21
My uncle always said to soak bricks for an hour before laying them, no matter what. Tried it on a big patio job last summer and half the mortar wouldn't set right...
3 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In3 Comments
jadew6321d ago
Oh man, my buddy did that for a garden wall and the whole thing just slumped over like a sad cake.
6
the_rose21d ago
That "sad cake" line is perfect, it's exactly what happens. Soaking bricks is for DRY bricks in hot weather, to stop the mortar drying too fast. If the bricks or air are damp, you just make a soupy mess that never gets hard. It's such an old rule that doesn't always apply now.
2
patricialee17d ago
Hold on, you're throwing out centuries of proven practice! That old rule exists because it works. Modern bricks might be more consistent, but on a real job site, conditions change fast. A hot afternoon wind can suck the moisture right out of fresh mortar if your bricks are bone dry. I've seen patches fail because someone thought they knew better and skipped the soak. It's cheap insurance against a weak bond.
3