My foreman in Phoenix said to always soak bricks for 30 minutes before laying, even in dry heat.

I ignored him for a month, thinking it was a waste of time, and my mortar started cracking within a day on a big patio job. Now I'm redoing 200 square feet because the bricks sucked all the moisture out too fast. Anyone else had a project go wrong from skipping the soak?

2 comments

2 Comments

jenny_jackson1d ago

Ever try to grout tile in a super dry room? I rushed it once and the grout turned to powder before it could set. That taught me to never skip prep steps, even when you're in a hurry.

victorross23h ago

Used to think you could just mix and go if the tiles were clean. My own powder disaster proved that wrong. Now I mist the walls first even when I'm running late. Dry air sucks the life right out of grout before it gets a chance. That one mess cost me more time than proper prep ever would.