A homeowner in Boise asked me why I buttered the ends, now I do it every time

Last spring I was doing a small retaining wall and this older guy comes out with coffee, just watching. When I got to the corners, he goes, "You putting mud on the ends or just the face?" I told him I didnt bother with ends. He said, "Every brick that faces the dirt is a face you can't see failing later." I laughed it off but that night I thought about it, then the next morning I went back and re-buttered all the end joints. He was outside again and just nodded. Now I do it on every wall, even the ones that'll get covered. Adds maybe 20 minutes a day and I havent had a single crack show up in the back joints since. Do you guys always butter the ends of bricks on unseen faces, or is that overkill when the wall is gonna be buried anyway?

0 comments

0 Comments

No comments yet

Be the first to share your thoughts on this discussion.