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Finally got the hang of keeping my mortar joints a clean 3/8 inch
Honestly, I kept seeing guys on a job in Tacoma last year with joints all over the place, some thick, some thin. It drives me nuts because it looks sloppy and can mess with the wall strength. I started using a story pole with marks every 8 inches for my block courses, and a simple 3/8 inch dowel as a spacer for my bricks. After about two weeks of being super strict with it, my lines got way straighter and the whole wall just looks pro. It's a small thing but it makes a huge difference in the finish. How do you guys keep your joints even, especially on long runs?
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kim.jake1d ago
Ever think about how uneven joints can mess with the thermal performance? A consistent joint helps the insulation work right, which is a big deal now with energy codes getting tighter.
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grays132d ago
Honestly, that sounds like a great way to burn time for no real payoff. I've been laying brick for twenty years and my joints are never exactly the same. A little variation gives a wall character, shows it was done by hand. As long as the structure is sound, who cares if a joint is a fat quarter inch instead of three eighths? Clients never notice, and chasing perfect lines just slows the whole job down.
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