Overheard a new guy say he'd rather stack block than brick and it got me thinking

Was working on a foundation job in Tulsa last week and this kid fresh out of the union hall was complaining about brick texture. Said he'd rather do CMU all day cause it's 'more uniform.' I get it, block goes faster and you don't have to worry about color blending as much. But brick gives you way more room to show off your skills, you know? Anyone else prefer one over the other for different reasons?

2 comments

2 Comments

evan_stone14d ago

Block's the way to go if you actually care about getting paid and getting home on time. Brick looks nice and all but it's slow work, way more cleanup, and one bad batch of color can ruin a whole wall. In my experience, the guys who talk up brick the most are the ones who don't have to buy their own material or deal with the weather delays. Plus, block lets you stack way more square footage in a day, which means more money in your pocket at the end of the week. That kid might be onto something if he's trying to build a career instead of just show off.

king.kevin13d ago

Started stacking block back in Ohio on industrial jobs and never looked back. You can pump out 80-100 block a day easy once you get the rhythm down, and the money adds up way faster than fussing with brick ties and weep holes. I learned quick that clean, straight block work impresses the right people just as much as fancy brick patterns do.