carter.mila•3d agoMost Upvoted

That 60-second mortar test changed my mind about pre-wetting bricks

I was always a dry-lay guy. Thought pre-wetting was a waste of time. Then I watched a video from a old school mason in Boston. He soaked a brick for 60 seconds and weighed it before and after. That single brick absorbed nearly a pound of water. That's water that would have sucked right out of my mortar. I tried it on my next job, a small retaining wall in my backyard. The mortar stayed workable way longer. No more hairline cracks from flash drying. Has anyone else done the weight test on their local brick?

3 comments

3 Comments

kimw573d ago

Funny enough, I tested this with some salvaged brick that had old mortar still stuck on it and the weight change was barely anything. So I wonder if the brick type and how porous it is matters just as much as pre-wetting.

the_robin3d agoRising Star

Pre-wetting changed my game on a block wall I did last summer. The mortar stayed soft for shaping even in direct sun. Never going back to dry brick on anything structural.

brooket432d ago

Totally disagree, wet brick just makes a mess and weakens the bond.