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Why does nobody tell new guys to wet the brick before laying it in summer
An old timer named Ray who ran a crew in Phoenix for 30 years watched me lay dry brick on a 104 degree day and told me I was baking the mortar before it could set. He said to dunk each one in a bucket for a few seconds first. I blew him off for two days until a wall I built started showing hairline cracks near the top course, and then I tried his way. The mortar grabbed way better and the cracks quit happening on the next job. Now I keep two buckets on the truck all summer. Anybody else got a trick for keeping mortar workable when it is this hot out?
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vera_roberts24d ago
Baking the mortar before it can set is exactly right, and it goes for block too, not just brick. What saved me in that kind of heat was misting the bed of mortar with a spray bottle before I set each unit, just a light pass so the top stays tacky instead of crusting over in five minutes. It is a small thing, but it buys you the working time you lose to the sun.
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