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The difference a simple string line made on my last retaining wall
I've been laying brick for about 8 years now and I always thought I had a good eye for level. Last month I finally got around to fixing that old retaining wall behind my buddy's house in Oak Park. After the first two rows I stopped and grabbed a string line because the mortar joints were starting to look crooked. What a difference it made. Over the next 6 hours I used the line every 3 or 4 bricks and the final product was dead straight compared to my first attempts where I was off by almost half an inch in some spots. I always skipped using a line because I thought it was for rookies. Has anyone else noticed how much cleaner their work looks when they just take the extra 30 seconds to set up a line?
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nancy35113d ago
Eh, I gotta push back on this a little bit. I mean sure, a string line helps but half an inch off on a retaining wall? That sounds like you were either rushing or not paying attention. I've done plenty of walls without a line and they came out straight enough nobody would ever notice a small gap here or there. Maybe I just don't get obsessed with perfection the way some people do. Honestly I think a lot of this "dead straight" talk is overblown by guys who spend too much time staring at their work with a level.
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