Options available to make up 26mm mortar?

[flanagaj]

'The Best Bricklayer in Britain' (Self proclaimed) left us one course of face brickwork to go before we are at FFL.  He was useless as I've just been out with my laser level and to get said face brickwork course to FFL will require the new bricklayer to lay a mortar joint that starts at 10mm and goes to 26mm.  That is obviously too thick and I'm wondering how the new bricklayer will be able to solve that issue.  I really don't want him trying to make it up above ground.

 

Can you use slate or something else if you have to have a fat mortar joint?

 

[Mr Punter]

If it is not visible slate will be fine.  26mm is otherwise a bit much.

[Oz07]

So its 16mm out of level? I wouldn't try to get that out in one course if its seen. Why don't you have him get it out over 3 or 4 courses

[flanagaj]

1 minute ago, Oz07 said:

So its 16mm out of level? I wouldn't try to get that out in one course if its seen. Why don't you have him get it out over 3 or 4 courses

Yes.  16mm out.  If he can get it out in one course, then the fat mortar joint will be hidden by the ACO drainage.

[Russell griffiths]

You don’t go 10mm to 26mm you go 2mm to 18 mm

[flanagaj]

12 hours ago, Russell griffiths said:

You don’t go 10mm to 26mm you go 2mm to 18 mm

So I basically have to accept visible non uniform mortar joints above ground? 

[Redbeard]

21 minutes ago, flanagaj said:

So I basically have to accept visible non uniform mortar joints above ground? 

Not necessarily. You have to tell him of the issue (preferably before he starts and with pics), explain your wish to get rid of the step in the 'unseen zone' (behind the ACO as you describe) and ask him to have a think about it before he talks it through with you on site when he arrives. Hopefully then it will feel like a joint strategy. You can perhaps talk about the mortar mix at the same time.

[Russell griffiths]

1 hour ago, flanagaj said:

So I basically have to accept visible non uniform mortar joints above ground? 

You said it was hidden behind the acco drain

i personally wouldn’t accept it at all. 
so get 3 courses knocked off and get it built properly. 
I think you are setting yourself up to fail. 
 

if this was my job i would have banged a stake in on each corner that would have 3-4 crucial measurements on them. 
checking it after it is built is a bit late. 

[flanagaj]

13 minutes ago, Russell griffiths said:

You said it was hidden behind the acco drain

i personally wouldn’t accept it at all. 
so get 3 courses knocked off and get it built properly. 
I think you are setting yourself up to fail. 
 

if this was my job i would have banged a stake in on each corner that would have 3-4 crucial measurements on them. 
checking it after it is built is a bit late. 

Unfortunately, I can't knock the 3 courses below down as they already have fat joints.   I'll speak with the new brickie on Wednesday to see what options I have.  

[markc]

If you already have fat joints below then even more reason to take them down, make the joints thinner and finish on an extra course.

[Mr Punter]

We have got the bricklayer to include a slate course in the past where we needed to work the coursing in with a steel on one wall.  The could have gone for a cut block but the slate was simpler.  For your 26mm you could have 6mm slate and 2 x 10mm joints.