Old timer told me to soak my bricks before laying...

Met this retired mason at a supply yard in Austin and he swore soaking bricks in water for 20 minutes before laying them would stop the mortar from drying too fast. Tried it on a small retaining wall job last week and he was dead right... the bond was way stronger and I didn't get any cracking along the joints. Has anyone else here done this or is it just an old school thing that fell out of fashion?

3 comments

3 Comments

adamthompson22d ago

Yeah my grandpa swore by that trick and Ive done it on every wall since.

the_amy22d ago

And honestly @adamthompson, that old school method just works so good I've passed it to all the new guys on my crew too. Makes the job way easier when you don't have to fight with the wall.

smith.anna22d ago

Funny how the stuff our grandparents figured out just sticks around, while half the new fancy tools we buy end up gathering dust in the shed.