c/bricklayers

My foreman swore by a $40 chalk line reel for years and I thought it was nonsense

He kept this beat-up Tajima in his bag for a decade, claiming the nylon line never snapped. I bought a cheap one from the big box store that broke on a foundation layout in July. After the third replacement, I grabbed his model and haven't had a single snap in 8 months, even in cold weather. So, is a pricier reel actually worth it, or did I just get lucky with this one?

Had a whole brick wall start to bow on a job in Tacoma two weeks ago

We were about three quarters done with a garden wall when I noticed the middle section pushing out by almost an inch. The footing was solid, but the ground behind it had gotten soaked from a busted sprinkler line. I had to tear down that entire section, let the soil dry, and rebuild it with a proper drainage layer. Has anyone else had a wall fail because of hidden water like that?

Vent: Got told my mortar mix was too wet for a chimney rebuild in Duluth

A veteran mason said 'that's soup, not mortar' and now I always check the slump with a trowel before I start. Anyone else get stubborn about their mix ratio?

I just laid my 100,000th brick on the Johnson project in Cedar Rapids

I never kept count before, but my foreman told me the number today. It hit me that I've built a lot of walls over the years. That's a whole lot of mortar mixed and joints tooled. Has anyone else ever tracked their total like that?

The difference in my work after I finally started using a laser level

I used to think a string line and my eye were good enough for everything, especially on smaller jobs like garden walls. That changed last fall when I did a big patio extension in Cincinnati. The homeowner wanted a herringbone pattern with a tight joint, and my old way just wasn't cutting it. I borrowed a DeWalt laser level from a buddy and the first course I laid with it was a total game changer. The line was perfect, no sag, and I could check my work every five minutes. Over the two week job, I swear I saved at least a full day of tear-downs and re-dos. My joints were cleaner and the whole thing looked pro in a way my stuff didn't before. I bought my own the next week. Anyone else have a tool they resisted that completely changed their quality?

Spent a whole afternoon just getting the first course right on a curved garden wall

The homeowner wanted a gentle curve, but getting each brick to sit level and follow the line took forever... I think it was about five hours just for that base. How do you guys handle curved layouts without losing your mind?

Finally got my first solo chimney rebuild right after two messy tries

Tbh, the first two chimneys I did on my own in the spring had some wobbly lines and the mortar was too wet. This week, I took my time with the mix and used a story pole for every course, and the whole thing came out straight and clean. What's your go-to trick for keeping a tall stack plumb without a laser?

Question about mixing mud for a big garden wall job

I was working on a curved wall in a backyard in Austin, and the homeowner's dad, a retired mason, came out to watch. He said, 'Son, your mix is too wet for this heat, it's gonna slump before you set the third brick.' I was using my usual 3:1 sand to lime ratio but with extra water. He told me to cut the water by a third and add a shovel of clay from his yard. Tried it, and the mortar held its shape perfectly all afternoon. Anyone else had an old timer give you a simple fix like that?

The time a squirrel stole my chalk line on a job in Boise

I was setting up for a big garden wall last spring, and I had my chalk line snapped out nice and straight. Turned my back for maybe 30 seconds to grab a level, and this little red squirrel just zipped down a tree, grabbed the metal hook in its mouth, and ran off with the whole reel. It dragged it up the tree and left it tangled in the branches about 15 feet up. Had to borrow a ladder from the homeowner to get it back. Anyone else have a wild animal mess with their tools on site?

Got schooled on a chimney rebuild in Boulder last month

I was repointing a 100-year-old chimney and using my usual 3/4 inch tuckpointing trowel. This old timer, who was just walking his dog, stopped and asked if I was planning to redo it next year. He showed me how the original mortar joints were a full inch wide, and my smaller trowel wasn't packing the mortar deep enough to last. I switched to a 1-inch trowel and the difference in how solid it feels is huge. Has anyone else had a simple tool change make that big a difference on old brickwork?

Rant: The day we had to redo a 400-square-foot patio because the homeowner's dog dug under the footer before the concrete set.

We came back the next morning to find a 3-foot-wide crater and a very proud-looking golden retriever, which meant a full day of demo and resetting forms on what should have been a simple pour.

Just realized that $400 on a powered mortar mixer a few years back saved my back and my schedule on a big foundation job.

It cut the mixing time in half and let me keep laying while my old partner was still struggling with the hoe, which made me wonder if anyone else has a tool they bought that changed their daily grind.

The day a squirrel decided to help with my mortar mix

I was setting up for a small garden wall job in a quiet suburb last Thursday, with my mixer going and a fresh batch of mortar ready. I turned my back for maybe 30 seconds to grab a trowel, and when I looked back, a fat grey squirrel was perched on the edge of the mixer tub, frantically digging and burying what I can only assume was a very important acorn right in the middle of my mix. I yelled, it jumped, and I was left staring at this perfect little hole and a single acorn now sealed in the wall's foundation. I just mixed it right over and kept going. Has anyone else had wildlife try to join the crew on a job?

A homeowner in Dayton watched me point a chimney for an hour and then asked if he could try a few tucks himself.

He got the mix too wet at first, but after showing him the 'butter' consistency, he laid three perfect joints and said it was the most satisfying thing he'd done all year, which made a long day feel a bit better.

Warning about that new 'fast set' mortar mix from last month

Used it on a small garden wall in April, and by mid-June the joints were already crumbling. The rep said it was fine for exterior work, but it clearly can't handle freeze-thaw cycles. Has anyone else had a wall fail this quickly with a premix?

Had a weird moment last month on a job in Boise where I finally understood why my old foreman was so picky about mixing times.

An old foreman in Denver told me my jointing was too slow and it made the mortar set up wrong.

He said I was fussing over each brick too long, and that by the time I got to the end of a course, the start was already too stiff to tool properly. I started working in smaller, faster sections of about ten bricks at a time and the finish got way more consistent. How do you guys pace your work to keep the mortar from skinning over?

Serious question, I used to mix my own mortar for every job in Chicago, now I just buy the pre-mix bags.

About two years ago, I was on a tight deadline for a small patio job and grabbed a bag of Quikrete Mason Mix from the yard. It was so much faster and the consistency was perfect every time, even in the cold. I still do my own for big pours or special jobs, but for most things it's just not worth the time anymore. Has anyone else switched over for the smaller stuff, or am I just getting lazy?

Had to choose between a 4-inch and 6-inch block for a garden wall in Denver, went with the 4-inch and it worked out

Bought a cheap brick chisel from a discount tool truck and it snapped on the third brick.

I was doing a small repair job on a garden wall last week and the blade just sheared off, sending a piece flying. Cost me about $15 for the tool and another $40 for the new bricks I had to replace. Should have just gone to the proper supply house like I usually do. What's the worst tool failure you guys have had on site?

Serious question, does anyone else see new guys trying to lay a full brick in one go without buttering the bed first?

I watched a kid on a site in Springfield last week try to slap a brick down dry and then chase it with mortar, and it's a sure way to get a weak bond and a call back in six months.

I finally hit 1000 bricks laid in a single day and it changed how I see the job

Rant: I keep seeing guys in Chicago lay brick without checking the line every third course.

They just eyeball it and then wonder why the wall looks wavy from ten feet away. Anyone else run into this on a crew?

Thought I could eyeball a curved garden wall, ended up taking three days

Had a job for a curved brick planter in a backyard, maybe a 15 foot run. Figured I could just set the line and bend it by feel, no big deal. Wrong. Getting the curve smooth and the courses level took forever, I kept having to pull bricks and redo sections. What should have been a one day job turned into three full days of fussing with it. Next time I'm building a proper plywood form before I even mix the mortar. Anyone have a good method for setting out a clean curve without a ton of hassle?

My line snapped on a big chimney job last Thursday

I was setting up for a repoint on a two-story chimney in the old part of town. I had just hung my line and was about to start when the mason's twine gave way, sending my level and plumb bob straight down. I had to scramble down the ladder to check for damage, luckily nothing was hit. I keep a spare roll in the truck now, but what's the strongest line you all use for high work?