That old brickie who showed me the 'two tap' trick back in '93

I was working a foundation job in Dayton, Ohio back then, just a kid barely 19. This guy named Dutch must have been 60 and he walked over while I was knocking mortar off a brick with my trowel. He told me to stop and said "you're fighting the brick, son, not working with it." Then he showed me how to tap the brick twice with the handle end to clean it off clean, no chipping or nothing. I still do that exact move today, 31 years later, and it saves me maybe 15 minutes a day on big jobs. Any of you guys pick up little moves from older workers that stuck with you?

2 comments

2 Comments

laura_ross11d ago

Ah man, the two tap trick is gold. I learned something similar from an old timer on a crew years ago about buttering joints - don't overload the trowel, just a thin, even spread. Saves so much cleanup time and the mortar sets way cleaner.

sam_anderson10d ago

I mean, I gotta disagree with the thin spread thing. I've actually had way better results piling it on thick and then scraping off the excess once the brick is in place. Maybe it's just me, but that thin layer dries out too fast on a hot day and you end up with weak spots in the bond. Overloading the trowel and then cleaning up the squeeze-out afterward gives you a better seal, in my experience. And honestly, a stiff brush and some water takes care of the cleanup in no time, so the extra work isn't that big of a deal.