My brother-in-law, a carpenter, asked me why we still use full mortar beds on interior walls

We were having a beer after a long day, and he said, 'Vera, you guys lay brick like it's 1950. For a non-load bearing wall, why not just butter the edges and save a ton of mix?' It hit different because he wasn't a bricklayer, so he had no old habits to defend. I've been thinking about it all week, especially after using 12 bags on a simple partition last Tuesday. For interior work that just needs to be straight and plumb, is there a real reason not to switch up the method? Has anyone tried a thinner bed or different technique for stuff that isn't holding up a roof?

2 comments

2 Comments

alex_taylor102d ago

Your brother-in-law has a point. I saw a video where a guy in Europe builds interior walls with just a ribbon of mortar on the bottom and top course, filling the middle with dabs. It's called something like a "dot and dab" method over there. The wall just needs to be stiff, not carry weight. Seems like we waste a lot of material doing full beds for no reason.

averywright2d ago

My last DIY project had more mortar on my clothes than the bricks. Maybe I should try that method.