Veteran mason told me my butter joints were too slick

Guy with 40 years in pulled me aside last Thursday and said my cross joints looked like I was icing a cake. He showed me to back butter about 3/4 of the brick instead of full coverage and let the mortar naturally squeeze out. Any of you guys stick with full butter or cut it back like he showed?

3 comments

3 Comments

eva_garcia561mo ago

The 3/4 method is just one of those things that spills over into everything else in life. Like how a good mechanic doesn't tighten a bolt all the way on the first pass, they give it a little room to seat right. Or how when you're cooking, you don't dump all the seasoning in at once, you let it build as it goes. People who rush to finish everything perfect right away usually end up with something that looks stiff and unnatural. The old timers know that leaving a little slack lets the work settle into itself, whether it's brick or brakes or burgers.

olivia_webb1mo ago

Can't believe how long I did it wrong before somebody showed me the backup method. I was doing full butter for years and wondered why my joints looked like they came off a factory line. That 3/4 trick is a game changer for sure. Letting the mortar squeeze out naturally gives it that hand done look that the old timers can spot from across the street.

laurabennett1mo ago

Trust me, I learned this one the hard way too. Used to butter up every brick like I was spreading cream cheese on a bagel and wondered why my work looked so mechanical. Once I switched to that 3/4 back butter and let the excess squeeze out naturally, the whole wall started looking alive. The old timer was right about letting the mortar do its own thing, it settles way better that way. Now I barely touch the joints after they set, just clean up the drips and call it done.