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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?
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oliviat17
oliviat173d ago
Yeah, I learned that one the hard way too. I was so proud of my first patio, used the same mix for everything. Next winter, half the pavers popped right up. My neighbor, who's been laying brick for forty years, just shook his head and said I basically made a giant ice cube tray. Felt pretty dumb mixing a big batch of wrong.
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fisher.adam
Oh man, that reminds me of my disaster with sand mix! I wanted it super strong for a walkway, so I used way too much cement. It looked great for a month, then it just shattered into a hundred pieces from the freeze. Total rookie move.
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