How to bricklay: Bricklaying for Beginners – Brickhunter

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17 September 2021

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Bricklaying

Learn to lay bricks in 10/10 easy steps – with a little help from Mitre 10.

The beauty of bricks is that they can add real style anywhere in your garden. And laying bricks is within the average handy person’s ability. So you can easily build small earthretaining walls to create such interesting features as a raised lawn or sunken patio, or to add terraced garden beds, planter boxes, garden seats, a barbecue or a gatepost/mailbox. And there are few DIY projects more satisfying and rewarding than a job built from bricks laid by your own hands. Just stick to this easy step-by-step guide from Mitre I0 and you’re well on your way to becoming your own brickie. Of course, for home extensions and very large, substantial walls, don’t hesitate to call in a qualified tradesman.

Step I: Come to terms

The first thing to learn is some of the brickie’s language so you’ll understand some of the steps used here later (Fig I).

Other terms you should know include:

Course: A single row of bricks. Joints: The mortar between bricks, usually I0mm thick.

Buttering: Coating the end of a brick with mortar to form a vertical joint.

Piers: Supporting columns built in at regular intervals and at the ends of high or long walls to give added strength.

Step 2: Choose a bond

The bricks are laid in patterns called bonds, which prevent one vertical joint (called a perpend) being laid directly above the vertical joint on the course below. There are a number of different bonds, but a stretcher bond is the simplest (Fig. 2). Bricks overlap by half their length. Alternate courses finish with I ⁄2 bricks at each end. A header bond is formed by laying bricks head on, with each course overlapping by half the header face width. Alternate courses finish with two 3⁄4 bricks laid next to each other at each end (Fig 2A).

Step 3: Get Approval

If you’re planning a large structure, such as a high front brick wall, check your local Council’s or Shire’s regulations first. Most authorities specify the types of fences you can build and how high they can be and you may need a permit. However, small edging walls, barbecues and so on do not usually need a permit. There’s also a big variation in load bearing capacities of soils, sometimes only a few metres apart in the same locality. Even for small projects, a solid foundation is important and this depends on the nature of your soil. Again, seek the advice of you local council.

Step 4: Buying materials

Bricks

The actual size of a standard brick is 230mm long, II0mm wide and 76mm deep. But for estimating how many bricks you need, use the format size. This includes I0mm in each dimension to allow for one mortar joint (Fig. 3). Which means each brick face is measured as 240 x 86mm.

Mortar

For small jobs, one 40kg bag of ready-mixed mortar makes enough to lay 40 – 50 bricks. For larger jobs, it’s cheaper to mix your own. Cement and lime usually come in 40kg bags and sand by the I ⁄4, I ⁄2 and whole cubic metre. Specify bricklayer’s ‘fatty’ sand – other sands tend to crumble and fall off when trowelled onto bricks. Allow 3⁄4 cubic metre of sand, 4 bags of cement and 4 bags of lime per I,000 bricks laid with a stretcher bond.

Step 5: On with the job

The first thing to do is to set out reference lines for the thickness of both the foundation and walls using stringline. Build hurdles from suitable scrap timber and erect them at opposite ends of the walls, clear of the working areas (Fig. 4). Measure the exact locations of the wall corners on the ground, then extend stringline between these points to the hurdles and mark by hammering in a nail. Tie the line to one of the nails and stretch to the other hurdles. Loop the line around each nail and keep taut. The stringlines will give you an accurate line to follow for digging out the foundation and laying your bricks.

Step 6: Foundations

Once you have sought the advice of your council about load capacities of soils in your area, dig the foundation trench to their recommendation. Remember to dig out enough for the depth of the concrete base. Large structures may need to be thicker, but for low walls, planter boxes, barbecues and so on, a concrete base I50mm to 200mm thick and about I00mm on each side of the bricks is usually sufficient (Fig. 5). As a guide to laying the concrete level, hammer in pegs at 600mm intervals along the middle of the trench. The peg’s length above the ground marks the thickness of the concrete. Place a long, straight piece of timber across the first two pegs and test with a spirit level. In this way, adjust all pegs so their tops are all perfectly level. Then pour in the concrete (suggested mixture: 4 parts metal, 2 parts sand, I part cement) until it’s flush with the tips of the pegs. Leave it to set hard.

Step 7: Mix the mortar

Unless you’re using dry ready-mix mortar, mix I part cement, I part lime and 6 parts sand on your mortar board for the brickwork. Measuring quantities by the shovelful is acceptable but beware that any over or under measuring of ingredients from one mix to another may result in different mortar colouring. Allow roughly I bucket of water for each bucket of cement. Thoroughly mix the cement into the sand, turning it over at least three times. Form a hollow in the middle of the pile and pour in half of the water (Fig. 6). Mix in the dry mortar from the inside walls of the hollow, gradually adding a little more water as it gets absorbed. Turn the whole mix over several times. Mortar has the right consistency when it will hold the impression of the trowel point, or your fingers when it’s squeezed.

Step 8: Lay the bricks

Move the stringline for the outer face of the wall on the hurdles (refer Fig. 4), then lay the bricks out dry for the first course along the foundation to work out their correct placement. Now lift them to one side and set this course accurately to the stringline by laying a mortar bed. Using a trowel. To lay a bed, chop off a section of mortar with the trowel that’s about the same size as it. Separate it from the bulk of the mortar with a clean slicing action and shape it into a curve, as near to a sausage shape as possible (Fig. 7). Sweep the trowel underneath to lift it from the mortar board in one go. Slide the trowel sharply backwards to lay the mortar in a sausage shape, and use the tip in a stepping action down the middle to spread it out. Lay enough for at least two bricks at a time. Lay the first brick in place and tap down with the trowel handle until the top outer corner of the brick rests against the stringline. The mortar should make a I0mm joint.

Buttering

For the next brick, butter one end to create the vertical join before you lay it (Fig. 8). Hold the brick in one hand and scrape on mortar with your trowel to one ‘perp’ end. Place the buttered end against the first brick to form a vertical joint I0mm thick and firm down with the trowel handle, again so the top outer edge for the bricks rests against the stringline. Repeat this for the next four or five bricks, still following the stringline. Test with your spirit level that the bricks are truly horizontal. Carefully scrape off excess mortar with your trowel. When the first course is laid, you can dispense with the hurdle line and use bricklayer’s pins and line, gauge rod and spirit level instead.

Brick cutting

Each brick for all following courses should straddle two on the last course, so you’ll probably have to cut bricks to fit at the ends of alternative courses. Mark a cutting line on each face of the brick and nick the line all around with your bolster and mash hammer. Place the brick bottom on grass or sand, put the bolster on the nicked line, give it a sharp blow and the brick should cleanly break along the line (Fig. 9).

Racking

The corners should now be ‘racked’ – that is, built up by several courses (Fig. I0). With each new course, check that the corners are rising correctly with the gauge rod (Fig I0). With a spirit level, check that each brick you lay is level and that the brick faces are both vertical and plumb. To lay the second course, tap flat bricklayer’s pins into a vertical mortar joint at one end of the wall. Stretch a stringline from these pins to the other end of the wall, then secure the line taut with a second pin so that it’s in line with the top edge of the next course. Lay the bricks in the middle to this line, testing each course for level and plumbness. Move the pins and line up to each course until all courses are filled between the racked corners. When the last course is complete, build up the ends again and fill in the middle until you reach the planned height.

Step 9: Finishing off

Joints must be finished off before the mortar dries and there are many ways to do this (Fig. II). The simplest is the ‘flush’ joint, made by drawing the trowel across the face of the bricks to create a mortar join which sets flush to the brick surface. A ‘struck’ joint can be made by drawing the trowel steadily at a 20-30 deg. angle along the joint. Do vertical joins first then horizontal ones using the full length of the trowel in a firm backwards action. The ruled joint is done by pressing about half the diameter of your home-made joint rule and drawing it the full length of the course. A recessed joint is made by undercutting the joints with a steel scraper with a protruding head the same size as the brick joints, or a block of timber with a nail protruding to the depth you want the joint to be.

Step I0: Cleaning up

Never leave brickwork uncleaned longer than two days after it’s laid. Start at the top and hose off as much mortar as possible. Then scrape with a wooden scraper using plenty of water to help. For remaining mortar smears, clean with a mixture of I part spirits of salts (hydrochloric acid) to I0 parts water. Protective clothing must be worn for this job; long trousers, a shirt giving full upper body and arm protection and a pair of industrial elbow length rubber gloves. Goggles are also strongly recommended. Working in I square metre sections, fully saturate the brick wall surface with water first. Then, using a stiff dairy brush dipped continually in the acid and water mix, vigorously rub the wall. Stubborn smears and lumps can be removed with a steel scraper. Once each section is clean, wash down immediately with water. Do not let the mixture dry on the bricks. If the mixture splashes on your skin, wash it off immediately with water.

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How to Lay Bricks in 2022

I can remember my first attempt at bricklaying, the words “disaster” and “sloppy mess” spring to mind.

The worrying thing was, I’d previously spent several years working in the roofing industry and had plenty of experience at bedding roof tiles onto mortar.

Bricklaying, however, is an entirely different beast and the skills I’d learnt up on the roofs really didn’t help much.

I’d hate to think what a complete newbie would create at the first attempt.

If you’ve never laid a brick before and you don’t want to pay for a bricklayer, the guide below should help you take the first steps.

As with any project, preparation is key.

(The guide below assumes you are working with modern bricks and other materials as old period buildings are built with entirely different bricks, mortar and other materials that are designed to let the home breathe.)

Tip 1 – Choose Your Sand, Cement and Additives Carefully

The best sand for bricklaying is usually Builders Sand, otherwise known as Soft Sand.

Kiln-dried sand is great for filling gaps in driveway block paving but is far too fine for bricklayers who require more grainy sand.

Sharp sand is at the other end of the scale and is very gritty, this is great for large slabs of concrete but it’s not much good for the average bricklaying project.

You should avoid fast setting cement, often referred to as “rapid” cement. These are very difficult to work with as the mortar mix will begin to set in as little as 15 minutes, giving you very little time to lay the bricks before your trowel and bucket are encased in a solid hard mortar.

I’ve always used normal Mastercrete cement without experiencing any issues.

The only additive you need is plasticiser, this makes the mortar “soapy”, smooth and easier to work with. Without plasticiser, your mixture will stick to the trowel and will be generally more difficult to work with.

Tip 2 – Mix the Mortar Correctly

For normal house bricks, a ratio of 4 parts sand to 1 part cement can be used.

For slightly softer or second-hand bricks, use a ratio of 5-1. For very soft bricks, some bricklayers will go with a very weak 6-1 mix.

If you’re using period bricks, you should consider removing some or all of the cement and replacing it with Lime. Lime allows the wall to breathe and is perfect for soft absorbent bricks. The issue with Lime is that’s very difficult to work with.

Engineering bricks are often laid with a slightly stronger mix, 3-1 or 4-1 is common for these bricks.

For more detailed information about mortar mixes, check out our guide to mortar.

The sand and cement should be blended with water to create a smooth consistent mortar that isn’t “sloppy” but also doesn’t break apart in lumps when you’re working it with a trowel.

Only by regular practice can you truly get an understanding of how firm/wet the mortar should be.

Tip 3 – Build a Practice Wall

This is probably the best advice I can give you.

Your first attempt at laying bricks probably won’t be pretty, mine wasn’t! So do a practice session first.

You could build a small wall two metres long and perhaps three to five courses of bricks high. Also, practice bricklaying around a corner.

When you’re finished with your practice wall, leave it for an hour and then dismantle it and clean the mortar off the bricks with a trowel, you can then reuse them later.

Tip 4 – Bricklaying

Make sure you have a good supply of bricks close by, you don’t want to be walking up and down the garden every minute or so.

The bricks should be laid with staggered joints as this will give the wall extra strength and stability.

Some bricks will have circular holes in them, others will have an indentation on one side, this indentation should always face upwards.

Bricklaying –  with holes in the brick

Indent facing upwards

Professional bricklayers spread the mortar across the brick with a V shape indent. This creates a small void in the centre of the brick, this allows the bricks to be laid in place more easily:

Mortar laid with a V shape indent – this makes tapping the bricks into place much easier

The ends of the bricks should be buttered like this:

Brick buttering

A string line should be tied to each end of the wall with a peg, this acts as a guide and is used alongside a spirit level:

String line used for bricklaying

The spirit level should also be used to make sure the wall is vertically straight.

Tip 5 – Cutting the Bricks

If you need to cut a brick, the easiest way is to use a hammer and bolster.

The brick should be laid on solid ground and make sure you are wearing eye goggles for protection.

Power tools will create a lot of dust and most people don’t use them to cut bricks, if you do, make sure you wear a dust mask too.

Tip 6 – Pointing the Mortar Course to Leave a Neat Finish

Bricklayers don’t “point in” the mortar straight away but instead, they wait until the mortar has firmed just a little. Moving or nudging the bricks causes vibrations that will cause any wet mortar to slump.

You shouldn’t wait too long before you start pointing, once the mortar has set, it’ll make it difficult to point. The time you’ll need to wait will depend on the weather conditions; you can wait longer in the winter but on a very hot summer’s day you may need to start pointing 10 minutes or so after laying the brick.

There are many different pointing styles, but the Bucket Handle (concave) is the most popular:

Tip 7 – Pro Tips For Bricklaying

To keep the colour of the mortar consistent, you should use the same sand throughout the build, so buy from a local store and don’t get it delivered via the internet.

Many DIYers try to make the mortar as neat as possible as they lay the bricks. Unfortunately, nudging the bricks while the mortar is still wet will cause the bricks to move and the mortar to slump. It would be better if you continue laying the bricks and let the mortar firm just a bit before coming back and pointing in the course.

You should use gloves as cement draws the moisture out from the skin and causes it to crack. It’s also an irritant so if it gets into the cracks on your skin, expect some discomfort and bleeding.

Keep an eye on the weather, if the temperature is forecast to drop below 5 degrees in the next 48 hours then abandon your bricklaying plans and come back when the temperature warms up. Don’t lay bricks when rain is forecast either, mortar washes out very easily.

Once the mortar in the bucket or on the mixing board has started to set, don’t add water to it to make it wet again. Discard it and mix a new batch.

Only mix enough mortar for about 45 minutes of work, too much and it will set before you use it, too little and you’ll be wasting your time mixing new batches far too frequently.

Tools You’ll Need:

• Gloves
• Hand brush ideally with soft bristles
• Shovel
• Mixing spot board or piece of ply
• Buckets – a rubber tub is best
• Trowel
• Small spirit level (150 – 300mm)
• Large spirit level (up to 1200mm)
• Bolster
• Hammer
• Tape measure
• Stringline
• Pointing tool

Don’t want to do this work yourself?

We don’t blame you, that’s why we’ve teamed up with a national partner so you can compare quotes from local tradespeople.

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12 Different Types of Brick Laying Tools

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Avoid a sloppy mess and save yourself the cost of hiring a bricklayer by having the right types of brick laying tools and knowing the basic principles of masonry so you can do it yourself.

As with any trade, bricklaying looks like an easy job to do until you try it yourself. Knowing the basic principles of masonry will help you get a headstart so pay attention to how masons lay the bricks when building a mailbox enclosure or a brick wall structure. Both processes are the same.

It’s equally important to do proper planning and preparation. Map out the wall and practice with a small sample wall first. When you’re finally confident with your practice, built on your know-how, and finished with the planning, the next thing to focus on is to get the right bricklaying tools to make the job easier.

Related: Types of Scales for Weighing People | Types of Kitchen Measuring Tools | Types of Kitchen Scales | Types of Fence Building Tools

1. Brick Trowel

When you are laying bricks, it is important that you have the proper tools for the job. If you want everything to turn out as well as it possibly can, then you’re going to need quality tools that will make things easier. A brick trowel should be among the very first purchases that you make. It is perhaps the most essential tool for the entire process of bricklaying, so you’re not going to want to be without one.

If you know much about bricklaying, then you should understand that you need to set the bricks and spread out your mortar. The tool that you will be using for this task is known as a brick trowel. It is what you will be used to smooth things out, as well, so it is going to prove to be invaluable to the entire process. You need to be able to lay things out properly in order to get the accurate brickwork that you are desiring.

Owning this brick trowel will making laying bricks as simple as it can possibly be. You will be able to rely on the tempered blade to help you position your bricks and smooth your materials. You’ll be able to pick up ample amounts of mortar using this tool and will always be able to put it right where it needs to go. It’s a simple idea, and using this brick trowel should feel quite natural once you get used to things.

The blade of the brick trowel being shown here is made out of steel, as you might expect. It will be rugged and will stand up to many years of use if you take care of the brick trowel properly. This means cleaning it off and storing it right when you aren’t using it. Your brick trowel is going to be a regular companion on your bricklaying jobs, so you want to keep it in good condition so that it will be ready to help you do the jobs.

The handle of the blade is made out of wood. Some trowels will have plastic handles or even metal handles. The wooden handle helps you to maintain maximum comfort throughout your workday. It should work perfectly to give you the right grip while you’re trying to finish up your bricklaying project.

2. Pointing Trowel

A pointing trowel will be another tool that you simply must purchase when doing a bricklaying project. You will need the pointing trowel in order to perform specific tasks that it is better suited to than a brick trowel. When you need to add a finish to your brickwork, then it is going to be essential to have a pointing trowel around. The design of the tool makes it well-suited to getting close to the bricks and finishing things off properly.

Of course, you can use the pointing trowel in order to level things out and spread mortar where you need it to go. It is more commonly used for precise shaping work, though. You will usually want to make use of the larger brick trowel in order to do the majority of the work. Then you will switch to the pointing trowel to finish things off and accurately shape the bricks so that you can finish your project right.

This pointing trowel has a high-quality carbon steel blade. This blade is excellent, and it will stand up to regular use while remaining in great condition. The handle of this pointing trowel is made out of wood. It’s comfortable in your hands and is durable enough that you won’t have to worry about encountering any issues.

The wood handle feels right and helps to keep you feeling fine while you’re finishing up the job. Even if you have to use this tool for longer stretches of time, it will feel as natural as possible. You shouldn’t have a difficult time making use of this handy pointing trowel. It will allow you to finish up your projects, and everything will look fantastic when you’re done.

3. Brick Hammer

Your brick hammer is going to be one of the very first tools that you should purchase for this job. It is an essential part of the process that you absolutely cannot be without. When you need to complete a bricklaying project, you’re going to need to have a hammer to help you with multiple purposes. The brick hammer here is going to help you to line up bricks properly, cut bricks, set bricks, and even strike brickwork into place in certain situations.

This brick hammer is made incredibly well, so you will be able to rely on it for many years. It is made out of a durable steel and weighs in at only twenty-two ounces. You’ll be able to swing this hammer and use it all day long without feeling like it is fatiguing you too much. It is relatively lightweight and feels very good in your hands overall.

The handle is worth mentioning because it is very well-designed. It has a really good grip that ensures that you will have full control over the tool the entire time. Aside from this, it was made to be able to reduce the vibrations that are produced when it makes an impact with an object. This means that it will be a lot easier on your hands, and you’ll feel less tired than usual when you use a quality hammer like this.

Purchasing a hammer that is of the highest quality makes sense if you are going to be doing a lot of bricklaying work. You want something that is going to be durable while being easy to use during a long workday. This brick hammer fits the bill and will definitely satisfy your needs. If you need a quality hammer for bricklaying and masonry work, then you should definitely consider purchasing this.

4. Bricklayers Line Pins

Source: Amazon

Sometimes the simplest types of tools wind up being among the most important. You will be using bricklayers line pins in order to ensure even courses along with an entire wall. It is really just a simple way to keep things going smoothly. You can’t afford to be off when you’re doing a bricklaying job, so you have to ensure that your course is always correct.

You just insert these pins right where they need to be. They have tapered ends that makes placing them as simple as possible. You’ll be able to position them correctly and then make use of this visual aid in order to stay on task. It is a simple and effective way to make bricklaying work easier.

These line pins can help to hold your line and will allow you to avoid making costly mistakes. You want to be able to do your bricklaying work as well as possible, so it makes sense to buy these. They aren’t too costly, so you will be able to get them rather easily. It’s a good purchase that will be immediately useful to you when you have a bricklaying project to complete.

5. Spirit Level

One of the most important parts of bricklaying is ensuring that the work that you are doing is completely level. You need to make sure that all of the bricks have been positioned correctly. The structural integrity and overall usefulness of your work depend on doing things accurately. You need to be able to determine whether or not things are level in order to finish your project.

For this reason, it is imperative that you have access to a spirit level. Spirit levels are very accurate and will be able to give you all of the information that you need. If your project is just a little bit off from being truly level, then you will be able to know what adjustments need to be made in order to remedy the situation. It will be simple to use overall, but the accuracy of the information will prove to be invaluable.

The spirit level that is being shown here has a lightweight aluminum body. You will be able to use it to measure things in several different positions, as well. It is 32-inches long and should become a constant companion on your bricklaying jobs. You’ll always be able to make sure that your work is level when you have this tool available to use.

6. Bolster Chisel

You will be making use of a bolster chisel to cut bricks when you need to. You’ll be getting familiar with this chisel quickly if you are going to be working with bricks frequently. This type of chisel is very common among those who work with bricks. It is going to be the simplest way to cut into your brick in order to finish up certain tasks.

The tool itself is very simple, overall. It is designed to provide the perfect amount of impact necessary for masonry projects. The cutting edge of this chisel is going to be very precise, so you won’t have a hard time making use of it. When you need to do very accurate work, you’re going to want to have a bolster chisel readily available to you.

The handle of this bolster chisel is made out of plastic, but it is actually quite durable. It features several finger grooves that are designed for your comfort while you are holding it. It is also made to be slip-resistant, so you shouldn’t have issues with losing your grip while you’re trying to work. This chisel will work very nicely for you and will make cutting into bricks a simple task.

7. Cold Chisel

Source: Amazon

You will be using a cold chisel in order to chip into the brickwork. Of course, these chisels are going to be used more often after the bricks have already been laid. Even still, it is good to have a set of these chisels around. They will allow you to cut into the brickwork when you need to do so.

This set of chisels here comes with three different chisels. Each of the chisels is a different size and will prove to be useful for different purposes. These tools are very durable, and you should be able to make use of them for a long time. They’re made out of steel and will be just what you need to chip away at many types of surfaces.

Aside from being used for bricks, you can also use these chisels on concrete, metal, and stone. It will be very handy in certain situations. Although it isn’t an absolutely essential tool, you might find that you’ll need one to cut into your bricks to make room for certain services. These chisels come in a convenient canvas bag too, so you’ll be able to keep them safe and tuck them away nicely when they aren’t in use.

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8. Hawk

Source: Amazon

Having a hawk is going to be absolutely necessary for holding your joint compound or other materials in place. This is going to be a tool that you will use at various points during a bricklaying job. It is worthwhile to make sure that you buy a good one. You want to own a hawk that is easy to use and will stand up to regular use.

This hawk is perfect to use for all of your bricklaying needs. It is actually pretty lightweight, and this makes it simpler to make use of it for long periods of time. This tool is also very durable, so it can be used for many jobs without giving you any problems at all. It is made out of aluminum that won’t rust, so you won’t have to worry about it getting messed up after a few jobs.

The wood handle on this hawk feels very good in your hands. There is also a rubber grip, which allows you to maintain your hold on the tool with ease. This is a good purchase, and you will definitely want to own a tool like this for your bricklaying job. It will prove itself useful, and you’ll never want to be without it.

9. Gauge Rod

Source: Amazon

The gauge rod is a pretty simple tool that you will be making use of for specific purposes. When you need to make sure that your course is correct when you’re working from two opposite ends of a wall, you turn to this tool. A gauge rod simply makes sure that you are doing things properly. It is actually possible to build your own gauge rod if you want to, but it can be simpler to just buy one.

This is an inexpensive tool that will be easy to make use of. You’re simply using it in order to keep things moving along properly. It will have different measurements on the rod that you can use to gauge things out. If you were to make your own, then you would be creating these markings yourself on a piece of wood. It’s really just a visual aid that keeps you from making mistakes.

The gauge rod being shown here is a convenient thing to purchase. You will be able to make use of this on your jobs to ensure that things are on course, and it won’t cost you too much money to buy it. You’ll want to have some type of tool like this to keep things on track during your bricklaying job. It’s a small but essential part of the process.

10. Tape Measure

It may seem obvious, but you need to be able to measure things out properly while you’re laying your bricks. In almost any type of job where precision matters, you’re going to need to take measurements at various points in your workday. In order to do this as conveniently as possible, it makes sense to have a quality tape measure at the ready. This tape measure will work great for general purposes, and you will always be able to rely on it.

It is capable of providing you with measurements of up to 25 feet, which should be more than sufficient for your needs. When you need to be able to quickly make some measurements to stay on task, you’ll be able to quickly reach for your tape measure. This handy tool is simple to keep with you all day long. You can either attach it to your belt loop, or you can keep it in your tool belt when you aren’t currently using it.

You should note that if you use the tape measure on a wet surface, you will need to wipe it off. When you’re doing bricklaying work, there may be times when you need to measure something that already has some mortar applied to it. After you make your measurements, be sure to wipe things off with a towel. You don’t want your tape measure to get nasty or to rust, so it’s important to remember to clean things off.

Related: 20 Different Types of Measuring Tools

11. Safety Goggles

It’s always smart to wear safety goggles of some sort when you’re on the job. You need to protect your eyes at all costs. If you have a mishap while you’re working, and something gets in your eyes, it could wind up being disastrous. You might not think of bricklaying work as being extremely hazardous, but you definitely don’t want to get mortar in your eyes.

A simple pair of safety goggles can prevent you from getting injured or just wasting time by having to wash out your eyes. These safety goggles are easy to wear and feel very natural even when you’re wearing them for long periods of time. If you want to prevent small problems from popping up during your workday, then you should definitely purchase a pair of these safety goggles. It will make your life easier in the long run.

These particular safety goggles are pretty standard and no frills. They feature an adjustable strap that will fit on most people. You can also find safety goggles that you wear on your face like more standard pairs of sunglasses. Which style you prefer is largely going to come down to your personal preference, so just choose what feels the most natural to you.

12. Work Gloves

It’s no secret that bricks are very coarse, and if you are grabbing them all day, your hands are going to get pretty scratched up. It makes a lot more sense to have a reliable pair of work gloves that you can use while you’re doing the bricklaying work. Some people worry about wearing gloves slowing them down, but the right gloves won’t negatively impact the dexterity in your hands. If you buy a high-quality pair of work gloves, then you will be able to use them very easily.

These work gloves here are a great option for you to consider. They will protect you from scrapes and cuts without limiting your overall utility. They’re also very affordable, making them an option that is appealing when you want to save a little money. A good set of gloves can help to keep you from getting small injuries. You won’t be getting cut or scraped, and you can continue to work without encountering any issues.

If you are going to be doing a lot of bricklaying work, then it is beneficial to purchase some gloves. There are even some gloves on the market that are compatible with touchscreens. These gloves here are not, but you can look into several different options, depending on what you want. You’ll find a good fit for you, and it won’t be difficult to purchase them when the price is this low.

It should also be noted that there are cut-resistant gloves on the market that you can consider. The gloves being shown here will do a good job of keeping your safe from small abrasions, but if you are even more concerned about cuts, you can get gloves that are even more durable. Whatever your needs are, you will be able to find a great pair of work gloves that can keep your hands safe from harm.

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8 Tips to Improve Bricklaying Technique

Are you a Bricklaying Apprentice or DIYer and wanting to improve your technique?  


Want to improve your quality? 


Want to lay bricks faster?


Try these 8 simple tips:

1)  Setup your Brick Stacks and Mortar Boards in an Efficient Place

Don’t try and make super long brick stacks. Try to pile them about 3ft (1m) long, and then place a mortar board in between each stack.
Keep a 3ft (1m) lane between your brick stacks and the wall you are building. This allows enough room for working comfortably but also means everything, ie bricks and mortar, are within a step or two. Time is saved not walking twice as far.

2)  Position yourself for Brick Laying 

It’s amazing how many new apprentices try to lay their bricks as they stand facing the wall.  Stand parallel with it, keeping your trowel hand on the outward side.
This allows you to sight your brick placement along the string line and also means you don’t need to turn 180 degrees to pick up a new brick.

3)  Furrow your Mortar Bed Correctly

Furrowing is running your trowel  through your bed creating a cavity in the middle.
There are two common ways to do this. First keeping your trowel inline with the bricks, lifting it over the line and then pressing down into it.  
The second is holding your trowel perpendicular to the bricks, coming underneath the string line and using the tip of the trowel to Furrow from the side.
I prefer the later. Not only is it  the fastest way to do it, but it also makes it easier to keep your trowel off the string line.

4)  Picking-up Bricks and Loading your Trowel 

Make an effort to pick up the brick the way that it is layed in the wall. This saves you spinning it which costs time.

Now some bricklayers will tell you to load your trowel with the excess mortar cut off from the last brick layed. This tends to work well with wider bricks but not so with thinner ones, at best only leaving enough mortar for one edge of the brick (a speed joint).

Some times the Pick and Dip Method can work well, it involves pressing a brick into an unfarrowed bed, squeezing the mortar up into the perp joint. So no need to butter the brick. However you do create large snots on the backside of the wall, and can fill up the cavity with wasted mortar. Inspectors might hit you up regarding this.

Another good  technique to learn is called the “no look grab”. You pick up a brick with one hand and at the same time load your trowel from your mortar board. You use your peripheral vision to line up both. It is only slightly slower than using excess mortar from the last brick and means you will always have enough mud to butter with a full joint.

5) Buttering with a Full Joint 

Many bricklayers use a speed joint or in other words they just butter one edge of the brick and place it in the wall. However buttering like this is more likely to leave holes when it’s pointed and it also weakens the moisture barrier.
Learn to butter with a full joint. It’s done in three swipes, the whole face then the two edges. If you find yourself with not enough mud from the last bricks excess try learning the technique  in tip four.

6) Laying the Brick to the Line

As you position the brick into place use your palm and fingers and with even pressure rub the brick down to the line.  
Try to avoid using your trowel or handle to  tap the brick into position. This will just wear out your trowel faster but more importantly it’s slower than using pressure from your hand.

7)  Cutting off the Excess Mortar 

As you are laying the brick down to the line,  keep your trowel in the position to cut off excess mortar but just hold it there. This gives an edge for the bottom of the brick to be laid against. 
When the brick is in position cut the excess mortar off. Doing this only once helps to avoid smearing on the face of the brick.

8)  Keep the Proper Mind Set

When you watch a good bricklayer you’ll notice that they don’t look like they’re moving super quick. It’s not about trying to be fast, rather real speed comes from focusing on efficiency of movement and rhythm. 
Try to get into a pattern of movement and then slowly refine those movements to build speed. Keep your mind focused on this and in time you will be laying bricks like a pro.

Bricklayer Job Description (How to Become?)

How to become a bricklayer

There are several routes to becoming a bricklayer. You can gain the qualifications you need by doing a college course, an apprenticeship or on the job training.

You should explore these routes to find which one is right for you. Although some options will list qualification requirements, many employers are more interested in people who are enthusiastic, willing to learn and able to follow instructions.

You may need a Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) card to work on a construction site.

College

Your local college or training provider may offer courses such as a Level 1 Certificate in Construction Skills, Level 2 Diploma in Bricklaying or Level 2 Diploma in Trowel Occupations.

You’ll need:

• 2 or fewer GCSEs at grades 3 to 1 (D to G), or equivalent (level 1 course)
• 2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent (level 2 course).

Some colleges offer part-time, short courses in bricklaying which could be a good way to find out if this job is for you, especially if you have no experience or are thinking of changing career.

• Equivalent entry requirements explained
• Find a course near you
• Funding advice

Apprenticeship

An apprenticeship with a construction firm is a good way into the industry.

Apprenticeships are open to anyone over the age of 16. As an apprentice, you will be fully employed by your company and expected to work a minimum of 30 hours a week. Your time will be split between on-the-job experience and a college or training provider.

An intermediate bricklaying apprenticeship offers two years of on-the-job training and time with a training provider. For this, you’ll need GCSEs (including English and maths), or equivalent qualifications.

• Find an apprenticeship near you
• Guide to apprenticeships

Work

If you can get a job as a construction site labourer, your employer may provide training so you can become qualified.

Work experience

To help decide whether this job is for you, further your skills and impress employers, you could gain some work experience.

Skills

Additional skills which may benefit anyone considering a job as a bricklayer include:

• Knowledge of building and construction
• Be thorough and pay attention to detail
• Ability to work well with others
• Be flexible and open to change
• Patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
• Ambition and a desire to succeed
• Ability to work well with your hands
• Able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

What does a bricklayer do?

As a bricklayer, you will be responsible for one of the most important elements of construction within the housing industry. Duties include laying bricks, measuring out areas, and repairing or maintaining existing structures.

The job role of a bricklayer includes the following duties:

• Laying bricks
• Applying or removing mortar with a trowel
• Working accurately from detailed plans and specifications
• Sealing foundations with damp-resistant materials
• Using spirit levels and plumb lines to check building alignment
• Using hand tools, power tools and brick-cutting machines
• Constructing arches and ornamental brickwork
• Repairing and maintaining building blocks
• Measuring out build areas and setting out the first rows of bricks and damp course
• Working outdoors on construction sites, in all weathers and at height.

How much could you earn as a bricklayer?

The expected salary for a bricklayer varies as you become more experienced.

• A newly trained bricklayers construction salary can be in the region of £17,000 – £20,000
• Trained with experience bricklayers can earn in the region of £20,000 – £30,000
• Senior or master bricklayers can earn in the region of £30,000 – £40,000

Salaries typically depend on location, employer and any overtime you may do. 

* Salaries have been collected from multiple industry sources

Check out the latest vacancies: 

• Reed

• Indeed

As these are external websites, the number of job vacancies related to your preferred job role may vary.

Career path and progression

Once you’ve trained as a bricklayer, you could progress to a role as a site supervisor or foreman and earn a higher salary. There are also senior roles as construction managers, or you could start your own business and work as a self-employed subcontractor.

You could specialise in one area of bricklaying such as estimating, training, heritage restoration, or stonemasonry. With a Personal Track Safety (PTS) Card you could work on or near a railway line.

How to lay brickwork – Secrets and Nuances

Laying a brick chimney is within the power of any man. Mastering this work does not require unimaginable efforts and super abilities. Well, there is nothing so tricky in this work. The main thing is practice, and more practice.

All you need is: a) desire; b) a sufficient amount of work for practice; c) advice from the master that will help you to carry out this practice.

But no matter how much you listen to advice, and no matter how much you observe the work of a bricklayer, at first it will still be very difficult.

The main secret of this work is that over time the bricklayer begins to automatically perform each movement accurately and control the position of the brick in the masonry to the millimeter.

You have probably heard and seen more than once how brick mortar is laid out and leveled. Everywhere it is shown that this is done quickly and rather carelessly.

So. The bricklayer, despite his apparent negligence, will not put a single gram of excess mortar on the pillow and level it so that the brick will lie on it exactly as it should. And at the same time, he will do it all as if automatically, without hesitation.

At the same time, he will also automatically determine which side of the brick is up and which is down, and with what force it must be tapped on the end so that the vertical seam does not run away.

A normal bricklayer lays 300 bricks per shift, every day, for many years, and at the same time controls each brick, imagine what nuances he begins to see and to what degree of accuracy his movements can reach.

Everything is verified to the smallest detail and brought to absolute automatism, so doing exactly the same, based only on advice and observations, will never work.

Take everything you see and hear into your head and start working slowly, at first controlling the position of each brick from several angles and noticing absolutely all the zichers and correcting them.

The speed and evenness of the masonry will begin to appear imperceptibly and regardless of your desire. For me, for example, a decent masonry began to appear on the 10th cube, and the norm began to be fulfilled by the end of the second month of work.

Getting Started

Brick Mortar

Masonry mortar is made from the following ingredients:

1. Sand.

2. Cement.

3. Plasticizer.

4. Water.

The proportions are slightly lower. First, let’s deal with sand and plasticizers.

Sand can be river and quarry. The river has a large fraction, and it is without impurities, the quarry is finer, and clay is present in it.

If you are concerned about the durability of the building, then in the outer brickwork, use river sand, as the solution with it better withstands atmospheric influences.

In brickwork indoors, as well as under plaster, quarry mortar is better, since the mortar is more plastic and easier to work with.

Plasticizers increase the plasticity and viability of the solution, and also affect the quality of the finished product.

Plasticizers – chalk, clay and chemicals. compositions (liquid soap, etc.).

As for chemistry, I try to do without it as much as possible, so we won’t talk about it, although it apparently has the right to be used, because many masons work with soap.

Clay and chalk remain. It used to be true that raw eggs were used, but now this is an unaffordable luxury.

Clay advantages:

a) cheapness

b) heat resistance

c) environmental friendliness

Disadvantages:

floats from excess moisture

c) difficult to work with – very sticky

d) difficult to knead – you must first soak until a liquid slurry, then add to the solution

e) it is difficult to soak – you have to crush the lumps with your hands

The main advantage of clay is heat resistance, so it is mainly used when laying stoves and fireplaces.

Chalk of dignity

Weaknesses:

a) a little expensive

My opinion is that the cost of chalk is not the place to save money on.

Proportions:

1. River sand – 6-7 shovels, quarry – 7-8 shovels.

2. Cement – one ten-liter bucket.

3. Chalk – half a bucket.

4. Water – one and a half buckets.

The amount of water is selected depending on the moisture content of the sand and is determined by the consistency of the solution. It should be relatively liquid: do not flow, but do not hold the shape confidently.

You can start working with this solution.

Rough bricklaying

Chimney masonry, as well as posts, differs from wall masonry in that it is carried out not from the inside, but from the front, so it is more difficult to control it.

To make a rough brickwork, you need the following tool:

1. Trowel (not a trowel, but a heavy forging).

2. Level 30-40 cm. When buying a level, choose an instrument with a minimum error, or without it. You have to choose.

3. Rule 1-1.5m. Better than 1.5m or similar ruler.

4. Two plumb bob.

5. Fine cord.

Rough masonry – base. Having mastered it, you will easily switch to front and facing brickwork.

A basement solid or partition hollow brick goes into the rough masonry. They have one thing in common: two of their planes are ribbed, and two are smooth. Ribbed – external.

Top and bottom planes are different. Look at this brick:

The lower plane is slightly bevelled. So, with this beveled plane down, he is placed in the masonry. You need to learn how to determine it at the subconscious level in order to quickly take the brick as it should, and not turn it in your hands after you have taken it.

The next thing to do first is to hang plumb lines in the corners and on the doorways.

Come up with any design, but there must be a plumb line at the corner, otherwise you will not lift it straight. The level won’t help because of the geometry of the brick.

Now some tips for laying out the mortar. Do not scoop up a lot of mortar on the trowel at once, it is better to spread it out little by little and carefully, and be sure to level the area.

Leveling is also necessary because it helps to identify the stones that are in the solution.

Now we set the first stone, guided by a plumb line, knocking with a trowel and controlling the level, first along, then across, displaying two dimensions – horizontal and vertical.

When knocking down a brick, do not forget to collect mortar from the ends and control the thickness of the joint, which should be about a centimeter. Controlled by the impact force on the butt.

Loss of solution is considered bad manners. Only the solution squeezed out at the beginning falls quickly. If you immediately collect it, then everything that is squeezed out later already holds much better.

Then we draw the third dimension – the line. For the first row, it is better to pull the thread between the corners and correct the first brick along it.

The mortar for the next brick is laid out just as carefully, and leveled in bulk on the first one, and a portion of the mortar is also applied to the end of the next one.

Then the brick is placed on the prepared place and knocked out from the end so that the seam is about a centimeter, while the top of the end of the installed brick is trimmed with the top of the end of the previous one.

Then an extra mortar is selected, and the level is again set, first along, and so that its end rests on the previous brick, and the far edge is knocked out, while the docked one can rise, which means it is knocked down again, and again the far one.

After that, the level is across, the vertical is knocked out, and slightly along the end. The following bricks are placed in the same way.

The line of the first row is maintained along the thread, and subsequent rows are oriented along the previous one and corrected according to the ruler.

You can also pull the thread on subsequent rows, but in my opinion there is an extra rigmarole. It is better to attach a ruler more often. And after a while, the ruler will be needed only occasionally. But who cares.

That’s it, follow the advice without missing a single detail, and everything else will come by itself.

Facing brickwork

The name says it all. The face should at least not be scary, otherwise it will be called differently.

The front brick goes to the front brickwork, but you can also practice on the basement, which we will do.

In addition to the tools already familiar to us from the rough masonry, to make the front masonry, you need a mandrel.

Mandrel length – 75 cm, material – to choose from, I have ebonite. The main thing is that it is easy to clean from the solution.

It is placed on the brickwork from the outer (front) side. But the solution is laid out, trimmed, and cut in a special way. I don’t know how to describe it, so look at the pictures.

Having prepared the place in this way, we put the brick, firmly pressing the front edge to the mandrel, and draw only the vertical in level, since the horizontal is set along the mandrel.

The mortar for the next brick is laid out in bulk on the end of the previous one.

Then a brick is placed on the mandrel, pushed from the end to the previous one, and leveled vertically.

After the second brick is installed, the mandrel moves along the masonry by the hook, but is not pulled out of the joint, as a result of which it turns out to be smoothed out. The transverse seams are cleaned with jointing, after the solution has slightly set.

With some dexterity, you can make decent brickwork out of unsympathetic bricks.

Practiced, now you can move on to the front brick.

The quality of the facing masonry directly depends on the quality of the bricks.

Facing brickwork

Facing – a very rare type of masonry. It differs from the front one in a much more thorough execution.

Facing masonry does not allow any brick blots with mortar. The seams are also made clean, tightly filled, and exactly the same width.

Blots with mortar are not allowed because brick, unlike tiles and stone, absorbs moisture, and along with moisture, the color of the mortar.

If on the walls and fences made with facing masonry, due to the large distance and volume, these blots are not striking, then inside the room, upon closer examination, they spoil the view.

The same applies to seams. Unlike tiles and stone, they cannot be covered with grout and then rinsed. They will not be washed, as the color of the grout will be absorbed into the brick. So the seams are immediately clear and clean.

In addition to the tools already listed above, you will also need the following for cladding:

1. Short mandrel – for the transverse seam.

2. A clean hammer is for knocking out bricks, as it is impossible to knock out bricks with a dirty trowel.

3. Grinder with diamond disc.

How to make facing brickwork, I have already described and shown in the article How to make a sauna fireplace.

I’ll add here that facing masonry is painstaking work, but the result is original and original, so it’s worth it

I wish you success in the development of brickwork

You may be interested in the List of cement mortars, with proportions in shovels and buckets.

Section Construction >>> Subsection of walls and ceilings >>>

90,000 preparation of the solution, seam thickness and brickwork,

Valery Karpin Updated: 10/27/2019

VAKS ↑

Article will teach you the article will teach you the article will teach you the article will teach you correctly lay bricks in brickwork with your own hands in several ways, and also tell you about the nuances of preparing the mortar and share the secrets of all the preparatory work.

Necessary tools and materials for bricklaying

First of all, in order to lay brickwork we need the brick itself. In addition to this building material, you will also need:

• cement;
• sifted sand;
• detergent;
• water.

Tools:

• metal mesh for screening sand;
• large or medium mixing container;
• spade;
• trowel;
• thick line;
• hammer;
• plumb;
• construction square.

Foundation to zero

Make sure that the surface of the foundation is perfectly horizontal (set to zero)

This is the first stage of masonry, which can be called preparatory. The foundation must be isolated from the masonry with a roofing material. This is what will become a reliable waterproofing. The roofing material should be cut and laid in such a way that it completely covers the foundation from above.

Sand sifting is also an important preparatory step. Otherwise, small pebbles and clay, contained in large quantities in any sand, will greatly interfere with the work process.

Mortar preparation

Sand and cement (grade 500) are most commonly used in a 4:1 ratio. For one meter of brickwork, about 50 bricks will be needed. Their average size: 5 * 12, 5 * 25 cm. If the masonry goes into one brick, then the consumption will increase to 100 bricks, therefore, more mortar will be needed.

How to lay brickwork with your own hands

A mooring cord will allow you to monitor the evenness of your brickwork

General information:

• You need to start laying walls from the corners. To begin with, two bricks are taken and placed at right angles on the foundation. A special construction triangle will help measure the accuracy of a right angle. The following should be placed at the point of bricks. On the resulting masonry of four bricks, a couple more bricks are placed at the corner. This is done so that the next row overlaps the previous one. After the wall is raised three bricks, you need to switch to another corner. Repeat all the above operations again;
• When laying bricks, be sure to use brickwork order and stretch moorings. They will be a guideline in ensuring the evenness of the horizontal rows. The cord is located every five meters. It shouldn’t sag. Read also about order.
• There is a single-row and multi-row brick laying sequence. With single-row masonry, first lay the outer wall, then the inner, then lay the backfill (see the following figure). With multi-row masonry, bricks are laid in a mixed or stepped manner; The thickness of multi-row brickwork is accordingly greater than even two single-row ones.
• It is very important to ensure that mortar and bricks are accessible during the laying process. Then it will be possible not to fuss, and work calmly. This approach will provide improved performance;

Terms applicable to brickwork

According to SNiP: The thickness of horizontal joints in brickwork and regularly shaped stones must be 12 mm, and vertical joints – 10 mm.

Back-to-back brickwork

Back-to-back bricklaying of stretcher and tie rows

The mortar is applied in an even layer, a small ridge is left at the edge of the wall in order to be able to fill the vertical joints.

For the spoon row, the mortar is applied with a distance of 2-2.5 cm from the wall, the mortar layout is about 7-8 cm.

Back-to-back technology:

1. Bricklayer takes two bricks.
2. Lays them flat (at an angle) at a distance of about 10 cm from the already laid bricks.
3. Gradually the bricklayer turns and pulls the bricks up to the ones already laid.
4. This will create a bed of mortar in front of the front rib, which will fill the horizontal and vertical joints.

Pressed masonry

Pressed masonry

For this type of masonry, it is recommended to prepare a hard mortar. It will be leveled at once into several bricks. Approximately three spoonfuls and five poking. The distance from the wall is assumed to be 10-15 cm.

Clamp laying technology:

1. So, a bricklayer takes a brick in one hand, and spreads the mortar with the other.
2. He scoops up a small part of the mortar and presses it with a trowel against the edge of the installed brick.
3. The new brick is placed and moved slightly towards the already installed one.
4. Remove excess solution.

This type of masonry is quite laborious, but is considered one of the most durable.

Undercut masonry

When fully filling the joints and their subsequent jointing, this particular laying method is used.

1. The mortar is laid with a distance of 10-15 cm, the brick is laid in the same way as in the butt type.
2. Excess solution is quickly removed quickly.

Hard mortar is no longer recommended here. It is better to make it plastic so that it is easier to immediately remove it when installing a brick. The complexity of this method lies in the fact that it is a combination of close-fit and close-fitting masonry.

Semi-contiguous masonry

The semi-concrete method is well suited for backfilled brickwork

In this case, the mortar is applied between the inner and outer verst of the masonry. After that, the solution is leveled, and the laying of bricks takes place in the backfill.

Two bricks can be laid at the same time. The fence with an edge of mortar bricks occurs at a distance of 8 cm from the already laid bricks. After the fence, they are pressed against the already installed bricks.

If the vertical joints have not yet been sufficiently filled, full filling will occur after the next rows have been laid. Transverse seams should immediately be completely filled.

When laying bricks, avoid:

1. Vertical deviations. Masonry should not stick out in the center, and the wall should not go vertically to the left or right side;
2. Weak dressing. The bricks of each row must be well tied with an element of the upper row. If the vertical seams coincide with adjacent seams in height, then this will drastically reduce the strength of the masonry;
3. Poorly filled joints. Often due to haste. To make the masonry strong and warm, you should not rush;
4. Dirty masonry. Work must be done cleanly and neatly;

The work of a professional bricklayer is highly valued in the modern world of construction. But even a non-professional can lay out a brick himself. It is important to understand the process of bricklaying, as well as to do everything carefully and conscientiously. When work is done for oneself, it will certainly argue.

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Author : Valeriy Karpin

Since 2007, an online journalist in the field of repair, interior design and private construction. Regular participant of exhibitions and conferences on new technologies in materials science and construction. I have experience in my own design studio and construction company. I love to write vividly about my own experience.

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How to lay a brick? How to prepare masonry mortar?

This article is about how to lay bricks (ceramic, silicate, etc.). Suitable primarily for dummies in the matter of construction. Perhaps even experienced masons will learn something.

To further understand the terms in the topic “How to make a brick wall?” Let’s briefly describe the professional names of brick faces:

Spoon – the longest and narrowest part of the brick (the one that is most often visible from the outside when laying)

Poke – the smallest part in terms of area

Bed – the largest part by area

Spoon, poke, bed – the names of the sides of the brick

Tools

• Trowel (mason’s trowel) triangular or quadrangular.
• Tool, equipment for cutting, trimming (hammer-pick, chisel, grinder, etc. – see the previous article on how to work with bricks, about devices for sawing, cutting and cutting bricks)
• Cords (nylon), plumb lines, rulers, level (long and short), tape measure, square, etc.
• Joint attachment (trowel)
• Scaffolding, scaffolding for masonry at height
• Wheelbarrow for mortar, bricks

Photo: mooring cord, template for applying masonry mortar

How to make mortar for bricklaying?

Types of masonry mortar

Mostly cement is added to masonry mortar, but there are others. What can be added?

1. Lime. Light solution, gives little shrinkage. In critical areas of buildings, walls are not recommended, as they are less durable. Proportions from 1 to 2 to 1 to 5 (lime to sand)
2. Cement. The strongest and most applicable of all in masonry mortars. It is mixed in proportions from 1 to 3 to 1 to 6 (the ratio of Portland cement to sand). The classic mixture of one to three. The more cement, the stronger the solution. If the brand of cement is high, then more sand can be added in the recipe.
3. Lime + cement. 1-1-6, 1-3-15 (the first digit is cement, the second is lime, the third is sand). It is better not to use cement-lime mortar in particularly humid areas, close to damp ground.
4. Clay. Rarely applied. Difficult to cook. Among the advantages: highly plastic and frost-resistant. 1/1 or one to two.
5. Cement-clay mix
6. Plaster. Only indoors, only where it is not wet.

There are also adhesive solutions, which are often sold ready-made and are used for certain types of masonry (for example, facing bricks).

There are also fatty solutions and “skinny” ones. In fat, the largest amount of astringent, in lean – the smallest. The more binder, the stronger the solution, but gives more shrinkage and vice versa. For private housing construction, an average option is needed – a normal solution.

Division of masonry mortar by specific gravity into light (up to 1500 kg/m3) and heavy (more than 1500 kg/m3)

Grades of masonry mortar

and cement grades

There are also grades M10, M25, M50, even M4 and less. The lower the number, the less strong the solution. The most common brands of masonry mix M25, M50, M75

What is the consumption of masonry mixture per 1 cubic meter of masonry?

Approximately a quarter of a cube of mortar (0.25 cubic meters) goes to a cube of masonry.

If you look deeper into the question of how much mortar is in a masonry cube, then the exact figure depends on the following parameters:

1. Brick size
2. Hollow or solid
3. Wall thickness

The more porous, hollow brick, the more mortar will go. To minimize this, for such cases, the Promobud construction portal advises making a thicker solution so that it flows less, spreads into the cracks. This property is called mobility: how much it spreads. For corpulent mobility recommended 13 cm, for porous 8 cm.

We present in the table the main options for the consumption of masonry mixture per 1 m3 of wall

Table No. 2 Calculation of the required amount of mortar per 1 cube of masonry, depending on the type of brick and wall thickness (m3)

Masonry thickness	Full body, 250*120*65	Thick, 250*12*88
Half brick (12 cm)	0.189	0. 16
Single (25 cm)	0.221	0.2
One and a half (38 cm)	0.234	0.216
Two (51 cm)	0.240	0.222
Two and a half bricks (64 cm)	0.245	0.227

How to calculate the amount of cement per masonry?

Table No. 3 Consumption of cement per 1 m2 of masonry when using a cement-sand mixture in a ratio of 1 to 3, depending on the thickness of the masonry (according to legislation)

How to calculate how much cement is needed per cube of masonry mortar?

Depends on the proportions of the masonry mixture and the specific gravity of the cement. If, on average, we take the density of cement 1300 kg per cubic meter. meter., then we get the following numbers of cement in the cube of the solution:

• For a ratio of 1:3=0.25 m3 * 1300 = 325 kg of cement, we need to mix 1 cubic meter of masonry mortar.
• 1:4=0.2 m3 * 1300 = 260 kg.
• If there is another ingredient, for example, lime, then with this ratio (cement:lime:sand) you get 1:0.3:3=0.232 m3 * 1300 = 301.6 kg

Knowing how much mortar is needed per cube of masonry (see the corresponding table above in the subsection on the consumption of masonry mix depending on the thickness of the wall), it is possible to calculate the consumption of cement depending on the size of this very masonry.

Photo: concrete mixer, cement, sand, water – the basis of the masonry mortar

How to prepare the mortar?

What kind of sand is needed for masonry mortar?

For laying bricks, it is better to use sand no larger than 0. 5 mm fraction.

If the size of the sand grains is larger, then it will not retain water well, and the solution will delaminate. There is unwashed river sand, which can come with some amount of silt, which serves as a kind of plasticizer. If you bought washed clean sand, then during the masonry process, if you do not buy a plasticizer, you will add either lime or clay.

How to choose cement?

Buy a couple of bags, lay a row, another masonry and run your finger – if the mortar crumbles, then the cement is of poor quality, if the seam is held firmly, then buzzing.

How to make brick mortar?

In short, mix cement (preferably M300 or M400) with sand and add water. Mix with a mixer. This is a normal cement mortar. It happens that clay, lime, detergent or powder are added to the mixture. Due to the usual detergent (it can be replaced with a purchased, but high-quality plasticizer), soap solution, you can reduce the amount of water added and increase the viscosity and plasticity of the masonry mixture, plus this reduces the likelihood of efflorescence on the brick.

Video: how to mix mortar?

The proportions of cement and sand are approximately 1:5. (also see above and below the proportion table). Why such a variety of proportions? There are many factors: weather, type of brick, brand and quality of cement, fraction, type of sand, type of structure, etc. Mix experimentally, in this article we give initial proportions and tips for your samples.

If you use a plasticizer (clay, lime), then below is the table of proportions

Cement share Plasticizer content (clay or lime) Sand share M300 1 0. 2 3 М400 1 0.3 4

If you need to add clay or lime, then first extinguish the lime, and stir the clay in water.

Standard masonry mortar preparation steps

1. Mix water and detergent (plasticizer), mix well until foamy
2. Add half of the required amount of sand. Knead until a homogeneous mixture.
3. Second half, stir again
4. Add cement. Stir and slowly add water along the way until it begins to peel off the walls
5. Check if the solution is ready. Take the solution into a bucket. And from a distance of human growth, throw the trowel down into this bucket with a sharp end. If the tool has sunk to the handle, then the norm, if only half entered, then add water.

To prevent the mortar from drying out before it is used, mix about 50 liters and mix as you use it. If the consumption is large (a team of masons is working), then use a concrete mixer. It will also allow you to prepare a mixture of better quality, more uniform in consistency, this is especially important when laying facing bricks, where the quality of the seams is of decorative importance.

Step by step instructions for laying bricks

Photo: step by step laying a corner from brick into one brick

1. Practice. In order to first learn a little about laying bricks and not mess with the load-bearing walls of the building, first try to correctly lay the steps, threshold, small wall, pillar.
2. How to lay a brick on the foundation? The upper surface of the foundation (basement), where the first rows of masonry will lie, must be waterproofed with rolled or other insulating materials (roofing material, mastic, etc.). Put a reinforcing mesh on top.
3. First you need to lay some of the bricks dry (without mortar) – so you check whether everything fits normally, “shoot in”. To estimate the distance between the bricks that will go under the mortar, use a piece of reinforcement with a diameter of 8 mm. Mark the bricks on the foundation surface.
4. Starting with laying corners. To bring out the corners, we use such devices as: a rope, the ordering of brickwork (aluminum corner), a rule. So, how to lay out the corners of a brick?
1. Lay the first two or three rows using the rule, paying attention to the marks made “dry”.
2. Then attach the order to the brackets. Use a plumb line to give an accurate vertical position for ordering and, accordingly, masonry.
3. Mark laying lines in order
4. Stretch the mooring lines along these marks-lines. Pull the cord at the top level of the brick as tight as possible.
5. So build all the necessary angles. As the main masonry rises, raise the corners as well.
6. Keep a close eye on the level of uniformity of masonry of all corners – their height should be the same. When you have more experience, you can discard the order and put the corners quickly “by eye”
5. Start laying the main masonry from the corner. Apply mortar to both surfaces to be bonded. Place the brick and tap the brick with the edge of the trowel (or pen). Align the brick with the cord (mooring). If the solution is squeezed out onto the walls of the masonry, then brush it off with a trowel. For neat brickwork, you can also use a special template.
6. Masonry mesh is laid across five or six rows of bricks. For what? This reinforcement must be placed to strengthen the building.
7. Brickwork will be more stable if you do the dressing This way the joints of adjacent rows will not coincide.

Photo: types of laying brick corners

When buying bricks, consider the percentage of breakage somewhere around 10%

Video: how to lay bricks correctly?

Some masons advise to dip each brick in water before laying in the wall for better adhesion – this is a moot point, since excess moisture can later cause salts and other troubles. Recommendations for laying in dry weather have not been canceled.

Common masonry mistakes for beginners

It happens that masonry, brick peels off, loosens, that is, does not hold firmly. Here are some tips on how to make it strong. Lay the brick on the mortar the first time as it should. No need to fidget it back and forth, as it takes some of the moisture out of the solution and the adhesion of cement to brick is already weakening.

Mixed mortar too dry or too wet – this results in the same problems as described in the first point.

Place the brick on the mortar with one hand and knock it out, brush off the mortar that has come out with a trowel. That is, you don’t have to get used to taking and laying a brick with both hands, knocking it with your fist, brushing off excess mortar from the seam with your palm, etc. This will give you faster work in the future, increase the efficiency of movements, speed up the laying and make it more accurate, and this affects the good fastening of the bricks.

Applying too much grout.

At what temperature can bricks be laid?

Down to minus 5-7℃

If you are burning so that you need to lay even in more severe frosts, then there are several ways of laying in winter.

1. Add special antifreeze additives to the solution. They will allow masonry work to continue down to -15℃, -25℃
2. Heating. With a blowtorch, heat each brick before laying itself and then cover several rows, meters of masonry with some kind of heat insulator (roll, slab)
3. Add salt when preparing mortar. Then the masonry mixture will not freeze until it binds to the surface of the brick and will help you masonry in severe frosts. But there is one serious minus – then, when the walls dry, the salt will come out and you will have to deal with efflorescence.

Types of masonry

Width (thickness) of the wall:

The thicker the wall, the warmer and stronger the house. Starting from a wall of one and a half bricks, 10 millimeters per masonry mortar is added to the size of the brick itself, so if you check the numbers according to the table, adding only the size of the brick, then the result will not match.

Mortar handling:

1. Apply the solution to the entire surface of the masonry in a slightly larger amount than necessary. You lay the brick at an angle and, as it were, rake up part of the mortar with it into the sidewall, shifting the brick itself into place. Where the mortar has not completely filled the necessary spaces between the bricks, you can separately home-make.
2. Clamp. We apply the solution, level it. We put a brick and with a trowel we rake part of the mortar from the surface and press it to the end of the brick to which we plan to attach a new one, substitute the desired brick, press it, while removing the tool. Stronger, but more difficult than the first method. You can also not rake, but put it on the side part and, with the mortar already stuck, attach this side to the adjacent brick.
3. Undercut. It is done, like a butt, with simultaneous cutting of the crawled out mortar with jointing after each masonry.
4. Semi-butt. It is more often used in the construction of thick walls, for example, in 2 bricks. After laying the two outer brick layers, we put the backing.

Photo: working with mortar in the butt and press way

By the appearance of the front side, the masonry (row) is divided into:

1. Spoon (we put it on the bed, and the long edge part of the brick remains visible)0291
2. Bonder (we also put it on the widest part, but we see the smallest part of the brick)

Bonding is the overlapping of the longitudinal and transverse vertical joints of the masonry so that they do not coincide in adjacent rows. The immutable rule of masonry – each brick must rest on the two lower ones! This distributes the load and prevents the wall from bending.

Dressing systems:

• Single row (chain). The strongest and most difficult. Bonded and spoon stitches alternate
• Multi-row. Less strong wall. Cheaper and easier to lay. 5-6 spoon rows of masonry are interspersed with one bonder
• Three-row. Multi-row subspecies. 2 bonder, three spoon.
• Flemish masonry

The general requirement for multi-row and chain masonry is that the lowest and highest rows must be bonded

Photo-schemes: types of brickwork, bonding

How to lay a brick base?

Plinth is an intermediate part of the wall, which is located above the ground between the foundation and the main wall area. The plinth rises above ground level somewhere up to 50 cm. There are houses with higher plinths, but this already depends on the project, and often such houses have a basement. The thickness is most often one of two types: 380 mm (one and a half bricks), 510 mm (two bricks). On light buildings – 250 mm (in one brick).

Video: marking and laying the plinth

What is the function of the plinth masonry?

1. Foundation protection against moisture, cold, shrinkage.
2. Protection of the main area of ​​the wall from mechanical damage, exposure to chemical aggressive environments, moisture from sidewalks, roads, blind areas, groundwater, from the foundation.
3. Strong and level base for laying out the entire height of the wall. Basement masonry can even out flaws, uneven foundations and bring the level of load-bearing walls to zero. Also, if the geometry of the foundation is violated diagonally, by laying out the corrected corners of the base, we correct the errors.
4. A well-made plinth makes the floors in the house warmer.
5. Home Decoration

When asked “How to lay a brick base?” , then two things can mean:

1. We build the bearing part of the basement from bricks, and we already plaster the front part or finish it with other facade materials or the same basement brick
2. The supporting main part of the plinth is made of a different material (monolith, concrete blocks, other types of blocks), and the brick is laid only as a cladding.

In the first case, the masonry does not differ much from the standard one, except that more attention needs to be paid to waterproofing (both horizontal and vertical, both from below, above the foundation, and from above, before starting to lay out the main height of the wall) . It is also recommended to carry out additional thermal insulation (15-20% of the heat of the house will go through a cold basement). Facing bricks cannot be used on the supporting plinth – they are laid out with the usual ordinary brand M250 (minimum M150), frost resistance is not less than F50. Make the solution stronger.

If it is necessary to overlay, for example, a concrete plinth with a plinth brick, then there are already special requirements for the masonry itself, its resistance to external influences. Promobud.ua recommends laying a pure basement facade in ½ bricks. Read about the right choice of basement bricks in a separate article. Also here it would be useful to carry out the same additional waterproofing, thermal insulation, jointing for beauty, surface treatment with a water repellent to prevent efflorescence, impregnations to protect against acids (if you do not put acid-resistant bricks), salts, and ultra-filtrate. That is, to withstand all the parameters, as when choosing a facing brick for outdoor work, only with even more improved properties.

Relative to the line of the outer side of the main wall of the house, the plinth is:

• Falling
• Speaker
• Single plane

How to display zero on a brick foundation?

Why is it necessary to correctly lay out a zero from a brick, and what is it?

It happens that the foundation has an irregular geometry: uneven diagonal corners, the upper part does not hit the horizon, the surface has potholes, bulges. These defects in foundation work are corrected by basement masonry. In the most severe cases, you will have to equalize the casting of the monolith using the formwork. Even if part of the foundation already rises above the ground line, that is, it is a plinth, then even here we can level the plinth with a brick to the zero level.

What happens if you leave everything as it is and start building load-bearing walls, a house with such distortions? The load of the walls will be unevenly distributed and cracks, distortion, deformation of individual structures and the entire building will occur. With facade decoration with bricks, laying out the correct masonry pattern becomes more difficult.

All walls must be laid in the same plane and the top of the foundation must be strictly horizontal. The main stages of bringing the basement to zero with a brick:

1. Using a hydraulic level, check the horizontal surfaces of the foundation. Start in the corners and move up the walls. Make marks on the corners and pull cord

over them

2. When laying each basement brick row, test the horizontal and vertical plane with a level, a plumb line around the entire perimeter of the building.
3. To bring to zero, adjustment to the landmarks is carried out with masonry mortar. If the difference is more than 5 cm, then add a masonry mesh to the solution. You can also cut the block to the desired height. If there are very large irregularities, then it will be necessary to pour concrete under the formwork using a reinforcing mesh.

How to lay a brick on edge?

A quarter of a brick is placed on a spoon (on the edge), rarely erected and only as light partitions inside buildings (interior, partitions in the bathroom, toilet or low decorative), when every centimeter of the area counts or on the cladding. Since the wall is less stable, very light, that is, some masonry features.

1. It is advisable to lay the very first row on the bed.
2. If you lay a partition, then after 3-4 rows you need to put reinforcement on the upper surface, which you connect with opposite ends with anchors to the bearing wall. We pre-deepen the section of the floor on which the wall will stand, and after erecting the wall, we fill this recess from both sides with concrete.
3. It happens that the masonry on the edge has to be placed on load-bearing walls. This is when an accurate calculation of the load of the wall is made in the project and there are too many in one or half a brick, but just a quarter. In this case, you make reinforcement not only horizontally, but also vertically.
4. When laying on the edge as a facade cladding, in addition to the pins, you make reinforcement / fastening of the quarter wall to the carrier, that is, also across.
5. During masonry, often use a level, plumb line, as the masonry is fast, the brick is laid vertically and the product is relatively small. 10 mm. deviations in height can still be leveled with plaster, more – more difficult.
6. If the wall on one or both sides does not rest against other walls, then use temporary supports.
7. If you are an inexperienced bricklayer, then lay in stages. We made several rows – start the next part in half a day or a day.
8. Cement needs strong M500, in proportion to sand 1:4.

Windows and masonry

In construction, there are works related to window openings:0291

How to properly brick a window?

We will not pour water like “remove the window with the frame first”, “be careful”, etc. You already know how to mix the mortar and carry out masonry work from our article.

There are only a couple of nuances:

1. There are two ways to lay a window opening
1. Deaf – just lay a brick on the entire thickness of the window
2. Hollow – lay out only two walls with bricks – outer and inner, and put a layer of thermal insulation inside.
2. It is important that the window has the same thermal insulation values ​​as the main wall. Otherwise, “cold bridges” will appear, due to which condensation, mold, fungus, etc. appear.

How to brick a window?

If you want to mark the window around the perimeter with facing bricks, keep the following in mind:

If the window opening is located asymmetrically, unevenly relative to other elements of the building, even slightly, then after its cladding this asymmetry will be even more striking. In such cases, before finishing, you will have to correct the window by cutting the bricks in the opening or even dismantling large parts.

How to make window openings, lay bricks at the same time?

Proper layout, arrangement and laying of window openings even at the stage of rough laying is the key to avoiding troubles with the installation of windows, thermal and waterproofing of window spaces in the future.

It is difficult to describe the whole process in words. For clarity, we have selected video instructions for you:

Video: bricklaying window slopes

Video: ceilings, laying a window opening

How to lay facing bricks?

Facing (facade) brick laying has some peculiarities. Also, clinker bricks are often used for cladding, which further complicates masonry work. Not every bricklayer willingly agrees to laying clinker bricks. Clinker is stronger than ordinary red, silicate, hyper-pressed, but its masonry has some peculiarities. Read about these features and general tips on how to properly brick a house, read below.

Differences from ordinary masonry

1. in general. Therefore, before that, it is necessary to check the design allowable load on these elements and correlate them with the future additional layer of bricks.
2. Colour. For facing bricks, it is important to keep colors in the same tone. There may be different shades in different batches and even in different pallets. Therefore, try to order in one batch, and also take bricks mixed from different pallets for laying. Thus, you will mix all the halftones of individual bricks and the overall picture of the facade will turn out to be monophonic
3. Weather. It can be laid at a temperature of 5 to 25℃, in dry weather. Ideally, for two weeks after laying, protection from wind and ultraviolet rays should be organized.
4. Special masonry mortar for clinker bricks. The usual masonry mortar, which was mentioned above, is not suitable for clinker masonry. Buy a special one, also a clinker brick manufacturer often sells a branded one.
5. How to properly lay a broken brick (rock)? There are no special differences from the usual masonry. The only thing you should take into account is that such a brick will: a) get more dirty from dirt and dust, and if you blurt out and do not immediately wipe off the mortar on it, then it will be somewhat more difficult to wash it already dried up b) Vertical alignment (control) is also carried out with a level or plumb, but only from the outside, because when aligned with the inside, you may not observe the evenness of the seams from the facade c) some flaws in the jointing of the seams may not be so noticeable, due to the texture of the entire surface (but you should not relax too much!)
6. Rubber hammer (rubber mallet). So that the brick does not crack, there are no chips, take a rubber hammer to tamp the masonry, when trimming the position of the brick with the trowel handle, the likelihood of damage on the front side increases.
7. If the solution has gone beyond the seam, then immediately, before it has dried and stuck to the front, wipe off – the front of the house should be clean.
8. Storage of facing bricks. On the site, keep the facade brick covered from rain and dirt. Again, this is especially important for facing bricks. Also, dirt and dust will worsen the already low adhesion characteristics with a mortar of clinker bricks.
9. Resizing. When it becomes necessary to change the size of a brick (make a half, a quarter, split along), then some types of facing bricks (clinker, hyper-pressed), unlike ceramic ones, are not pricked, but sawn. This is due to their higher strength characteristics, and in view of the accuracy of sawing, as opposed to breaking (accuracy is especially important for cladding). So that the brick, changed in size, does not catch the eye, Promobud.ua advises not to saw off large pieces from it, but scatter the required number of centimeters of cut over several bricks in a row.
10. Use metal rod (8-12 mm), rebar to get even seams. How to lay a brick under a bar? In the length and height of the future seams, put such a rod on the surface on which you are going to lay the brick (it is possible on both sides), apply the mixture between the rods and lay the brick. After knocking out, trimming the brick with a hammer, pull out the template. The thickness of the twig can be a couple of millimeters thicker than the planned seam, since after its removal the seam will still sit down. Also, some of the nuances of laying bricks for jointing are described in the next subsection.
11. If a layer of air is planned between the facade brick and the wall (it is desirable, especially when laying clinker bricks), then make an inconspicuous air inlet and outlet (plastic ventilation inserts) in the lower and upper rows of facing masonry. There is a recommendation for these purposes not to fill with a mixture of part of the seams vertically (10-15% or every 4-5 bricks). The air gap between the facade brick and the wall (thermal insulation layer) should be about 2 cm. Please note that the need for an air gap depends on various factors, the combustibility of the heat-insulating material, its presence in principle, vapor permeability.
12. Fasten the facing masonry with the main load-bearing wall and a layer of insulation with metal anchors with clamps. Average consumption is 4 anchors per 1 m2 of wall. Drive the anchors slightly at an angle downwards so that moisture does not flow down them into the thermal insulation, inter-brick spaces.
13. Grout the joints to prevent the penetration of moisture, dirt into the masonry and, as a result, its damage. Also, different types of jointing (see below for more details on the item on the seams) perform a decorative function in facing bricks.
14. To prevent the appearance of efflorescence and moisture penetration, to increase the strength characteristics of facing bricks, treat the entire surface of the facade masonry with water repellent

Video: how to lay facing bricks?

How to lay the brick under the grout correctly?

Accuracy and beauty of the masonry is very important for facade bricks. The jointing of the seams of the facing masonry serves for this. To put a brick under the jointing, there are a number of tricks and rules.

• There is such a tool MASON’S JOINTING. It is specially designed to carry out after laying along the seams for stripping, leveling, smoothing the inter-brick seams. It can also be made with your own hands from a tube cut along a tube, wire, even a fork. Experienced builders advise buying or making jointing short somewhere around 5 cm, so that she can work with both longitudinal and transverse seams.
• But in order to have enough space between the bricks for processing them with jointing, grouting them with other colors, you must first take care of the equal thickness of the masonry joint during the laying itself. This is achieved either by applying the joint itself to the edge of the surface of the brick, on which another brick is laid, so that the mortar does not go beyond this tool during laying and how the brick rests on it, and in this way we control the thickness of the seam and do not allow the mortar to squeeze out onto the wall surface , what is not less important. Also, to facilitate the process of laying bricks for jointing, a rod template is used, the technology with which is written in the previous block in paragraph No. 8.
• If the color of the masonry mixture differs from the color of the joint, first scrape off 0.8-1 cm. Clean with a brush and after 3 days apply a joint/grout of a different color.
• Joint from top to bottom

Video: laying a brick wall for grouting

How to brick a wooden house?

For what reasons does it become necessary to clad a house made of wood (beam, frame) with brickwork?

1. Improve the thermal insulation properties of the building
2. Improve fire safety at home.
3. Reduce the cost of maintenance of wooden surfaces, as we know that from time to time the wood needs to be treated from fungus, mold, moisture, to restore the fire retardant coating. Also fading, natural loss of wood color is not a very pleasant thing for the owner
4. With dilapidated external signs of a wooden structure (very darkened), and the frame itself is quite strong. Thus, by facing only the facade with brick, it will be possible to operate the building for many more years.
5. I’m just tired of the appearance of a wooden house, but don’t build it to break 🙂 . This also includes “changed my mind.”

Yes, do not forget about a side positive highlight – you will surprise your guests when outwardly they will think that you have a brick house, but inside they will suddenly see and feel a wooden, natural aura.

Photo: how to overlay a house made of timber with bricks (wooden, frame)?

Basic points of facing a wooden house with bricks

The laying process itself is similar to the usual brick cladding of facades, we will focus on some points:

1. Lay the foundation. Either expand (extend) the one already under the wooden walls, or create a separate one for a new brick wall. The foundation base for cladding should be somewhere 1.6-2 times wider than the thickness of the brick.
2. Enough to put in half a brick.
3. Use a hollow facade brick – it will load the base less and will be warmer.
4. Treat wood surface with antiseptic, flame retardants and hydrophobic impregnations before laying masonry
5. Waterproofing and thermal insulation. With waterproofing, everything is as usual (the first row of masonry on roofing material, etc.), but with thermal insulation there is a feature – vapor permeability. It is different for brick and for wood. And in the wrong order. It is correct when the vapor permeability grows from the inside out, and when lining a tree with a brick, the opposite happens. If nothing is done about it, then condensate from cold bridges, moisture, vapors will accumulate in the inter-wall space and cause mold, fungus, efflorescence on the brick and accelerated destruction of wood and brick. To do this, do this:
1. Expanded polystyrene and polystyrene cannot be used as insulation, but rather mineral wool, which is covered with a special vapor-permeable membrane with windproofing. We attach this heat-insulating seam to the crate.
2. In the masonry itself, make ventilation gaps (50-60 mm) so that the wall breathes and removes excess moisture. If you do not make an additional layer of thermal insulation, then equip the ventilation gaps anyway. To improve air circulation in the ventilation gap, insert ventilation inserts (air vents) in the lower and upper rows. Vent inserts can be made in one of 3 ways: a) do not sew up some vertical seams, b) put part of the hollow brick on spoons, c) insert specially purchased polymer ventilation boxes into part of the seams.
6. The brickwork must be bonded to the timber frame. This is especially important in view of the relatively small thickness of the facade wall. One of the following options is used as such a fastener:
1. Flexible links
2. Masonry mesh
3. Tin (in strips measuring 1 meter x 20-30 cm wide)
4. Wire (diameter 3 mm, length 1 meter)
5. Zinc plated pins
7. Reinforce the masonry with welded mesh at intervals of 4-8 rows. If you use a masonry mesh as a binder (clause 6.2.), Its edges will just lie on the masonry row and be fastened with a masonry seam, which simultaneously performs a reinforcing function.

Types of joints

Photo: types of grouting in brickwork

1. Rectangular undercut (in a row, flat joint). The solution fills all the gaps between the masonry and is leveled to the level of the brick surface. This type of seam is often used for decorative purposes, for laying stoves, fireplaces, as the surface is smooth, even, without concavities and convexities.
2. Wasteland. Conventional concave seams – plaster is well attached to such masonry, as it fills these spaces and additional adhesion occurs.
3. Convex/concave. With the help of a cut lengthwise or a whole tube, such rounded decorative seams are made slightly inward or outward above the surface of the brick
4. Single shear, double shear. Like the previous ones, they are convex and internal, they only differ in that the shape is not round, with a beveled or double-sided right angle. Also has mainly decorative function

Video article on the topic “How to lay bricks, prepare masonry mortar?”

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step-by-step instructions for laying bricks, schemes

Only a few can lay bricks correctly, the process of building buildings from this material only seems simple. When doing work with your own hands, it is important to comply with all the requirements of the technology: from preparing the base to monitoring each placed product. The type of brick and mortar, the method of dressing, the masonry technique, the need for reinforcement and the future finish are selected in advance. The thickness of the walls is determined by the expected loads and purpose of the house.

Tables Table:

1. Nuhans of technology
2. Masonry of bricks of different types
3. varieties of schemes
4. Stecked instruction

Construction 9000 . The important requirements of bricklaying technology include:

1. Strict observance of proportions, use of high quality components. When laying bricks, deviations from the manufacturer’s instructions are not allowed when mixing ready-made dry mixes with water or introducing modifying impurities.
2. Even distribution of mortar between rows and adjacent products. Violation of this condition leads not only to overspending of the mixture, but also to deviations in level and ugly edges of brick walls.
3. Control of the linear arrangement of rows, the formation of side edges of exclusively horizontal or vertical seams parallel to each other.
4. Bricks that are at least a quarter of the size below.
5. Level check every corner and row.

Weather conditions require special attention. The question at what temperature it is possible to lay a brick is not an idle one: heat and frost have a strong influence on the timing and correctness of hardening. In summer, it is left for some time in containers with water to saturate the pores, or at least moisten its surface. Winter work is avoided due to the risk of freezing water in the solution and disrupting the hydration process. The erection of brickwork at temperatures below -5 ° C using conventional methods, without introducing frost-resistant impurities or warming up structures, is considered a gross deviation from the norms.

There are several ways to get around this condition. These include: heating bricks with a soldering iron with simultaneous closing of heat-insulating materials laid nearby, electric heating, installation of an insulating frame, the use of chemical additives when mixing the solution. Any of these methods in the absence of experience should not be performed by yourself. An obligatory rule for laying brick walls at sub-zero temperatures is to control the process of cement hardening. For this purpose, special holes for the thermometer are left in the walls, closed with plugs.

The nuances of laying different types

The procedure for working with ordinary building bricks is approximately the same for full and hollow varieties. Products with horizontally directed slots are used in the installation of partitions, they withstand minimal loads. There are types of hollow bricks with special holes on the sides that simplify the process for beginners. In this case, the type of dressing is selected, in which the voids are hidden inside the brickwork. When working with an ordinary brick, the mortar protruding beyond the edges and smearing the surface with it is not critical.

Laying facing bricks correctly is much more difficult. With such masonry, deviation from the width of the joints is not allowed, they must be densely filled, but neat and clean. Traces of the solution on the front surface are unacceptable due to the ability of the material to change color simultaneously with the absorption of moisture. The same applies to compounds for washing joints; grouting is not performed with such bricklaying. The best option is to control the application process using a special template. The tamping of such a brick is carried out with a perfectly clean hammer, and not with a trowel.

Types of dressings

The material is laid in rows, necessarily shifted one above the other, a cement-containing mortar is used to create a monolith. The size of the products determines the method of laying: one brick, one and a half or two bricks for load-bearing walls, a quarter (“on a spoon”) – for partitions. This allows you to build solid structures with a thickness of 65 to 510 mm.

It is forbidden to lay bricks without bonding: the required strength will not be achieved without shifting the upper blocks by at least a quarter. When placed with a long edge, the masonry is called spoon, end – bonder. There are several proven single and multi-row schemes designed for different loads:

1. Chain – with dressing of vertical seams in each subsequent row, in which it is necessary to alternately lay tychkovy and spoon rows. The advantage of this implementation is simplicity.

2. Multi-row, in which for every 5-6 spoon rows you need to put one tying row. The simplest example is laying in one brick with dressing on the 6th row with a thickness of 88 mm and every 7 when using standard products of 65 mm. The circuit is valued for its strength.

3. Three-row – a special case of multi-row with the placement of tychkovy rows every three longitudinal. This ligation allows you to lay reliable pillars and piers.

There are many schemes that allow you to effectively lay out bricks of different colors: Flemish, Dutch, offset spoon. There are more than a dozen of them, for decorative purposes it is even allowed to put ceramic and silicate products next to each other. Difficult areas include corners and overlaps; in the absence of experience, it is almost impossible to draw up a diagram on your own.

Step-by-step guide to action

At the preparatory stage, the condition of the foundation is studied: one of the requirements of the technology is to lay bricks exclusively on well-established and hardened structures, reliably protected from moisture. In particular, brick walls are erected on a tape or grillage completely covered with rolled waterproofing. The diagonals and the level of the foundation are checked, the allowable difference is 20 mm, if it is exceeded, leveling work is carried out.

Before starting work, the components are prepared (sand is sieved in a sieve with meshes of no more than 3 mm) and tools: a concrete mixer, containers for transporting mortar, a shovel, a trowel, a carpenter’s corner, a building level, a cord and a marker for marking. To eliminate errors, a material placement plan is drawn up taking into account the selected dressing scheme, and the required amount is calculated (with a 10% margin at least).

When laying bricks with your own hands, it is recommended to follow the following step-by-step guide:

• Marking the lines of the walls, stretching the cord.
• First row of bricks: without mortar, in bonded masonry made entirely of whole pieces.
• Preparation of masonry mixture in volume, not more than 1-2 hours of work, its placement and leveling it with a trowel.
• Masonry corners, starting with two bricks placed at a 90° angle and tested with a building triangle. To clearly verified products, you need to lay out a few more pieces with level control for each. Thus, the wall rises at least 3 rows up, the process is repeated at all other corners. This rule – the corners above the walls by 2 bricks is relevant for all structures. For fixing, an aluminum order is used, fixed with metal brackets.
• After that, you can lay brick walls: each element is brought to the right place, the alignment of the markup and the location of the ribs are checked, after installing the blocks, they are tapped with a hammer or trowel until they fully come into contact with the cord. Excess mortar is removed (placed on top of the brick or in vertical joints), the level of the row is checked.
• The next rows are placed with a mandatory offset (it is advisable to mark the number of completed rows in a pre-prepared plan). Regardless of the chosen method of laying the seams (in a wasteland, undercut or decorative), their thickness is controlled (the recommended limit is 6-12 mm, for defective or uneven products – 10-15).

During laying, all bricks are wetted; after a break in work, it is recommended to coat the lower rows with a wet brush. Reinforcement is placed in especially loaded walls: a metal bar of about 4 mm in longitudinal and transverse seams or a mesh every 4-5 rows of brickwork. The final stage is grouting and the formation of seams, when carrying out plastering work, it is lowered (it is enough to remove excess from the outside). If necessary, the solidified solution is carefully washed with water or special compounds.

At the slightest doubt about how to lay bricks, the work is entrusted to professionals. In the absence of experience, it is worth starting with simple enclosing or unloaded structures. They proceed to the next stage of construction (installation of ceilings, finishing) after 70% curing (1-1.5 weeks in the warm season), the final hardening of brick walls takes 28 days.

How to lay a brick with your own hands?

1. Main
2. Useful
3. Foundation types
4. DIY bricklaying

DIY bricklaying

The quality and speed of laying bricks with your own hands depend not only on the skill of the bricklayer. It is also important to prepare a quality mortar and use the appropriate masonry method. The masonry of the walls occurs in the following ways: butt, press, butt with pruning and semi-butt (zabutka). When choosing one or another method, it is necessary to take into account the moisture content of the brick, the plasticity of the mortar for brickwork, the time of year, and also take into account the requirements for the cleanliness of the facade. Consider in more detail the listed types of brick laying with your own hands.

In order to understand the definitions of bricklaying, consider the figure below:

Do-it-yourself bricklaying

A layer of mortar is applied in an even layer, leaving a small ridge at the edge of the wall to fill vertical joints. Thus, for a spoon row, the mortar is applied with a deviation from the wall by 2–2.5 cm and a mortar layout of about 7–8 cm. For side-by-side laying, the bricklayer takes 2 bricks and lays them flat at an angle at a distance of about 10 cm from the already laid bricks. Gradually turning, the bricklayer pushes the bricks to the previously laid ones, while a bed of mortar is formed in front of the front edge, filling the horizontal and vertical seams.

Spoon row – brick laying end-to-end:

Tychkovy row – laying bricks butt:

Do-it-yourself bricklaying

In this way, spoon and bonded bricks are laid. The mortar for masonry is used quite hard. The solution is leveled at once for several bricks (3-spoon or 5-poke). An indent of 10 – 15 cm is observed from the wall.

The installation sequence is as follows. The bricklayer takes a brick in one hand and spreads the mortar with the other. He scoops up a small part of the lying mortar and presses it with a trowel against the edge of an already installed brick. After that, a new brick is placed and slightly moved up to the already installed brick. After that, the excess solution is removed. This type of masonry is the most durable, but the masonry process is quite laborious.

Press brick laying:

DIY brickwork with trimming

This method is used for the complete filling of seams and their subsequent jointing. The mortar is laid in the same way as in the masonry, pressed (with an indent of 10 – 15 cm), and the brick is laid in the same way as in the masonry, butted. Excess solution is also removed. The solution used here is quite hard. If you use a more plastic solution, it will be difficult to have time to remove it when installing the brick. In terms of complexity, this method is a cross between laying butt and clamp.

Do-it-yourself bricklaying in semi-joint

The laying of the backfill in a semi-joint occurs as follows. The solution is applied between the outer and inner mile of masonry. After that, it is leveled and the bricks are laid in the backfill. Laying can be done simultaneously with two bricks. At a distance of 8 cm from the already installed bricks, the mortar bricks are taken with an edge, after which they are pressed against the already installed bricks. If the vertical joints are not sufficiently filled, then their filling will occur when laying the next rows. Transverse seams must be filled completely.

Laying zabutka in a semi-flat – spoon rows:

Laying the backfill in a semi-push – tychkovy rows:

When laying, it is necessary to stretch the moorings, which are a guideline in ensuring the horizontality and straightness of the rows of masonry. The cord should be placed every 5 meters to avoid sagging. The fastening of the mooring for the outer wall is carried out in order, and at the inner wall the fastening takes place with the help of brackets.

The device of the mooring cord in the masonry:

There are certain sequences for laying bricks: single-row and multi-row. With a single-row laying of bricks, the outer wall is laid first, then the inner wall, and then the backfill is laid. With multi-row laying, bricks are laid in a stepped or mixed way.

During the laying process, it is also important to ensure the availability of mortar and bricks so that you do not have to fuss, and you can work calmly and for a long time. This will increase the productivity of bricklaying. So we have dismantled all the stages of how to lay brickwork.

Brickwork photo:

Source: www.stroitelstvosovety.ru

About the Company

Bashkirsky Brick Trading House is the largest manufacturer of building bricks in the Republic of Bashkortostan.

Total production capacity per year of Bashkirsky brick factories

The Bashkirsky brick group of companies includes five factories that produce ordinary solid ceramic bricks, as well as slotted facing, silicate smooth and rusticated bricks of various sizes: standard, one and a half and double.

Plants of the group provide building materials to the center and southern regions of Bashkortostan:

• Ufa
• Sterlitamak
• Meleuz
• Ishimbay
• Salavat
• and others

Total production capacity per year of Bashkir brick factories

195,000,000

of which

Ceramic brick

122,000,000

Silicate brick

2 73 000 000

More about the company

Company services

Bashkir brick trading house not only produces bricks, but also provides all related services.

FREE WAREHOUSE

We provide free winter storage to our customers

FLIGHT LAYOUT

Combine delivery of bricks to several customers in one machine

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UNLOADING GOODS

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Laying bricks for jointing: a description of the technology

Publication content:
Bricklaying for jointing: the nuances of the process
Bricklaying for jointing: an alternative method

Bricklaying for jointing is a rather complicated matter and requires certain skills. Just like that, laying a brick in this way will not work, practice is needed. Although, if you understand what you are doing and have at least a theoretical base behind you, everything can work out and even very well. In this article from the site stroisovety.org, we will consider in detail the question of how to lay a brick for grouting? In addition, we will talk about alternative ways of face laying, which in some ways are even easier than laying with jointing.

Masonry for grouting photo

Bricklaying for grouting: the nuances of the process

Before proceeding to the immediate solution of the question of how to lay bricks for grouting, first we will deal with the question of what it is all about. According to many people, stitching is a special tool that forms a beautiful facial seam. But many people forget that the stitching is a kind of template that allows you to maintain an equal distance between individual bricks. In most cases, this tool is half or most of the length of a brick, making it fairly easy to use for leveling masonry.

Jointing is either a thick plate with a curved handle or a tube half cut to length. The latter option was actively used by masons before, and today flat jointing has become widespread, which makes the seam more accurate.

Brick laying for jointing photo

So, with jointing sorted out, now it’s time to clarify the situation with the question, how is laying for jointing done? In principle, there is nothing complicated here, especially if you clearly lay out the first, fundamental row in the level. Let’s start with him.

There are several ways to lay out the first row respecting the horizon, but in most cases specialists use only one. Beacon bricks are installed at the corners or edges of the wall – their uniform level can be checked hydraulically or with a laser. A thread is stretched between these bricks, relative to which the first row is laid out.

Here you need to pay attention to the tension of the thread, as at long distances it can sag – it may be necessary to install an intermediate beacon brick. If the distances are small, then the first row can be laid using an ordinary rack level.

Now the second row and all subsequent ones. Here the fun begins – you have to learn how to apply the solution in a certain amount. This is where the stitching is needed, which can be used as some kind of template. A solution is applied to the previous row with a slide, the height of which is greater than the width of the jointing, twice. Then the brick shrinks with a hammer, and the seam gap between it and the previous row is controlled by jointing. It is simply inserted into the seam, and the brick is lowered to the stop. It should be understood that such control will have to be carried out on all sides of each brick.

How to lay a brick for jointing photo

Each brick of the front masonry is laid in this way. This, of course, may seem complicated, but believe me, after a maximum of several unsuccessful attempts, everything will work out in the best way. As the solution dries, it is additionally necessary to cultivate the seams – the jointing is again driven into the seam, and with its help, the solution in it is smoothed out with a longitudinal movement. Here she works as a spatula. Do not forget that this tool needs to be wetted with water more often, then the solution will not stick to the metal, and the seam itself will remain smooth. And yet, in this way the seams can be given any color. This process is more like grouting tiles, only it is done much more accurately. After drying, excess mortar or grout is removed with a special brush with wire bristles.

Brickwork for jointing photo

Brickwork for jointing: an alternative method

Despite the fact that standard brickwork for jointing is not so difficult, still some people look for easier ways. Agree, clearly aligning the width of the seam is quite tedious, and not everyone can do it 100%. It is for this reason that an alternative method of laying bricks has appeared, which does not involve the use of such a tool as jointing, but, nevertheless, the result is of the same quality.

This method of laying silicate or any other brick for jointing is based on the use of a round or rectangular rod – it is laid along the entire bottom row on both sides. After that, you just have to fill the space between the bars with cement mortar and lay a brick on it, tapping it with a rubber mallet. For such masonry, you will need to stock up on a fair amount of bars – you can remove an already laid bar only after a few more rows of bricks are located above it. You need to pull it out carefully, and before the next use, rinse thoroughly from the old solution.

Laying bricks with bars photo

The whole beauty of this method of laying facing bricks is that after removing the bars you immediately get a beautiful, and most importantly even and evenly filled with mortar, a seam. It does not have to be additionally summed up and even cleaned with a metal brush. The only thing that will require special attention from you is the laying of the first row – as in the case of jointing, it will have to be laid out perfectly, using a level or beacons.

Now a few words about the advantages of using a bar as a template for laying bricks for jointing. There are enough of them.

1. With a rod, you get almost perfectly even seams – in some ways, using this device can be compared to using crosses when laying tiles.
2. This method of laying bricks can be called clean – if everything is done carefully, then not a single drop of mortar will appear on the front side of the masonry, which will have to be cleaned off. In general, a mortar that has fallen on a brick can cause a lot of trouble, especially when it comes to expensive facing building material – it eats into the pores, and cleaning it with a metal brush can lead to a damaged brick wall appearance.
3. There is absolutely no need to form a seam – a round bar will do it for you. Why round? Because the square in most cases does not allow the mortar and brick to be approximately at the same level – such seams will additionally have to be filled with mortar. As for the round rod, by installing it along the very edge of the brick, we eliminate the need to additionally fill the seams with mortar.