Tried the 'butter joint' trick my grandpa swore by and it actually worked

I was laying a garden wall in my backyard last weekend and kept getting sloppy lines on my mortar joints. After the third messed up row I remembered my grandpa always talked about wetting the bricks before you lay them. I soaked a bucket of commons for 10 minutes and my god the mortar actually stuck and stayed where I put it. Has anyone else used this trick or am I just late to the party?

2 comments

2 Comments

sam_murphy391mo ago

Did you try the wet rag trick too? That one saved my driveway job.

wilson.kelly1mo ago

Wait, why would you want the water to stay on the rag like that? @sam_murphy39, I tried the wet rag thing and it just made a muddy mess on my driveway. The bricks were already damp from the morning dew and the water just sat on top, not soaking in at all. It ended up making the dirt and grime smear around instead of lifting it up. I had to go back over everything with a dry cloth just to get the surface clean again. I can see how it might work for some people, but for me it was more trouble than it was worth.