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I was at a job in Tampa and saw a crew skip the line block, and I think they're right
Honestly, I was working on a big commercial job in Tampa about six months ago. The crew next to us was laying up a straight run of block for a warehouse wall, and I noticed they weren't using a line block at all. They just had a guy on each end with a level and a string line pulled tight. I asked their foreman about it, and he said, 'We haven't used a block on a run under 50 feet for three years. It's faster and the line doesn't catch.' I tried it myself on a small garden wall the next week, and ngl, it felt weird at first. But after checking every third course, my plumb was just as good. I think a lot of us stick to the line block because it's what we were taught, but it can actually slow you down on simple, straight work. Has anyone else tried laying off the block for longer stretches?
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the_patricia4mo ago
Wait, they just had a guy on each end with a level? That's wild to me. I've seen the string line catch and mess up a whole course if someone bumps it. The block keeps it in place. I guess if your guys are really careful and the run is dead straight, maybe it works. But I'd be checking every single block, not every third course, lol. Feels like asking for a callback.
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sarah_johnson464mo ago
You're right about checking every block, but the string line doesn't actually touch the blocks. It's set just off the face. You run your blocks up to it. If someone bumps the line, you just reset it to the pins. The level guys are just for keeping the ends plumb. It's a pretty standard method for long, straight runs.
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noah_black3mo ago
Ha, @sarah_johnson46 I'd probably trip over my own level trying to set a string line!
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