Grout bag vs. thumb for filling old brick - which is actually faster?

I've been repointing a 1930s wall in St. Louis this week and tried using a grout bag for the first time instead of my usual thumb-and-trowel method for deep joints. Ngl, the bag got messy fast and I ended up wasting almost 40 bucks worth of mortar mix on cleanup. Am I missing a trick with the bag or is the old school way just better for uneven vintage brickwork?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_piper2mo ago

Started out a big believer in the grout bag myself, but after fighting with it on a 1920s basement wall last fall I went right back to using my thumb. The bag just can't handle the odd depths and crumbles you get with old brick.

lisaf3829d ago

My buddy tried the grout bag on a 1920s brick fireplace last spring and ended up throwing half the mortar on the floor. @the_piper would've been laughing if they saw the mess. He switched back to his thumb after twenty minutes of the bag clogging up on all those loose crumbles. Now he keeps a wet rag nearby to wipe off the excess between dabs.

miles722mo ago

Man, I KNEW someone would bring up old brick! @the_piper hit the nail on the head there. Here's the thing nobody talks about though - that rubber thumb protector they sell at the hardware store. I started using one on my pointer finger and it's a GAME CHANGER for old walls. The grout bag fights you on every weird dip and crumble like you said, but your thumb can actually FEEL where the mortar needs to go. Plus you don't wreck your skin after a long day. I tried the bag on a 1910 limestone foundation last month and wanted to throw it across the yard after ten minutes. Your thumb just gives you way more control when the brick's all outta whack.