Soaking bricks completely changed how my mortar holds up

Honestly, I never gave brick soaking much thought. Tbh, I'd just splash them with water and start laying. But after a buddy pointed out cracks in my old projects, I tried soaking them overnight. I set up a trough in my yard and fill it the evening before. The bricks drink up all that water and don't steal it from the mix. My lines stay straight and the bond is so much tighter. Ngl, it adds a step to my day, but seeing those walls stand firm makes it all good. I even told my apprentice, and now he does it too.

3 comments

3 Comments

simons1228d ago

That part about walls standing firm hits home, I learned the hard way that dry bricks just suck the life out of mortar.

henry_campbell1527d ago

Yeah, simons12 is right about that sucking the life out of it. It's not just bricks either, anything porous will wreck your mix if it's thirsty. I see it like leaving a door open - you're just asking for a weak spot. In my line of work, that's how pests get in, through the gaps you didn't mean to make. A solid bond is a solid bond, whether it's mortar or anything else.

robinson.quinn18d ago

What kind of pests are we talking about, Henry, and did simons12 have that issue too?