A sloped patio in Charlotte taught me to double-check my string lines before the first course

I was setting up for a herringbone pattern on a 15 foot by 20 foot patio, and after laying about 50 bricks I noticed a slight but steady downhill pitch I hadn't planned for. I realized my initial string line had sagged overnight because I didn't tension it enough against the batter boards. Has anyone found a foolproof method for keeping lines perfectly level over a long stretch, especially when working solo?

2 comments

2 Comments

sethc127d ago

Honestly that "slight but steady downhill pitch" is the worst. My buddy had the same thing happen on a long walkway. He swears by using a line level on the string itself and re-checking it like every hour.

river1827d ago

My cousin had a similar mess with a long garden wall. He started using these little plastic line tighteners you hook onto the stakes, says they lock the string in place so it can't slip. He also runs a second, higher string as a reference line just in case the working line moves. The extra step seems to save him a ton of headache and rework.