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Old timer told me to wet the bricks before laying in hot weather...
Had a guy named Pete at the supply yard in Phoenix tell me to dunk my bricks in water before laying them when it's over 100 degrees. I thought it was old school nonsense so I skipped it on a patio job last July. The mortar dried so fast it cracked in 3 spots before I even finished the row. Now I keep a bucket of water right next to my stand and dip every brick, saves me from grinding out bad joints later. Anyone else run into this or have other heat tricks?
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wesley8016d ago
My buddy Mike in Tucson swears by wrapping his mix buckets in wet burlap sacks on 110 degree days. He says it keeps the mortar from turning into concrete before he even gets it on the trowel. I tried it once with a couple of old dish towels and it actually worked pretty well, though the towels got crusty and stiff by lunchtime. Course, I also learned the hard way not to leave your water bucket in direct sun, it'll heat up enough to cook an egg on the side of it by noon.
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Honestly, I read somewhere that a guy in Vegas would freeze his water jugs overnight and use ice cubes in his mix to keep the temp down on scorching days. It makes sense because cold water gives you a few more minutes of working time before the chemical reaction speeds up. Ngl, the wet burlap trick sounds way more practical than hauling around frozen jugs though.
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