lily97•3d ago

Can we talk about the old mason who showed me his trick for a clean strike in the rain

I argued with him for ten minutes in that Pittsburgh downpour about how it couldn't be done, until he pulled a dry sponge from his bucket, wiped a single course, and got a perfect joint with his striker, proving me wrong about working wet mortar.

2 comments

2 Comments

miam113d ago

That dry sponge trick is genius lol. I had a guy show me something similar with keeping a small towel under his trowel. He'd just dab the brick right before he set it, kept the mortar from washing out. Totally changed how I work in damp weather.

haydenc103d ago

My old foreman in Texas swore by that towel trick, miam11. He'd keep a scrap of terry cloth tucked in his belt and give every brick a quick pat. It sounds small but it saved so much time on cleanup later. I tried the dry sponge last week on a misty morning and it worked just as well, kept the joints looking sharp. Those little tricks from other masons are worth more than any fancy tool.