My first real brick wall finally looks like a wall, not a science project

Been doing small repairs and garden edges for about a year, but last week I finished a full front porch knee wall for a lady in Dubuque. 48 square feet, took me 3 tries to get the corners plumb without fighting the level. She walked out and said "huh, that actually looks professional." That hit different. The difference between my first attempt back in March and this one is mostly how I handle the mortar. I used to slop it on thick and then spend forever cleaning the face. This time I kept it drier and struck the joints once, not twice. Way less mess and the lines came out crisp. Anyone else notice that waiting an extra 10 minutes before striking makes all the difference?

1 comments

1 Comment

angela_grant1d ago

That mortar timing thing took me a solid six months to get, and honestly the dry mix scared me at first cause I thought it would crumble. But yeah, that extra ten minutes before you strike, it lets the moisture settle just right so you get that clean edge without the smearing fight. Congrats on the porch wall, those knee walls are tricky cause every brick wants to lean its own way.