Old timer at the supply yard told me to wet my bricks before laying in July heat

After fighting mortar drying out in 5 minutes on a patio job in Phoenix last summer I tried soaking a batch of firebrick overnight and the mortar stayed workable almost twice as long, has anyone else found certain bricks need more soak time than others?

2 comments

2 Comments

amy_foster5623d ago

Soaked 'em overnight huh? Sounds like you were trying to baptize the bricks into a longer life... guess it worked better than I'd expect. I tried that once with some old salvaged brick and they just turned into a soggy mess that fell apart. Maybe firebrick is different because it's denser or something... either way, you probably looked like a genius at the job site while everyone else was fighting dry mortar. Just don't leave 'em soaking so long they start growing moss, that might be a new problem.

valsullivan22d ago

Used to think soaking was a waste of time, but that makes sense with firebrick being denser.