Mortar question

dtc · Post by **dtc** » Tue Oct 06, 2015 1:42 pm

Dobkins rowlock at sills 3 5/8 inches,
rowlock at parapet 3 5/8 inches
soldier course at top of firebox 4 3/4 inches.

peterm · Post by **peterm** » Tue Oct 06, 2015 3:44 pm

Thank you for the clarification. It is as I suspected...

I guess there were shorter special bricks made, or they were simply cut smaller for the soldier course. At Lamberson they are full length modular (7 5/8")

Oh, and more to the point: are the mortar joints filled and tinted?

dtc · Post by **dtc** » Wed Oct 07, 2015 9:11 am

Full bricks at Dobkins are 8 inches long.

The masonry has all head joints struck flush with no colorant, with recessed bed joints colored a dark grey, which reads under certain light as black.
A very distinct horizontal pattern is set up that contrasts handsomely with all internal board and sunken batten interior walls.
Less than 9 months before the Dobkins was built the Rubin house was about complete with all mortar colored to match the color of their brick.
The same supervisor of construction Allan Gelbin followed Wright's designs to the letter. He did not compromise.

peterm · Post by **peterm** » Wed Oct 07, 2015 1:00 pm

So at Dobkins, Wright did not specify color for the head joints, but did ask for them to be flush?