Hot take: pointing a brick wall south vs north isn't just about drying time...

I was up in Portland last week on a jobsite, and the guy running the crew insisted we set the stack facing south for better sun exposure during cure. But I've always heard you want north-facing walls so the mortar doesn't dry too fast and crack. He said if you work fast enough, south side is fine, but I saw three hairline cracks by the end of day. Which side do you favor for your long runs, especially in cooler climates like the Pacific Northwest?

2 comments

2 Comments

baker.ben1mo ago

...and you know what, I feel that struggle hard. I've been burned by that same "work faster" logic before, and it's almost like the guys pushing it never have to come back and look at the wall a week later. Hairline cracks might not seem like a big deal to some folks, but when you're the one who has to stare at them every time you walk past, it sticks with you. North facing all the way for me too, especially on those long runs where you can't just baby every joint. Slower cure means fewer headaches down the road, period.

blake3021mo ago

Man I used to be ALL about south facing walls for the sun cure, thought it was the only way to get a solid set, but that Portland crew experience you had totally flipped my perspective. You see cracks on a south face early and it makes you realize the mortar is just pulling moisture way too fast, especially in that PNW damp where the air is heavy but the sun still hits hard when it breaks through. I always figured north facing meant slower cure and weaker walls but now I'm thinking slower is actually BETTER for preventing those hairline cracks, especially on long runs where you can't babysit every foot. That tradeoff between speed and quality is real, and if I have to work a bit faster to keep the line moving on a north face, that beats dealing with cracked mortar any day.