Just noticed how much my brickwork improved after switching trowels

I picked up a Marshalltown 10 inch Philadelphia trowel about 3 months ago and it completely changed how my joints look. Before I was using a cheap brand from the hardware store and the mortar kept sticking in clumps. Now my lines come out cleaner with less effort. Has anyone else had that big of a difference just from switching trowel brands?

3 comments

3 Comments

evan_grant701d ago

Read this exact thing on a masonry forum last week.

the_john1d ago

Did that same post mention anything about lime mortar vs portland? Because I swear I saw a similar back and forth about repointing in an old house group, and it turned into a whole thing about breathability versus strength.

samreed1d ago

I actually see it a bit different from you and @the_john on this one. The whole lime versus portland thing gets blown way out of proportion, especially in old house groups where people act like using portland is a death sentence for your brickwork. Look, lime mortar has its place, sure, it lets moisture move through better and all that. But a lot of those old houses have already been repointed with portland years ago and are still standing, so the "breathability crisis" might be a little overhyped in practice. Not saying lime is bad, just that the panic around portland feels like a hobbyist thing more than a real structural issue most of the time.