Used to think buttering both sides of a brick was a waste of time until I saw a wall from 1880 still bone dry

I took apart a retaining wall last month that was only 12 years old and the bricks were soaking wet inside, then I remembered what an old mason told me about double buttering. Has anyone else gone back to doing it the old way after fighting water damage for years?

2 comments

2 Comments

hollym829d ago

Double buttering is the only way to keep water out long term. Learned that after pulling apart a wall that should have lasted 50 years and found nothing but mud inside. Went back to the old methods and never looked back.

dianagreen9d ago

Was talking to an old timer at the hardware store last week and he said the same thing. Swore by double buttering everything, said all these new sealants are just marketing hype. Made me think we lost something when we stopped trusting the simple ways that actually worked for decades.