Watched all three. Great information. It's nice to see someone with your knowledge and experience giving back to us new guys. I see you learned a lot from your dad. I am sure he was a great man because he turned out a good son. Thanks again.

I always get something out of your videos. New knowledge, appreciation that you’re willing to share your knowledge, a new way way I look at the everyday buildings, walls etc. The courage to attempt somethings myself. Thanks again!!

Mike, thank you for all the extremely helpful and informative videos! They've really helped me.

After years in the trade is STILL refer back to this video. Thank you Mr. Haduck for an old school perspective to a new school of thought.

The mason saying there's nothing set in stone.. 😂😂😂 Classic! Your awesome Mike!!

Thanks Mike, I love watching your videos... I learn so much from them.

Mike; thanks for all the info you provide from your videos. I was able to repair my stone stairs at the front of my house. Your video's gave me the confidence to even attempt them. they turned out great, love being able to repair myself wherever possible. Thanks again

Thanks for these great videos! I grew up in the Scranton area so listening to you makes me feel like home! I like learning to do a lot of things around the house on my own and your instruction gives me the confidence to give it a shot with stone work. I'm sure it will take me 3 times as long as a professional, but the satisfaction of completing a project is great

Mike, I'm extremely grateful for your videos. I've always have been curious about cement and have studied lots of books and videos. I've learned more in watching a few of your videos than everything else combined. You're the best. Now if I lived in Philly I'd buy you a steak sub.

Just wanted to say thank you for your videos Mike! I have done masonry for about two and a half years and am beginning the steps to start a business along side my cousin! Even with experience your videos help and give great guidance. Thank again!

Hi mike, being a total novice when i started out i have been taking your advise and skills for the past 7 years and learnt a hell of a lot from your videos and built some very nice projects. Living in Nottingham, England i can now appreciate the beautiful old buildings that still look like they did when they was first built. Any way thanks for sharing your skills, your videos are a great confidence booster before tackling jobs! keep up the great videos. good on you Mike!

These videos are great. Learned a lot. Thanks for sharing the knowledge.

Just discovered these....im learning loads from them and he makes me feel confident about doing it myself like its no big deal. He explains it real good and makes me feel masonry is for everyone and not just some fancy thing for pros thats not accessible to non pros.

Well done Mike another excellent series. Many thanks.

Thanks a lot for the videos! These are awesome. I cut a hole in my foundation to sneak in a glulam girder, and you're videos are helping me button things up :)

I just watched all three videos and I’m looking outside, feeling like I can do the whole neighborhood. Thank you for the information

Mike H., your series here was quite informative to me. Now, I'll forge ahead with your other ones.

Mike, this was probably the most useful 40 minutes of staring at the computer that I've done in months. I am a high school teacher and I have to say, you are a fabulous teacher - I would love to have you come in and lecture to my Chemistry class about this stuff - I really enjoyed the history lesson in Video #2. You have really engendered in me a sense of confidence in my going forward with this stage of our diy house-building project - I'm in charge of building the piers and I'm practicing by building bottle walls. Your reaffirmation that there is no ONE RIGHT WAY to do masonry, but that there's a historical precedence, reminds me of when I embarked on cheesemaking, which is also has a thousand regional methods, and few ingredients. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING THE TIME TO MAKE THESE VIDEOS, and educate the public about this stuff. I am feeling much more empowered and confident. And yes, I am grouting the piers. :) Thank you!

Great video Mike. Thank you.

Hi Mike. These videos are great. Thanks very much for posting.

Thanks, so glad you touched on the brick! Good to know.

Exactly the information I needed for my home project, thanks Mike!

Thank you Mike. your videos are really informative. best on the net. im almost confident enough to start my project.

Thank you Mike it very generous of you to share your experience to us . it's a big help .i am so confused when I was in store ,so many kind.i

Hi Mike, Thanks so much for doing all of these great videos! I think I have watched about 75% of them already, trying to get ready to do my first 3 repair jobs: crumbled brick steps, a concrete porch foundation with a big hole in it, and crumbled concrete steps. Would you ever consider doing a video on a) the tools you most commonly use, b) how to clean up (the site, your tools, clothes, etc.) and c) safety tips (eye protection, dust masks, etc.)? Thank you again - I have learned so much already. Looking forward to trying some practice runs!

Thank you. Great video series. I learned a lot.

Great videos. I m a beginner, learn alot from u Mike. You go strait to the point when u do things no BS. Thanks and BTW you should have much more subscribers

Excellent work I got to hand it to you you are good. Terrific communication skills, explained in a simple to the point format.

Thank you for the education. I am now more knowledgeable on the different kinds of cement..

And I agree on that with you, there are tons of products and anyway we have to do most of the works every year so why we don’t try them all on different situations and if the work and last, then we know we could use them again on that particular scenario.Thank you again Mike for this great lecture.👏

Great info as always! Thanks for posting!

As a homeowner trying to tackle my own repairs, this is very helpful!

So freaking informative. Thank you so much, very meaningful!!

all of your videos are great!

At the rate I've been binging on Mike's videos, I will be getting my MHSOHK degree very soon. Thanks again.

Thanks Mike...Great stuff as usual.

Awesome Video's Thank you Mike, - John

Mike thank you so much for your video's. I think that I am almost as confused as your book but at least I know more than I did. Hopefully by the time that I am done watching your video's I can do my basement bathroom project.

I thank you very much for making these videos

Thank you sir for your information and tips.

I would love to see this series redone with your current camera. Thanks Mike.

Very good video. Thank you.

Great information sir! Very confusing to go out there and decide which darn cement to use. Thanks 👍👍

Mike You do a bloody good job You are practical & share common sense with facts and experience ( Will you Catch on ) From a same age group and a ex R ,Navy Have put your lessons to good use Rock on Sailor Regards and salutations from NZ

Great video! I’m new to doing masonry and was a bit clueless on what to use

always awesome... merry christmas mike!

Great teacher!

Thank you for the information

Thanks, good stuff.

I’m retired and am just beginning to repoint my 150 year old Pennsylvannia banked barn in Berks County PA. After watching several of Mike's videos I feel much more confident in doing this myself. I’ll try to keep you posted on progress.

Smart and practical,you can’t beat a person who has learned from his own and his fathers experience.

I love the video. I'm looking forward to my first bird bath.

i appreciate that the guy is a home depot guy! the CTS rapid set products are amazing they are also hydraulic and can be used to solve many problems including marine applications. the grout (cement all) can be used for everything as long as depth is under 4" from counter tops to filling holes to bonding materials. masonry cement contains portland cement and hydrated lime all you need to add is sand to make type s. always make sure that the compressive strength of a concrete/mortar mix is going to be strong enough for the job. mortars-type s above and below grade, type n above grade, type m strongest mortar, type o is above grade repair non load bearing it has the lowest compressive strength. thank you mike for explaining different mixes and there mixture contents. concrete can be a daunting task to many DIYers but it shouldn't be unless volume of product is the issue.

your awesome as always thank you

Ever since I started working for myself back in the 90s, I've always stuck with the thought processes of, do it like grandpa did, because those things are still around.

I always ask questions sales person about cement because I don’t like buying things to mix items buy this buy that again I just want to buy cement just add water and do the work ,, thank you showing me about the brand cement 👌👌👌

Thanks Mike.

Good video ,Thanks

I like when you use the Old school method KISS - keep it simple stupid and the don’t fix it if its not broke - super good job on your video’s Mike always thumbs

Thanks. I needed that. No Brick!

Mike, i have a small wood stove in the Corner of my shop that sits caddy corner and I wanted to put rock on the to walls in the Corner. it will be 4' x 9' on each wall. what steps should I take, do I put up hardy board first? walls are just studs with insulation between them. also want to make a 5'×5' rock pad to put under my stove. right now it is on concrete floor. how should I tackle this project. I've put pallet wood on walls and adding vinyl plank flooring, doing a rustic themed man cave in back half off my shop. 10'x19'.

Mike, It's interior, I will not wet the cellar floor, I'll remove the splattered cement with a chisel, and I'll look into the white dry lock paint. Once again thank you for all your expertise and words of encouragement. When I get finished I'll shot you a before and after picture. Thank you, Ed Lynch

Great vids mike!!! The cement all quick drying products have a compound called luminite in them. That is the compound the shortens the drying time. Watch Kirk Giordano's stucco on KZfaq, he has a lot of vids on luminite and stucco. He takes a lot of pride in his work and is an excellent teacher like you. Keep up the great vids!!! They are extremely helpful, especially to a carpenter like me who is trying to understand more about all the different trades.

Mike I'm really enjoying your videos. Very well done and educational. We just bought a brick veneer house that was build in the 1940s and needs repointed in a few areas. Pulled out a few chunks of mortar and is pretty white which makes me think it might be lime mortar or at least contains lime. I'm trying to figure out how to match the color but maximize longevity. Any suggestions? White Portland? Located in the midwest

Thanks Mike

Great videos. On my property there is a dry river wash with a lot of course sand. Can I just use that to mix with mortar to build some stone walls?

Hi Mike, Hope all is well with you . Its Ed Lynch from Philly via Shamokin about my 1863 brick row house in Philly. I finally finish the cellar walls, what a tedious job, much of the foundation was 3-4 inches of red clay and sand between the stone. Surprisingly much of the stone came from our anthracite coal region cause it was tipped and edge with coal. I used a chisel and several wire brushes,I wet it with the hose and packed it with portland cement " 1 bucket of cement and 2 buckets of sand" packed cement in every area and all around the joists as you said and smooth it as good as I could with rags. It looks pretty good. (1) My question is that some of the cement splattered on the floor not thick amounts even though I put thick cardboard around. I bought a floor scrapper and its rough scrapping it up. I wanted to know if I sprayed small areas of the floor with water would it make it easier to scrape it up? or would that make the issue worst? (2) I'm getting ready to make the white wash, I'm using water lime, salt and small amounts of sand. Must I wet the walls first before I begin painting the whitewash on? Thanks for all your advise and knowledge. Peace Ed Lynch

Hey Mike I’m here in California just started out being a tender for a masonry company about 6 months ago I’ve been learning a lot and still trying to get all the basics down but I hope to study your videos and eventually build a lot of things in the future with the knowledge you share thanks for inspiring me, my uncle is building out of Adobe in Arizona and I’m hoping I can use this knowledge and apply it to the Adobe and make some really cool walls and buildings with some nice stone work to go along with it if there’s any way to contact you I would like to talk sometime thanks again

sparkylights, type-s mortar means it's made with portland cement. Mortar has types N, S or M and the letters represent the mortar strength (psi). Type N is weakest for stone veneer, S can support a load like a retaining wall. Type M is even stronger than S. You don't want Mortar too strong because its strength is supposed to be compatible with the brick strength. When making Mortar lots of recipes call for adding Hydrated Lime to make it more workable and water proof. Not to be confusing but Lime also comes in type-S and N. The letter on lime indicates the procedure how the lime was hydrated. Type-S Lime means it was hydrated in a pressure chamber to ensure there is less than 8% unhydrated oxides in the lime. Unhydrated oxides will chemically burn your skin. Type-N lime doesn't use a pressure hydrator and there isn't a specified limit to the amount of unhydrated oxides in the lime.

Great videos. What about self leveling cement and how durable are they for A garage floor?

Appreciate the info, well laid out. Got a kick out of the ASTM jargon. I was looking at that on the type "N" mortar mix bag of "Quickcrete" and wondered what kind of college degree one would need to understand that mess LOL.

Thank you for your videos. I happened to receive 50lb type s lime. ( free ) . I know I can use this to white washer cinder blocks, besides that what other uses can I use? Making my mortar mix white for river rock pillar ?

MIKE, I am going to repair concrete formed around steel structure beams. Is it better to use the mortar type s or a Portland and sand mix?

Mike thanks for the info. I have a brick veneer I'm re-pointing and the existing mortar is very white. It is about 25 yrs old. Looks like it has little or no sand in it? Any idea what the mortar might be?

Mike, just can't get my head around what the difference is between cement and concrete.. Love your videos... you really really help us. .. thanks so much for doing these videos. :))

Mike, I have a four foot tall front concrete porch, it has started cracking up and falling apart, I live in Judsonia Arkansas.. what type cement should I use to bond it back together ?

I have an old soft brick chimney, mortar is fine but each year more of the brick surface chips off during the winter when it freezes. After 50 years it's looking rough and I'm replacing the roof with a standing seam metal roof ( aka hidden fasteners) Your videos gave me the courage and confidence to veneer the chimney with stone. My biggest concern was getting the mortar mix right and getting it to hold. I've watched your 7 part series on installing stone veneer and also your 8 part on stick on stone installation and use it as a reference when I get stuck. I'm putting a scratch coat over the brick and then stone on that. For a Wisconsin winter should the base coat use type S mortar alone alone or should I add some portland cement to it. Also do you explain in any videos how you flash a stone chimney especial a veneer stick on stone job. Thank you for providing such clear instructions. The manufacturers seem to leave out important steps for DIYers like wetting the wall first. My nightmare would be seeing stone piece on the ground 3 years after I finish this job because water got in behind it and frost popped them off..

Thanks so much for your videos Mike! They're truly a gift for people like me who trying to do they're own repair projects. I'm repairing some deep textured stucco on my house. I've been practicing with premixed Portland and doing very well matching the existing stucco design, but I don't want to paint it unless I absolutely have to. The newer cement is lighter in color than the old. Would it work to make a loose Portland "paint" mix and brush on a finish coat to blend the old and new cement tones? Looking for an opinion I can trust. Thoughts Mike?

Mike a good rule of thumb is the mortar, (and I define mortar as a mixture of ordinary Portland cement ,sand and lime ,Or if lime is not being used a liquid plasticiser.) should always be weaker than the unit your laying, be it a clay brick a concrete block or what ever. Irish cement Ltd has 6 easy to follow advisory leaflet,s on there website that covers all this stuff . Its very interesting reading .

Mike, is it okay to use a modern mortar mix to repoint a 100 year old house in a northern climate, or is it too hard? If it is too hard what should I use? Great videos, many thanks.

Doubtful you will reply but if anyone can answer that is awesome too, I was wanting to build a small smoke house/cooking house out in our backyard out of slat rock because it is so commonly available where I live. Is this option and can I just use some portland cement as I got a bunch of bags laying around or do I have to go buy some Mansonry cement?

I'm working on a project that calls for a plaster made from 5 perlite 1 sand 1 lime 1 portland and 1 washed sand? Not sure what is meant by washed sand. Can you use mason sand in plaster?

Alot of buildings now are made with pre-cast concrete, are they just as strong Mike,? thanks for all your tips i have learnt a lot.

Mike i dont know if youl see this , is it acceptable to correct to slope of pavement using a thin layer of concrete with adhesive with a roughed up surface?, they got the level wrong years ago so im going to give it a go.

Which motar would u recommend for an exterior ledgestone?

Thanks Mike , This Explains a lot , Im just not sure I can get the S mortar to stand 18 foot 3-7 inch thick 2 inch wide up the stone wall , But I will give it my best shot.

Thanks Mike, well done.....but I have a question, what does " type S" mean?

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Hey Mike, does it matter if you use play sand or quikrete sand for brick work motor mix . Donny

I couid not comment better than Matthew Cremona ! thanks Mike

I already texted my buddy who introduced me to your channel, the situation with the bricks on steps here in PA. By the way in that same scenario, could you explain me how houses like mine made with bricks don’t fall apart as you mentioned on the steps’ case?

So a French masonry guy installed my slate walkway (over a concrete slab) and slate stair treads (over brick risers). During the first winter after installation the treads popped loose and the slate on the walkway became loose and the mortar between the rectangular pieces of slate are broken and coming up. He came back after I complained and used Liquid Nails to put the treads back in place. They popped loose again. Years later, after removing all of the popped treads, for safety reasons, I am now using a grinder to remove the original layer of mortar/cement/whatever Frenchie used to cement the treads in place and I'm getting ready to put the treads back in place. (The walkway will have to wait until next year). Should I use Portland + Sand or the premixed deal?? These treads HAVE to stick because I'm getting too old to be a DIY-er. Your expertise would be great!

have you ever done slip forming for stone walls..... ive seen it here and would like to try it tell me what you think

great video Mike how about cement shoes mikey ,just kidding Im from Youngstown ,Ohio

I'm a cement mason/ patchman/ concrete finisher and after 10+ years I am thinking of switching Into plumbing I am 35yo..what your thoughts on that..

"Nothing is set in stone" - you sure about that, Mike? :P Thanks for the helpful videos!

I meant it base on your comment about bricks absorbing humidity

Thank you. Very well delivered and understandable. I am female 72 yrs in Phoenix Arizona. I want to build my own wall.66 ft long. . What's the cheapest way for me as a newby. .

I saw a video that said dirt bricks can last a long long long long long long long long long time more than 20 years even into the hundreds they do add a little bit of lime and probably a little bit of Portland do you know anything about that?

do you use spex mixs for building block wall?