That moment I realized I'd been laying bricks with the wrong face all along

Last week on a job in Portland, an old guy walks up to my wall and just stares at it for like 30 seconds. Then he says 'son, you're putting the smooth face out on every single brick.' I'd been doing this for about 3 years at that point, always figured the smooth side was the finished side because it looked cleaner. He told me half the bricks have a rougher face meant to catch mortar better and give texture. Now I'm wondering how many of my past walls look off and nobody said anything. Am I the only one who made this mistake? Do you guys go by feel or by look for which face to show?

2 comments

2 Comments

tarar2718d ago

Man, I once painted myself into a corner literally, so I feel your brick pain.

elizabeth90018d ago

@tarar27 Oh man, the literal version of that is somehow worse than the metaphorical one. I've been there with a roller tray in one hand and a brush in the other, realizing the only way out is to tiptoe over a wet floor. That moment when you're trapped and the paint is still tacky is just a special kind of panic. At least with a brick wall you can take a step back and plan, but paint just laughs at you while it dries.