BRICKWORK IS DEAD (Mike Haduck)

[@ktmcc4360]

No bricks, no mortar , nothing but Chinese panels and no masons. Will look like crap in 5years. One less union and thousands of jobs gone. Everything is disposable today. Especially tradesmen.

[@bumpty9830]

Ironically Chinese workers' lives are _improving_ as ours get worse. China lifted 800 MILLION of its workers out of poverty while America was gutting its unions. This country is f*cked until workers organize and take over.

[@JesseVanPelt]

It's sad to see but I have mixed feelings about it.

[@Mike_Bloomberg]

And the Chinese don’t even use the Chinese panels, should tell you everything you need to know.

[@MikeHaduck]

Hi KTM, I hear you, Mike

[@j.d.1488]

I watch a lot of British brickies. Have faith. Still use a lot of brick in NE.

[@cr1424]

As you stated "everything is all fake" So true, not just for masonry, everything and everyone around

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks cr1424,,

[@wanderingwarrior5626]

Cheap stick homes, now, fake brick walls. The U.S. was never built to last, just temporarily impress the world. Don't you want to be just us? If so, here's a gun to help us fight wars of aggression, or, a shop job, to produce war materials. Ain't fake democracy, freedom fun and exciting?

[@DS-lk3tx]

I hate this world and being in it.

[@wanderingwarrior5626]

@@DS-lk3tx Where do you live? Sounds like the toxic U.S.!

[@dfpolitowski2]

even our food

[@surefireKorea]

Brick jobs maybe dead for the mainstream, but the Legend Mike Haduck and the knowledge he has bestowed on all of us will be preserved forever. Thank you so much Mike!

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks surefire,, I appreciate the kind words,,, Mike

[@creativeobx8367]

I concur that.

[@petenestor1]

I can tackle almost any repair job with a bag of Cement All, my bucket of mason tools, sponge and brush all thanks to Mike! LOTS OF FUN. It ain't no big deal brother. Thank for continually sharing your wisdom, masonary technology updates, travel adventures, humor and talents Mike.

[@MikeHaduck]

@petenestor1 thanks Pete, I appreciate the kind words, Mike

[@LF12468]

​@@petenestor1I hear that, Mike's videos have been by my side for over 10 years now and I have a stucco and masonry repair company in FL. Thanks Mike! PS: still waiting on those constitutional law videos you promised me years ago! Most people can't even tell you what an amendment is in this country no more!

[@SilvasSmallMining]

Unfortunately, skilled labor/workers are a dying breed. Cheaper and faster is the modern way now. Until it all starts falling apart fast. This is why I started watching your channel Mike. So I could learn as much of the skills you have generously been demonstrating for years now. Thank you again Mike for everything you do. God bless you.

[@Guillotines_For_Globalists]

Falling apart fast = Job security. Our economy is a joke considering the only way to make money consistently is constantly fixing shit that has been purposefully engineered to fail. There has to be a better way to earn a living!

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks Silvas, God bless, Mike

[@swamp-yankee]

Aw we got a good crop of folks coming along to spite it. I know tons of folks doing quality work. There’s always been hacks too. I’m working on a colonial from 1775 that had a locally famous inhabitant in 1840ish who was recorded to have renovated it, and his work is garbage. Like new walls framed up under original plaster ceiling level short cuts. They hacked the timber frame up to raise the ceiling. Cut half the middle out of an important post to keep their flat stick frame consistent. I could go on but nobody wants to read it. He did the same thing to the house across the street too. Absolute hack work all over.

[@Guillotines_For_Globalists]

@@swamp-yankee It lasted 180 years so apparently those hacks weren't too hackey.

[@daveassanowicz186]

Depends on where you live in the country. Some places have been doing the Slap-it-up Cheap & Easy for decades

[@AStanton1966]

You're spot on. For years, there was a family-run masonry supply store in a neighboring town. I walked in there one day to buy some replacement bricks for my chimney which was constructed in 1986. The owner looked at the brick and said "that brick is a Mohawk and they come in 2 sizes." I happened to visit the store recently and found that the whole place was shut down and that they went out of business--very sad.

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks AStanton,, I have seen it also, thanks Mike

[@davelowe1977]

Since probably 1600 nearly every house built in the UK has been either brick or stone. But in the last 10 years we're seeing lots of wooden framed houses with single leaf and cladding etc. It's very obviously cheaper and less durable and faster to build. My own house was built in 1870 and has 16" thick solid stone walls. It's literally bullet proof.

[@frotobaggins7169]

Some of it is energy. The solid brick homes are cold and cost a lot to heat. as there is no where for insulation. The wood homes have ample room for insulation lowering heating costs and improving comfort year round. Not as durable though. I favor ICF homes, the durability of brick with the energy efficiency and comfort of wood.

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks Dave, Mike

[@davelowe1977]

@@frotobaggins7169 All the houses here since the 1930s are insulated cavity wall construction. They're very well insulated and have a large thermal mass meaning they do not experience large temperature swings.

[@MrPeachblossom]

mine to dont think these wood uns will be up in 200 years. but what worries me is this insulation boarding etc releasing chemicals into these sealed airtight houses

[@petercollingwood522]

@@frotobaggins7169 No. All of it is cheap.

[@L1n34r]

You know, it's a real shame. I always said, you can judge a society by their brickwork. Bricks are accessible to everyone, from the richest to the poorest. As long as you have dirt you have clay, and as long as you have clay you can make brick. And if you lay it elegantly, or if you lay it sloppily, that's up to you... it shows the kind of person you are... the kind of society your people are--whether they value beauty, order, artistry, etc. And these days, where ever you look, it's nothing but sloppily laid running bond. Now they're just nailing fake panels and calling it a day. It's sad, really. Clearly our values have shifted from "let's build something to be proud of" to "make it look almost as good as the building next door, so long as it's cheaper". And it's not just the US. It's everywhere. I hope someday people wake up and realize that the wealth of a nation is in tangible things, not in the amount of money sitting around in bank accounts. Sure, you save a buck here and there building a bare-bones structure, but when everybody does it we end up living in a cheap, brutalist landscape full of gray concrete houses--but hey, so many dollars were saved to spend on additional cheaply made stuff.

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks L1n,, very true, Mike

[@pcno2832]

Not everyone had the dirt, or at least not dirt that's suitable for making bricks. I was just reading that Ireland, which has had a rash of building failures due to defective cement, makes many of their bricks out of cement because they don't have enough clay. I guess it's too expensive to ship them across the Irish sea. Here in the USA, we get similar situations with bricks being cheap and plentiful in Texas and Oklahoma, but pricey in New England. There are even places where they have the clay, but it's not of the quality to weather well , so they have to cover it with stucco. Wherever you are, you have to use what's easily available, or pay a steep premium.

[@MikeHaduck]

@pcno2832 thanks pcno,, well said, good point, thanks Mike

[@L1n34r]

@@pcno2832 If your bricks are expensive and hard to make, then all the more reason that where they are found, they should not be found sloppily laid. But to add to that, if wood is much cheaper than brick in your part of the world, the same concept applies: you'd expect to see some beautiful wooden structures, if people take pride in their work. The brick ones should also look nice even if they are fewer in number... at the very least not carelessly sloppy. I guess I just mean in general, you can tell the way a population thinks by how much care they put into their building materials. We no longer seem to build pretty buildings, which ultimately means, we've stopped valuing beauty when it comes to buildings--or started valuing other things relatively higher.

[@SexyThyme]

Go lay me some brick roads. Or shut it.

[@nixplix]

"What do you do, staple them on ?? ...." Epic question. Mike is the best.

[@jimmccoal2693]

I think that worker was slightly insulted.

[@garylivingston9052]

Yeah, that was funny...:)

[@MikeHaduck]

Hi nix, I think they were using screws, thanks Mike

[@dangates3022]

true storey and also true ha ha they were stapled on

[@ramos6784]

I'm a mason apprentice and from what I can tell most companies prefer production over quality.

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks ramos,, I agree, Mike

[@raisetheline]

@@ramos6784 not in masonry they don’t, not if they been around a little bit. You get a bad name real fast doing that. Where are you located?

[@randross4655]

get out of that trade bro. I'm a journeyman bricklayer simply trying to safe you the grief. Take your knowledge and put it towards a new career. The IBEW, Linesman, Plumber, Heavy Equipment Operator, anything but masonry. The trade is dead and CMU block doesn't count.

[@ramos6784]

@@randross4655 cmu block doesn't count? Please explain.

[@randross4655]

@@ramos6784 It takes less skill to lay block and your body won't last. Some contractors will even buy heavy weight units to save money, not giving a second thought about their guys. If you want to stay close to the trade then get into high-end marble and tile. It's more precision work and requires more skill, especially with luxury showers. Good luck out there.

[@suep4530]

Everything seems to be fake anymore including people. Thanks for sharing the old ways.

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks Sue, Mike

[@floridaredneck]

He also showed the new ways. Facades have been around as long as buildings have, they just evolve.

[@MikeHaduck]

@@floridaredneck very true

[@treydowns4710]

Thankfully my company still has no shortage of commercial masonry work doing traditional brick, in cities all over the southeast. We've probably got about 1-1.5 million units of full-face brick accumulative per year on our projects. We've been on projects where others who aren't masons have installed these panels and I've also seen precast concrete panels and they always look awful. I think architects are seeing that and can understand that there is still a need for traditional masonry. Can't beat history. Thanks for helping keep it alive Mike.

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks trey,, Mike

[@timlevey]

Im looking to find someone in lower east alabama to quote a 3000 sq ft house and cant find anyone? Got any leads?

[@MikeHaduck]

@timlevey hi Tim, at one time a mason could work in any area or town, city etc in our country, now it's all red tape, zoning, licensing, insurances, inspectors, code officals, etc. etc, I am glad to be retired. It's not easy to do business anymore, thanks for asking Mike

[@raisetheline]

Same, Trey. It’s sad, we can’t find the guys that can do the job .

[@raisetheline]

@@timleveyif it was crappie season me and some masons just went to bunch of flood lakes down there and got skunked this spring

[@johnb5519]

My great grandfather was a bricklayer, and he taught his five sons to be bricklayers too, and of course my dad and his brother became bricklayers. A lot of the knowledge they had has disappeared today. The stone fireplaces my dad built for people, and at home, are a testament to his skills.

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks John, I hear you, Mike

[@jonp2171]

I'm in the bricklayers union out here in NJ. Schools & Municipal buildings are the only Jobs you see REAL brick.

[@frotobaggins7169]

Only government doesn't have to make a return on investment. They just steal more of other peoples money.

[@MikeHaduck]

Hi jonp,, I hear you, Mike

[@just_observing1]

That's because theyre easy to turn into a prison. I've built a few schools and we built them same as prisons. Get ready

[@Doomzdayxx]

My future dream is to build a brick shed out in the back yard. Probably something like a 12 x 14 shed. I will use real brick and do it the old school way (English bond). It would be far cheaper, easier and faster to build the shed out of sticks, but it wouldn't be as fulfilling for me.

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks Doomzday,, Mike

[@j.d.1488]

@@Doomzdayxx Im in my man.

[@Don.Challenger]

Excavate and build it underground, the zombies will never find you, @Doomzdayxx, and you'll still have the experience and pleasure of the masonic art.

[@jimmccoal2693]

It is very gratifying. I built a compost box out of some gorgeous stone , it looks free standing but its not , no mortar to be seen until you look inside. Anyways ,I love that compost box.

[@Doomzdayxx]

@@Don.Challenger I dont know. The zombies are getting pretty clever these days.

[@hwhise]

Mike, I was mason contractor for 40 years in Texas. Mostly custom stonework on high end projects. The price per square foot dropped due to massive amounts of illegal labor of poor quality. I was in deck building and room editions, remodeling and carpentry for 5 years before I retired. There was mostly manufactured brick and stone ,( phonystone ) on commercial buildings. Love your channel

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks hwhise,, I hear you,, Mike

[@someguy8109]

Hey Mike were building a 6 storey condo near Vancouver Canada. Real concrete brickledge, real facebrick. Full brick on the outside of a stick frame wood structure. 15 masons mixing mortar like nuts. You'd appreciate it.

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks someguy,, I hear you,, Mike

[@raisetheline]

@@someguy8109 I would too! Hell yeah!!

[@toddavis8603]

Thank God bricklayers have plenty of jobs here in NYC. Brick facing, brick porches, brick closeups in windows et al..

[@bigmacdaddy1234]

Um, no they don't. Those are just crappy little repair jobs that go to the cheapest unlicensed worker. There aren't any new brick buildings going up and no real mason intensive brick projects going on.

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks Todd, Mike

[@Christhecarpenter345]

Lots of brickwork here in toronto canada. I'm a carpenter, have been working on houses getting brick cladding all the time.

[@asintonic]

in Chicago too.

[@newalbanycox]

@@bigmacdaddy1234 There are some where I'm at. New Albany, Ohio

[@marvsmith8137]

I'm still learning a lot from you, I appreciate you sharing many years of experience. ✌️

[@marvsmith8137]

Us old school dudes are the only ones that know how, I'm trying to pass it down, but you know how it is nowadays. Thanks mike

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks marv,, Mike

[@TIM-E-R]

I watched your channel a bunch this spring in preparation for a brick job. Been repointing the interior of an old building from 1900's this summer. Used lime putty mortar, and reconstructing what we can out old brick, and stone. Not quite dead. But there is only one guy, in Boston, that sells Lime Putty....which he uses on his own restoration work, and plastering business. Our repointing will probably last decades longer than the 'brick-style-wallpaper'.

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks TIMEr, Mike

[@RKOuttathebox]

Just switched out three bricks on my house, they were bottom course just above my concrete driveway that had sank and water ate away at the foundation. Fixed the foundation and replaced the bricks in preparation for a new driveway. That is the only thing wrong with the brick work that was done in 1957 and it was because the driveway sank. They just don't make em like they used to. There is one spot just outside a door where it feels like the wall can move in and out, just slightly, guess I should take a couple bricks out and put in new ties? Thanks for all the great tips over the years and calling it like it is, love the old school ways.

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks RK, Mike

[@seanydoodgroovy9497]

I'm a bricklayer in the UK and have been for 30 years .theres not many youngsters going into the rade these days .but the money is good for people like me .most people want an easy life here and work from home .sad really but true

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks sean,, Mike

[@iwantagoodnameplease]

Houses in the UK are still built with wall ties, as far as I'm aware. Sean, do you know of them rotting away and the brick face falling off the block, like he says in the video? I guess it's a different climate on the East Coast USA?

[@domenicpetruso7751]

Local 21 recently sent out a glossy brochure to my retired dad. I looked at it with appreciation and a bit of sadness.

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks domenic,, Mike

[@EOJ111]

Mike, I'm sad you left PA. We need real men around here, like you who literally built our towns. Your legacy is here with all the work you and your family has had a hand in over the years! Too hot down in Florida anyway! My whole life my Dad constantly pointing out all the different jobs he did in the past. Every single place we went. He's now gone, masonry is dying, now even my favorite youtube mason up and left! It is depressing.. but at least the legacy remains.. Much respect for you Mike from a 2nd generation Philly mason

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks EOJ, I appreciate hearing that, Mike

[@mrbob19561]

It's a rough trade an honest buck..got rods in this 68 year old body back to prove it

[@EOJ111]

@@mrbob19561 yup i bet. But it's the most honest buck a man can make and it builds character. I love doing artisan jobs, stone and brick and pointing. but 95% of the time it's grunt work. Driveways, curbs, pads, sidewalks and steps, stucco.. it beats you down hard and fast

[@artbyty]

I’m surprised it’s not just plastic. Everything is fake or plastic. Living in a fake world pretending it’s quality.

[@RKOuttathebox]

That goes for more than construction techniques.

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks Art, very true,, Mike

[@asintonic]

that faux brick stuff is probably made in chinah

[@47nodoubt]

its just the ussa and kanada, my mexican friend build with bricks.

[@MikeHaduck]

@@47nodoubt I understand, thanks

[@wcole1385]

Thanks for the update Mike, and one would wonder how safe this material is because the elements has not change.

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks whole, Mike

[@SwedishDeathLlama]

Heh. Reminds me of when we go to theme parks. Of course, everyone else is focused on the rides themselves. Myself, while waiting in all the lines I like to knock on every "stone" surface to see what they are made of. When I get to a ride where all the fake rock walls are made out of solid concrete, I consider that a good ride.

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks Swedish,, Mike

[@asintonic]

in Chicago after a building demolition, there is a company that goes in and picks out all the good old brick place it on wood skids and resell it. these are old valuable bricks.

[@MikeHaduck]

Hi asintonic,, I hear you, Mike

[@littleredhen3354]

They are called Clinker brick.

[@bluesky6985]

​​@@littleredhen3354The're old Chicago common brick, brick they used to use in side walls and alleys are very good looking and valuable. They're called used Chicago brick.

[@mrbob19561]

Gallagher and Henry are the only builders I know outside Chicago building brick all sides homes all to 8 plus feet high I contracted off them

[@mrbob19561]

Hopefully the day comes when quality matters again

[@markadler8968]

Hi Mike I am from Vancouver Canada and there are 100s of buildings/houses going up in the city that are clad in brick. No one uses the system in your video except maybe on commercial properties. What we do use a lot of the time is what is called a thin brick and is a 1" thick brick veneer that can be applied to a backer panel or to a stucco scratch coat. I do agree that stonework is slowing down and I find I am doing pavers more than anything and am completely fine with that because they are more lucrative than stonework.

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks mark,, Mike

[@DAS-Videos]

"At the beginning of the 20th century, brick manufacturing was the preeminent industry on New York’s Hudson River. In fact, it was the largest brick-making region in the world, with over 125 manufacturers employing upwards of 8,000 workers. From 1865 to 1980, The Hutton Brick Works Company operated on the banks of the Hudson, supplying this essential building material for construction projects throughout the Hudson Valley as well New York City- the fastest-growing metropolis in the world." My house is made out of sticks and bricks, and my parents got their supply from demolitions in Newark in the early 50's. I bet Mike has some great history stories he could tell us.

[@MikeHaduck]

Hi Das,, I hear you, been up the Hudson to a museum on it, in our area it was the stone quarries, slowly they are also disappearing,, thanks Mike

[@shure46]

and now we are a society of facebook programmers and social workers ....... we're doomed

[@T12J7]

It warms my heart that you care about masonry so much. God bless you.

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks T12, God bless, Mike

[@patrickkeschl596]

No such thing as a real brick fireplace anymore up here in the north unless your house was built decades ago.

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks Patrick, Mike

[@ricktrogdon2332]

got to pour lot thicker slab where fireplace gonna sit. all about cost these days.

[@mrbob19561]

I built them in lodges in Colorado Shadow Creek ranch north of silver Thorne. Check it out yep that's real moss rock and timbers for mantels..that's weighs 25 to 30 sq a ton..lots of weight

[@mrbob19561]

​@@ricktrogdon2332go below frost levels

[@joeyager8479]

I don't have a problem with seeing fake brick panels used on wood framed fast food or strip commercial buildings because they'll likely be torn down in favor of the next "new" trend in about 20 years. It would be a shame to waste the talent and labor on that. On the other hand, I have a 50 year old all brick veneer ranch house. I added on to it about 15 years ago. The matching brick is newer and metric sized. If you look close, you can see there's a difference. But even then the brick mason tried to talk me out of using brick - I actually was the one that insisted that I wanted the brick.

[@MikeHaduck]

Hi Joey,, I hear you, Mike

[@Price-qd1cd]

I am in the process of building a 30;000 sqft building in Florida and the builder told me the same thing,it’s too expensive and they are doing pre fab concrete walls that are raised and bolted together

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks Price,, I hear you, Mike

[@eugeniebreida1583]

… mostly called “tilt-up concrete”…

[@Guillotines_For_Globalists]

We recently moved to Florida 3 months ago as well. I was surprised to learn that brick homes - at least those that actually looked like brick - were actually stucco that had been stamped or "hand scraped" and died to look like brick. And it does look like phenomenal brick. To the average person they'd never know, but if you look real close, you can see, especially where the weatherhead and electrical conduit meets the meter box, that it's stucco. I have no idea how the dyes or paint or whatever they use to color the individual bricks are so perfect, and how this coating doesn't seem to fade. My Aunt's home for instance has never been repainted since it was built in 1996 and the faux-brick looks fantastic!

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks Gill, Mike

[@Guillotines_For_Globalists]

@@MikeHaduck Do you know what they might have dyed the stucco with for that brick appearance? And I assume that they have to paint every faux-brick by hand?

[@MikeHaduck]

@Guillotines_For_Globalists I think it was just stamped out like a printing press, I can't say, thanks Mike

[@Guillotines_For_Globalists]

@@MikeHaduck Similar to the silicone molds they use for stamping concrete perhaps? It is so perfect, though. And obviously the stucco coating on the block has to be considerably thick. The stucco coating on our block home built in 2004 is paper-thin by contrast.

[@jazzcornertv]

Hey Mike, the wolf said " I will huff and puff and blow your house down". Can't wait to read the next chapter.

[@joesaf2273]

😄👊

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks jazzcorner,, I hear you, Mike

[@zachariahhoffart244]

As a mason in south florida, its true, we don't get a lot of brick jobs. But we still do our fair share of brickwork. Just need to go to where the money is to find it down here

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks zach,, Mike

[@robertyerry8118]

Love your videos and all of your knowledge that you share Mike. THANK YOU

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks robert,, Mike

[@corcoransullivan1562]

ive installed that product some years back. As a carpenter. always like your videos.

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks cororan,, Mike

[@legendofzork]

What happens if water intrudes behind the fake brick?

[@tdgdbs1]

Bricks and mortar are not waterproof either.

[@Phantoma3]

@@tdgdbs1 Bricks and mortar don't rot either.

[@bigmacdaddy1234]

It will trickle down and out.

[@MikeHaduck]

Hi legend, that's a good question, thanks Mike

[@JeffreyFeyh-rb4xk]

So it's basically like siding, I happen to like brick and mortar myself

[@jamtlandhomesteaders2710]

Good Video Mike* I was in the trade dating back to the 1980's in Northern Ohio. I saw a big change over the years. I moved up here to Northern Sweden 9 years ago, and every thing up here is wood, except for fireplaces and chimneys and some foundation work. I've been retired since I've been here, did a few small repairs/tuckpointing. If I was young, and wanted to get in the trade, I would stick to small jobs/repairs.

[@MikeHaduck]

Hi jam,,, I hear you, thanks Mike

[@realnewsthatmatters9319]

CORRECTION………… Brickwork is Dead in Florida. And it has been for at least two decades. Those in hurricane areas are forced by code to use steel reinforced concrete to build, and those in other areas use siding or stucco. Florida has never really been a brick building state. GA, AL and MS is where you find brickwork still going on.

[@MikeHaduck]

Hi real, PA was big with brick also, when I was a kid I carried brick all summer for the masons, not anymore, you will watch brickwork shrink also, it's a matter of time, thanks Mike

[@bud5084]

I thought all of Florida was a hurricane zone. And there are plenty of brick buildings at the universities

[@MikeHaduck]

@bud5084 hi bud, the old stone and brick building survive, it's everthing else is the problem, thanks Mike

[@VinceBlack536]

All quality work went down two reasons. Buyers want to spend less and builders want to make the most That really sums it up

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks Vince,, Mike

[@TrogdorBurnin8or]

Brick ties are only going to rot out if you don't manufacture them in stainless steel because you're trying to save money and the long-term doesn't matter to you. Many such cases.

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks Trogdor,, Mike

[@jackgentner9243]

this is so true in 2006 they were begging to train more bricklayers then after 2008 almost nothing. even the condos and apartment buildings use block for stair towers and elevators that's it .here in the Philly area the skyrises use brick panels no work for a bricklayer

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks Jack, Mike

[@SOFISINTOWN]

That was not brickwork or masonry, that's siding... 😕Definitely not the kind that will last more than 100 years, like the real thing.

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks Sofisin,, Mike

[@gsm19911]

It’s nice to see here in upstate, NY that real brickwork is being used. Not on everything but in many cases.

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks GSM, Mike

[@marvsmith8137]

Thanks for the video mike 💪

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks marv,, Mike

[@curtw8827]

There is a high school in Florida where all the brick/block ties rusted out and the brick facade fell off.

[@MikeHaduck]

Hi Curt, I believe you, seen a lot of that up north, thanks Mike

[@jims2165]

Hi Mike! It’s definitely gone for commercial building. Even large warehouses are using these precast tall walls put together like legos….I’m sure you see them. However, what’s saving masons is the high end custom home where real thin cut stone is used. Or guys like me still doing stone columns. No one using full stone any longer. These light weight thin cut stones are cheaper and faster to instal. Doing a job now and they are cutting the stone in the quarry now and will call me in a week to pick up. They also do corners! Still have that crappy manufactured stone as well. We only use that indoors bc it fades outside.

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks Jim, I hear you,, Mike

[@frotobaggins7169]

They built a large, maybe 1/2 million sq/ft wharehouse here, they excavated, piled all the stone, crushed the stone on site. Put up a cement plant and cast all of the pannels on site with the stone from the site. I also saw someone bought some property that was part of a farm with the old Amish barn still standing. the stone gable wall was budging, so they tore it down, crushed the stone on site. They then built an ICF house using the crushed stone in the concrete. I'm not sure how they did it but once the house was built, half the stone was gone.

[@mysterion4301]

I'm 70 and a retired contractor in CA. Hard to find real masons and wages here are prohibitive for people that want brick; only the wealthiest can afford it these days. I taught myself to lay block and brick in my 60s just to be able to do small jobs for old clients. For the 18 years olds that I've tried to get interested in it, they tell me it's too hard, too tedious, and they worry about repetitive motion injuries.

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks mysterion,, I hear you, Mike

[@ThePeachyCarpenter]

Started as a painter. Learned quickly that it’s better to be a carpenter, due to supply and demand. Way more painters than carpenters. 8 years in, I tell young guys that if they want to make real money, to become a mason. I should have spent more time with those old masons on the job site, cause now they are retired, and you can’t find a single one in this town.

[@MikeHaduck]

Hi Peachy, I hear you,, Mike

[@ranger178]

we grew up in a really old brick house from 1800s those walls were crazy thick at bottom of house sitting on just stone foundation the bricks held up the floor beams, so it got thinner near top but with three full stories you had a lot of brick at bottom to support all those floors. new houses it is just a wooden frame house with brick siding.

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks ranger,, I hear you,, Mike

[@patrickkeschl596]

My house was built in the 1930’s. I just replaced my slate roof on my garage last week.

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks patrick,, Mike

[@moonwolf3378]

I have your recipe, for application over the exterior of a basement/foundation wall, inside my regular recipe box along with chicken Marsala and all… I appreciate you so much…I hired some guys to do the job but required YOUR recipe and watched them blend it with the exact ratios. It came out superb and my leaks are all gone. I appreciate Massachusetts old buildings now, even my own home built in 1908 fascinates me thanks to you.

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks moonwolf,, Mike

[@Dino_Buk]

I like the smell of that old brick.

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks akoznas, Mike

[@OwlingDogDesign]

Very sad. I used to do masonry when I was a kid, for five years. You never lose the knowledge though. I've done a number of jobs and helped other folks over the years when they needed information. I refinish antiques now. But, it's rare that someone is interested in them. They cry about painters painting wood furniture, but if they had the chance to do a restoration - they're not interested. 🤨PS- like the song!

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks Owling,, Mike

[@adevitis1]

Mike, I really enjoy your channel. Your message today couldn’t be more true and it’s sad that masonry is dying. The good news is, you can still get brickwork done, it’s just costly. We recently built an addition onto our business and it was done out of block and brick. Yes, the original building was brick and we needed a match. Tremendous amount of manual labor. The young guys are very inexperienced verses the older guys. The veterans lay about 4 or 5 to 1 to the new guys. However, the finished product is amazing. Keep up the videos!!

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks adevits,, Mike

[@blue03r6]

Makes more sense for a restaurant. They can change out the panels if it gets vandalized or to remodel to keep up with trends. That would also make great ledger panels for inside around fireplaces etc. Asphalt shingles are next to be replaced and good riddance to them. The steel roofs look good and go on super easy anad last 100 years.

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks blue,, Mike

[@guillermojacques6671]

It's a shame that the old ways, the good ways, are being replaced with expediency for convenience. People can sense low quality. And everything either adds or subtracts to that quality. That's why I like your channel Mike. It may be no big deal, but there is still quality in what you do.

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks guill, I appreciate it, Mike

[@craignehring]

Always enjoyable learning experience here with you Mike, thanks !!

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks craig,, Mike

[@JS-jh4cy]

Wood behind real brick won't dry rot if you have the correct number of weep holes in your brick exterior walls, am i correct, and how much cavity inside do you need on an proper house wall?

[@MikeHaduck]

Hi JS, actually I am not a fan of brick venner on wood houses, when I do repair work I see bugs, ants and termites in the airspace area, it's another reason brickwork is dying,, thanks Mike

[@streamscreen]

Interesting video thanks.I still see brick jobs here in Chicago.They have a 8 story condominium up the street being built by brick.Chicago definitely still uses brick and a lot of good masons here.

[@MikeHaduck]

Hi streamscreen, things are changing, Mike

[@streamscreen]

@@MikeHaduck Yes I agree if they can do it cheaper they will!

[@mtgibbs]

I was going to say...plenty of brick still going on in Chicago. Exterior walls on a lot of new buildings are CMU inside and brick outside. Fur the inside of the CMU, insulation, and drywall. Great buildings.

[@shd_khan]

Me and a neighbor have been looking for a good mason here in Alexandria Virginia to replace old brick but can’t find one who actually knows his stuff

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks shd,, Mike

[@johnnyjoey]

I was a manager at home improvement stores for over 25 years. We sold some brick up until the early 2000’s. I haven’t seen any retailer selling structural brick in my city with a population over 100,000 in the past 15-20 years.

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks Johnny, I hear you Mike

[@gandreas5936]

People finding old trades, hard work, the kids just want to work to time & keep in contact with that phone. Everyone expects to own a house without working hard for it.

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks gandreas,, Mike

[@mrmicro22]

I'm a handy guy but really have places to use the advice you hand out. But there is nothing like hearing from someone who knows what he is talking about. I appreciate your videos.

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks mrmico,,Mike

[@seanpaul1551]

That's one hellava puzzle! Good catch because to the naked eye, most people wouldn't have noticed.

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks sean,, Mike

[@74stevedc]

Hi Mike, I noticed a cinder block building built probably 1960's im guessing but blocks weren't staggered. Im in Central Massachusetts. Ever see block not staggered ?

[@MikeHaduck]

Hi Steve, yes, they usually use a metal duro wall between them, thanks Mike

[@kennethwilbanks7201]

Thanks for the great video. I'm going to watch some of your videos on how brickwork is done. I lived in NYC Hell's Kitchen / Village for a few decades and had apartments with exposed Brick and walked by thousands of buildings over the years wondering how it's all done. I am in St. Louis (Dutchtown hood) taking care of my mom. She lives in a 20s craftsman made of all brick. Seems like almost every home in St. Louis is made of brick and the craftmanship is stunning - stained glass windows and so much woodwork. My mom's house has a lot of green and white glazed brick mixed in as well as many of the other homes in St. Louis. The brickwork architecture is stunning on some of these houses. Even ones that are falling down have superior craftsmanship and architecture. I drive by some of the same houses every day and notice something different. I'm glad this popped into my feed. I guess they know I'm here working on house as well as doing Hospice for mom. Even the wood in the house is super hard (old growth?)... So hard to get a nail through it. Thanks again.... Ken

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks Ken,, I hear you, Mike

[@rndmcnflct]

What's the best way to tie brick to block? Some sort of fiberglass tie?

[@MikeHaduck]

Hi rndmcn, I got a video out called "wall ties, anchors and brickbonding" Mike haduck, check it out,, thanks Mike

[@rafaelmarin1963]

My favorite part is when Mike talks about the Ol’timers and old days. The amount of knowledge and experience this one has makes him legendary!

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks rafael,, Mike

[@Christofuzz-hc9xl]

Also wanted to say that I really like that proverbs quotation you included, and also that you had the fortitude to even include that in your video. These days it's almost illegal to include your beliefs in a video,or a conversation in general.

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks Chris, I appreciate it, Mike

[@Luke-br1hr]

Plenty of brick still laid in the Carolinas, even on commercial. Still get shocked looks when i give material price estimates on real chimneys. People want these elaborate chimneys till they get hit with a 15,000 material bill, plus scaffold and labor charges. I've never seen that panel system but i have seen a ton more thin brick being put on than 10 years ago. Lots of builders cutting out the foundation and going to a monoslab system

[@frotobaggins7169]

A lot of tract housing is even doing away with that in favor of Superior wall which is pre cast, insulated and bolted together and sits on a stone foundation, no footer.

[@Luke-br1hr]

@@frotobaggins7169 most of what I've seen has been poured walls rather than superior walls. I laid a brick veneer on a few "superior" walls and despised it. Gravel footings are a joke and shouldn't be allowed for basements

[@petcern4254]

Yes, all new Fire Stations around Raleigh, NC area are built using a combination of steel frame, concrete blocks and bricks. They use some kind of loop and hook ties to tie block and brick wythes. I am quite impressed with the quality of that kind of construction. Of course, most of residential constructions is total junk.

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks Luke,, I hear you, Mike

[@frotobaggins7169]

@@Luke-br1hr Generally I agree with you. However gravel footings are the traditional way as Mike has pointed out in past videos. Superior walls can be finished in one day, that's why they use them. Though I did see a neighbors house had their poured basement walls finised in less than 4 days from deliver of the forms to pick up of the forms. What did you despise about the superior walls?

[@jinlongli8682]

different here in the UK - new houses still mainly use brickwork outer leaf and blockwork inner leaf connecting by wall ties in between. it may change as the costs of materials and labour have doubled over the past 3 years

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks jin,, Mike

[@05glisedan]

Gotta check out north florida. New buildings around FSU all brick work. Also several other buildings in the area.

[@MikeHaduck]

Hi O5, things are changing, Mike

[@Kathleen253]

Sounds like a theme for a song doesn't it Mike, where have all the bricklayers gone? My husband was a hodcarrier in the mid 60s here in the PNW. It was about dead then out here.

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks Kathleen,, Mike

[@TokenTombstone]

I appreciate the knowledge you are sharing about bricklaying.

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks Token,, Mike

[@boomersD9CAT]

I started working construction in 1980, and I was a mason tender. We installed brick, and California style bullnose coping around swimming pools. It was tedious work, but I enjoyed it, except for when my boss would yell at me : )

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks boomers, Mike

[@boomersD9CAT]

@@MikeHaduck You’re welcome,Sir ! I really enjoy watching your channel, and listening to your words of wisdom !👏👏

[@StrikeBuster-b2b]

Yep here in South Mississippi after hurricane Katrina a lot of the houses are 20 feet off the ground to the bottom of the house. No bricks.

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks StrikeBuster, Mike

[@tonymanero5544]

Mike, it’s like lamenting wool and cotton in older clothes. Gen 5 polyester is just a cheaper and higher performing material for lots of wear. But, as there are high end niche for wool and soft cotton, there’s a high end niche for someone who’s willing to pay for pure brick. My house is mason block and brick, built 1964. When I’m carried out feet first, someone will buy my home and tear it down, and build something that will be 2x larger on this property that won’t be brick. Commercial structures, are obsolete in 30 years due to internal innovation, like cabling will be different in 30 years. Save the tears, just like sewers, furniture makers, etc. are fewer in the US. Look at the old structures; there are reasons they’re not built like that anymore architecturally and materials wise.

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks Tony,, I hear you, Mike

[@mrbob19561]

Worked on the tabor hotel in leadville Colorado that building will amaze you .the common brick and red flagstone footers were 2 plus feet thick and end up on the 4 the floor 8 inch solid masonry wall all out of lime light cement mix so it good move without cracking up

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks again, Mike

[@ectorcab]

So 15-20 years go by and a car or storm damages the outside wall. However, the manufacturer no longer makes that panel model or is out of business. What are you supposed to do?

[@MikeHaduck]

Hi ectocab,, I hear you,, Mike

[@dangates3022]

i wonder how is that type of install holds up in hurricane's. i know since andrew FLA beefed up their codes on construction to hold up against wind damage in hurricanes

[@MikeHaduck]

Hi Dan, I guess time will tell, thanks Mike

[@andymauthe5508]

Mike, another good video where you share your perspective based on decades of experience. I agree that a lot of the trades are in decline. Some of it is probably codes and speed as you have said. I also think that things in the building trades are moving in the direction where less and less skill is needed. I worked for years growing up with my grandpa who had his own plumbing and heating business. When I think back to everything he taught me and how things were done in the 70’s and 80’s, it’s clear to me that the trades are moving away from work that requires a high degree of skill. Look at water piping. Soldered copper has become PEX with crimp on fittings. Etc, etc, etc. everything is being dumbed down so it requires less and less skill to do. The end result of that is the loss of the skilled labor. It’s really kind of sad. Additionally, everything is only made to last just beyond the warranty period now. Just my opinion.

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks Andy, I agree, Mike

[@JayZx777]

I enjoyed your video. It motivates me to do a fake brick wall on my house as I have no bricklaying skills, but I like construction stuff and do things to my home on my own. Thank you for sharing, I will be watching more of your videos!

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks Jay,, Mike

[@totallycv2388]

Here in Canada we had a product called insul-brick (brick panels) going back many decades. We coined the name 'Tinsil brick' to make fun of it (tinsil is the silver shreded spagetti type decoration you put on Xmas trees) because it would discolor and warp over time. The product was very similar to thick roof shingle material with a brick pattern, installed in sheets as siding. Very unsightly.

[@MikeHaduck]

Hi totally, I remember them well, thanks Mike

[@RichardMills-s3y]

THE REAL DEAL THANK YOU FOR THE AWESOME WORK MY BROTHER MAN ☮💕👍

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks, Mike

[@jcsgaragejohnc.5027]

Hello Sir, which one of your past videos would I use to repair my home foundation outside wall , the concrete paint is falling off and the old parge is chipped away, it’s a cinder block wall, TYIA - I can send you pics to your email if that helps, TY AGAIN-JC

[@MikeHaduck]

Hi JC, watch my "foundation repair" videos. , I show what I use in each circumstance, thanks Mike

[@jcsgaragejohnc.5027]

@@MikeHaduck TY

[@originaldanman]

Hey Mike, I'm a born and raised Mason from Miami, Fl. now 62 and semi retired. Not to many brick masons down here anyway unless they've moved down from up north. There's really not to many masons who learned down here that know how to lay anything but block since most of your buildings are out of block and concrete. I do lay brick on occasion, and fair pretty well at it, I'm just slow since we are nowhere near brick country. When people find out it'll cost them more than $2 just to buy the brick, they start looking for alternatives. That's also why no one builds fireplaces down here, it costs almost twice as much as a prefab, and not to many guys know how to build them anyway. I've probably only built around 10 to 15 in my 27 years as a contractor. That being said, I saw something last week similar to what you showed, but they were stick on 1/2" thick modulars, where they set 4X8 panels that, which had a running bond pattern so that all they had to do is just glue them in place, you almost do it with your eyes closed, and anyone can do it. After that, they just grout in the joints and rod them. They look really good too, the only way you can tell they're not traditionally installed standard brick, is that they are to clean with perfect head and bed joints all the way up a 50' high building. I just don't know if it's any faster, and I bet it's more expensive.

[@MikeHaduck]

Hi origin,, I hear you. Brickwork has been on a steady decline sense I was a kid, like you said too expensive and too much time, but other forms of masonry like blockwork and pavers are still here, thanks Mike

[@ShannonKauffman-g8h]

We here in Kentucky still see a lot of brick on houses, even on the low end of the market. It always looks beautiful. I have noticed though that the newer garages have very little mortar between the cement blocks. That puzzles me.

[@MikeHaduck]

Hi Shannon, yes there are pockets of areas still doing brickwork, but it's shrinking, thanks Mike

[@AdaywithJoe]

I saw a new building going up in Fort myers, 1 month ago. there were two people laying brick and a tractor trailer pulled onto the construction site with a full load of Bricks. The building started out CMU. Next time I get over that way I'll most likely drive by it

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks Aday,, Mike

[@justlookingaround]

Early 2000’s I was working as union mason tender and I agree everything you send is 100 percent correct. You are exactly spot on, everything you said is correct to what my limited knowledge and experience as a tender. Brick is dead because of government regulations and delays that drive up cost.

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks Just, I agree, Mike

[@aliannarodriguez1581]

What regulations do you mean?

[@pcatful]

You didn’t mention brick tile. In a Masonic Hall in California, which did survive the earthquake, we had to do a rear addition with modern wood frame (the main part had to be braced by wood construction as well. Brick tile was the best match-and fortunately we only had to use in the back. The facade and front part of the building has the original brick walls. There are many buildings in the Bay Area of unreinforced masonry that have to be braced to continue to maintain the brick or stone walls.

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks pcatful,, yep, it's good to hear what goes on out there, thanks Mike

[@Jonathan-y3e3l]

That’s not masonry we still do brick jobs here in Lynchburg Virginia 💪🍻keep our trade alive Mike love your knowledge of masonry 👍😎

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks again,, Mike

[@chrisnolan7423]

Partially correct.When building individual homes he is absolutely correct but plenty of stone work going on in NYC.

[@MikeHaduck]

Hi Chris, things are changing, thanks Mike

[@brucetepke8150]

Hi Mike. If you ever get the chance, you should visit Poplar Forest. It's Thomas Jefferson's octagon shaped brick summer home.

[@MikeHaduck]

Hi Bruce, it's on my list, thanks Mike

[@FunwithBooboo]

Nice information, Mike. We enjoyed watching your video again 😀 👍 thank you

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks anna,, Mike

[@JohnQPublic345]

in chicago, 3 sides of every house, or building must be brick.... at least this WAS the code back in the day

[@MikeHaduck]

Hi John, I don't think a modern day inspector knows anything about brick, thanks Mike

[@ericlitts9917]

At least we have mike haduck to show how to lay a course for the intrepid in the future. Some day im going to build my small house with a real stone foundation and use real brick. It might take a lot longer, but itll do me good.

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks eric,,, Mike

[@Bobcat1950]

You didn’t mention the insurance companies. They use to discount your insurance premiums if your building was built using masonry products like brick, but stopped if fascia brick was used.

[@MikeHaduck]

Thanks Bobcat, Mike