clean up and rebuild it right.

I used to think a 3/8 inch joint was fine for everything, but a guy on a job in Tacoma set me straight

We were laying some heavy-duty pavers for a driveway and I was just going with my usual joint width. This older bricklayer, Pete, watched me for a minute and said, 'You're gonna get heave in a year with that tight joint in this weather.' He explained that with the freeze-thaw cycles up here, you need a full 1/2 inch joint with the right polymeric sand to let things move without cracking. I switched it up for the rest of that job, about 500 square feet, and it's been solid for two winters now. Anyone else adjust their specs for different climates?

Finally switched from a standard trowel to a Marshalltown 14-inch for a big foundation job

The extra length and balance cut my time by a solid hour and my lines are way cleaner. Anyone else have a go-to tool that just makes the work flow better?

Just realized I've laid over 50,000 bricks in the last two years, and honestly, that number feels kinda hollow.

It's a big count, but it just reminds me that speed and volume are what get praised, not the quality of the joints or the pride in a perfectly plumb wall, so has anyone else felt like the real milestones get overlooked?

I chose a 4.5 inch brick over a standard modular for a garden wall in Denver, and the client hated the look.

They said the thicker joints from the oversize brick made the whole thing look 'clunky', even though it saved me a full day's labor and about $200 on material, so has anyone else had a client reject a more efficient build for purely visual reasons?

Vent: I was cutting bricks wrong for like a year and only found out because of a kid's toy

So I was doing a small patio job in my own town, just a simple herringbone pattern. I was cutting all the half bricks with my hammer and bolster, like I always do. It was fine, but I was going through a lot of blades and the edges were never super clean. My buddy's kid, maybe 8 years old, was watching me work from the back door. He comes out with one of those plastic toy tool sets and starts 'cutting' a piece of scrap wood with his little saw. He goes, 'You gotta go slow like this, see?' and he's making these tiny, careful back-and-forth motions. I laughed, but then it hit me. I was just whacking the chisel as hard as I could every time. I tried a lighter touch with more scoring passes on the next brick, and the cut was way cleaner with less waste. I mean, I felt like a total goof. Has anyone else had a basic technique thing they were doing wrong for way too long?

I finally got my brick corbel work to line up perfectly after 6 months of practice on my own garage.

I was mixing mortar too wet for a decade because my boss said so

Always did a 4 to 1 sand to cement ratio but added water until it looked like thick paint. Last month in Phoenix, a guy I was helping pointed out my bricks were sliding all afternoon. He said, 'That's soup, not mud.' Tried a stiffer mix the next day and my speed doubled. Anyone else have a basic habit they had to unlearn?

Working on a chimney rebuild in Denver, I saw a guy use a piece of PVC pipe to keep his line level clean.

He'd cut a 2-foot section of 3-inch pipe, cap one end, and fill it with water to check level across long runs. Anyone else have a simple trick for keeping tools clean on a windy site?

I dropped $600 on a laser level for a big foundation job

Everyone on my crew said it was a waste and to just use string lines. But setting up that 100 foot wall alone would have taken half a day. With the laser, I had the first course perfectly level in under an hour. The boss saw the speed and now he wants one for every crew. Anyone have a cheaper model they actually trust for outdoor work?

My uncle always said to soak bricks for an hour before laying them, no matter what. Tried it on a big patio job last summer and half the mortar wouldn't set right...

Laid 800 bricks in a single day on a straight run, felt like a machine

We had a simple garden wall job in Springfield, just a straight line with no corners or curves. Everything clicked, the mix was perfect, and I just kept going. Has anyone else had one of those days where everything just flows?

I finally laid a curved walkway with reclaimed bricks, and it turned out great.

It was tough getting the curve just right without breaking the old bricks. I had to adjust my mortar to account for their uneven edges. More clients in my area are asking for eco-friendly options, so this skill is becoming key. What mixes do you all use for reclaimed materials?

Question about hand mixing mortar back in the day

I once saw my uncle try to mix a batch in a wheelbarrow during a downpour, ended up with cement soup. Now with the mixer, that whole mess is just a wild memory.

PSA: Watch out for new brick batches that don't weather like the old local ones

I keep fixing walls where bricks from a couple decades back look great, but fresh builds show face cracks after one season. Back then, our area yards took time with the clay mix, so bricks stayed tough through rain and cold. Now, a lot of supply comes from fast production lines, and the material just doesn't bind the same. If you're stocking up, get a few bricks wet and freeze them to see how they hold before you lay a whole course.

I used to skip cleaning my trowel between mixes

Thought it was a waste of minutes when I was in a rush. Then I got a bad set on a critical joint that cost me hours to fix. Now I wipe it down every time, no exceptions.