Had a job last week where the homeowner okayed a simple stack bond, then came out and asked for herringbone instead. We had to break out a whole wall because the mortar was setting. They acted like it was no big deal and refused to cover the extra hours. Now I'm out time and money on what should have been a straight forward patio. Seriously, how do you all handle these last minute changes without losing your mind?
Always found corbels tricky with the overhang. Spent extra time setting each brick with a slight taper. The whole stack came out even and solid. Client was really happy with it.
I got invited to talk about my job at my niece's school last week. I thought showing how to lay a brick would be cool for the kids. But when I mixed the mortar, a few of them thought it was mud and started touching it. One boy even tried to stack bricks without mortar and they all fell over. It was funny but also made me see how little folks know about our trade. Now I get why we need to share more about what we actually do. What's the silliest thing someone has said to you about bricklaying?
I was laying bricks for a patio and left a pile unsecured. My daughter almost knocked it over while playing nearby. Now I always double-check everything is stable before taking a break.