My old foreman told me to always use a 3/8 inch joint for a brick veneer, and I just found out why.

Honestly, I worked under this guy for two years in Cincinnati and he was super strict about it. He'd say, 'Anything bigger looks sloppy and anything smaller can crack.' I ignored him on a garage job last fall and went with a 1/4 inch joint because the homeowner wanted a tighter look. Ngl, after the first real freeze this winter, I drove by and saw a dozen hairline cracks running right through the mortar. He was totally right about the thermal movement. Has anyone else had a joint size rule they learned the hard way?

2 comments

2 Comments

coleman.christopher1mo ago

Ever notice how the pros who seem super picky about one specific thing are almost always right? It's like they've already paid the stupid tax for you. My uncle was the same way about leaving expansion gaps in a wood floor, said it would buckle without them. Guess who had to redo his whole living room.

the_cora1mo ago

Yeah, I've paid that stupid tax a few times myself. My own garage looks like a spiderweb now.