I think everyone's wrong about using a laser level for every single brick course

Okay, hear me out. I know the laser level is the go to tool now, and I used mine for years. But last week, I was working on a curved garden wall in a backyard in Springfield, and the thing just failed me. The battery died halfway through the third course, right when I was setting the arch. I had my old 4 foot aluminum level in the truck, and I had to finish the whole curve by hand, checking plumb and level the old fashioned way. It took longer, sure, but I swear the work felt more solid, and I caught a slight bow in the middle that the laser might have missed because I was moving it. I'm not saying ditch the tech, but maybe we rely on it too much for simple jobs. Has anyone else had a tool fail and gone back to basics, only to find it worked better?

2 comments

2 Comments

emery_lopez1d agoMost Upvoted

Mila's got a point about your hands feeling the work. It's like you get a better sense of the whole structure when you're physically checking each brick with a level, instead of just lining up a red dot. That direct contact lets you spot small problems, like a brick that's just a bit off, before they turn into bigger ones. My old boss used to say a tool is only as good as the person using it, and sometimes a simpler tool makes you pay more attention.

mila_flores81d ago

Totally agree. Sometimes your hands just feel the work better than any gadget can.