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Overheard a guy at the supply yard say 'the wall is only as good as the first course'
I was picking up some sand in Tacoma last week and this old timer was telling a younger guy about a job he saw fail. He said they rushed the base layer on a small retaining wall and the whole thing leaned after a year. It made me stop and think about how often I check my first row with the level. I probably don't do it enough. How many times do you guys double-check your starting line before you really get going?
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vera3081mo ago
Ever think you could eyeball that first row? I used to. Then I saw a patio walkway I did start to sink on one side. Now I check it like three times before I even mix more mortar.
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the_tessa1mo ago
Man that old timer is right on the money lol. I built a planter box last summer and got lazy with the first course, just wanted to get it done. The whole thing had a visible lean by fall and I had to redo it. Now I check that first row with a level and a long straight edge, and I'll even walk away for a minute and come back to look at it fresh. Rushing the start just costs you more time later fixing it.
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