Old timer told me to wet my bricks before laying but it caused a nightmare

I was working a small retaining wall job in Toledo last August and this retired mason named Frank kept insisting I soak every brick in a bucket before setting them. Said it would stop the mortar from drying too fast in the heat. Well I followed his advice for about 20 feet of wall and now half the bricks are sliding around and the mortar's all crumbly. Did he give me bad info or was I doing something wrong? Has anyone else run into this problem with wetting bricks on a hot day?

2 comments

2 Comments

dylanh9710d ago

Wait, so old-timer Frank turned your bricks into swimming sponges before you even laid them? Sounds like he set you up for a slip and slide party, not a retaining wall.

thomas.cameron10d ago

Man I remember hearing something about that trick from an old school guy too. Something about the clay in the bricks sucking the moisture out of fresh mortar if they're too dry. But yeah sounds like he oversold it, you probably just oversaturated them and made the mortar too wet to hold.