Brick is a material used in construction for a long time. Without any exaggeration, we can say that it can be used in fact in the construction of any building. Proper brickwork largely determines the quality characteristics of the housing itself. However, before working with products, you will need to familiarize yourself with the rules and masonry technology.
What is the technology for doing the job?
Do-it-yourself brickwork is not so difficult, the main thing is to follow all the rules and understand what exactly you want to get as a result. The first thing to do is to carry out preparatory work, then you need to prepare a mortar, and then proceed to laying bricks, choosing the type you need in advance.
Preparatory stage of work
The first thing to do is to work on the foundation. Brickwork cannot be done well if the surface is not first leveled. At the end of this process, you can begin to carry out waterproofing. The easiest method is to spread the roofing felt strip inseveral layers around the perimeter. Now you can start checking the surfaces using the hydraulic level. All irregularities are corrected with a solution. Once you have done this, only then are you allowed to start building walls.
Preparing the solution
Bricklaying is done using conventional cement-sand mortar. In this case, the standard ratio of cement and sand in kilograms is 1:4 or 1:6. The key task of the composition is the displacement of bricks relative to each other. Do-it-yourself brickwork is carried out in such a way that the bricks experience pressure under displacement and compression, but not rupture. Therefore, the solution is often made lean, and clay or lime is added for plasticity, which enhances the fluidity of the entire composition.
A little tip: lime can be replaced with detergent (liquid soap, washing powder).
However, there are some nuances that need to be taken into account: such a mortar is not suitable for hollow bricks, because the mixture will flow into the cracks, and this significantly reduces the thermal insulation properties of the material.
Construction mix is prepared by combining all the ingredients with the addition of water. It is not recommended to prepare too large volumes of the solution, because it will harden quickly, therefore it is better to do it in small portions. To mix the solution, you should combine sand with cement according to the calculated proportions, then add liquid, plasticizer and form a homogeneous mixture. Brick walls must be laid with mortar,which in consistency resembles thick honey or cottage cheese.
What tools will you need to use in your work?
To do all the work, you will need to prepare tools in advance. Master will need:
- Trowel. A tool is used to clean the extruded mortar during the fitting of bricks. The reverse side of the handle adjusts the laying of brick walls.
- Bulgarian. Designed for cutting stone.
- Hammer-pick. Required for splitting bricks.
- Jointing, which is necessary for cutting seams.
- Gloves for work so as not to get your hands dirty.
- Building level for even brickwork of houses.
- Plumb line to establish the vertical course of masonry.
- Ordering, which controls masonry if work is carried out at height.
- Cord-mooring, which is stretched between orders. A device is used to control the correct execution of masonry.
What to remember while laying?
There are different types of brickwork, but many amateur masons face difficulties. Usually this is the removal of vertical right angles, the laying of material at the same level and along the line. All attention must be immediately paid to the first row. To maintain even masonry, simply use a stretched cord or a flat rail in your work. The solution should not put pressure on the guide, so the brick should be laid a little before it (leave a distance of a couple of millimeters). Horizontal masonry must be checked by level, this process is extremelyit is important that the front masonry looks beautiful.
Which bricks to choose?
External walls will need to be built from a material whose frost resistance is at least thirty-five cycles. Before starting work, the first row of bricks should be laid without mortar in order to establish the position of the vertical joints. So you will avoid unnecessary cutting of the material, save on mortar, so imitation of brickwork is a must!
If you have a hand-formed brick, then it will need to be laid with a notch up. Usually bricks from several different pallets are used during masonry. Moreover, the material is taken from the pallet diagonally. Why such difficulties? This is done solely to even out differences in the color shades of the material. Also avoid using half-bricks in the corners, as this may affect the strength of the building.
What are the types of brickwork?
The following types of masonry are distinguished:
- solid;
- lite;
- reinforced;
- decorative;
- lined masonry.
What is the difference between each type? This issue will need to be sorted out.
Solid masonry
This is a monolithic structure, the thickness of the brickwork is exactly half of the brick itself. The material is laid along the outer edges of the wall. Such rows are called versts, but the fillings between them are called zabiutkas.
Lightweight masonry
This type is used when building small objects. under constructionmasonry of a pair of parallel walls, the width of which is half a brick. In the work it will be necessary to use exclusively solid bricks, it is forbidden to cut them. The pier between the walls will need to be filled with a heat-insulating product. It is unacceptable to apply this technology in practice at a height, because it will be necessary to make a row of poking through a meter (this is already the maximum value).
Reinforced masonry
This option is used in practice when the structure is subjected to extreme pressure. When creating vertical and horizontal masonry, it will be necessary to place reinforcement in the seams, the seams must be made about four millimeters thicker than the diameter of the reinforced rod itself. Transverse reinforcement involves the use of rectangular or zigzag metal meshes, which are laid every three rows.
Decorative and lined masonry
This type has a couple of variations. The most common: on the outside of the building there are three spoon rows, as well as a bridged row of rows. In this case, it is allowed to alternate ceramic facing and silicate bricks. In addition, this brickwork is used in the interior to create an original design solution.
When erecting a wall, it is also lined with decorative bricks from the outside. This row is tied up with the masonry of the wall at the level of the bond row.
Masonry Features
The first thing to do is lay out the corners of the wall. They should be slightly above the middle part. To do everything right, it is best to stretch the mooring cord to indicate the height and line of masonry. To avoid sagging, the cord will need to be pulled very tight and periodically laid beacons to maintain it.
Ordering is great for drawing corners. The product is presented in the form of a metal corner, on which it is allowed to apply special marks to indicate the level of masonry. At the corners, a couple of first bricks are fixed in height, everything is corrected by the level, and then, thanks to the bracket, the ordering is also fixed. A plumb or level guarantees the verticality of the structure. The mooring cord also needs to be pulled along the already marked marks in order. If the wall is up to three meters long, then the order can be replaced with a long, lightweight corner made of profile or aluminum. The corners will also help ensure the structure is straight and level.
Do not forget: when laying, remember to bind the bricks. The seams in adjacent rows should not match, and after five rows it is best to lay the reinforcing mesh.
Starting masonry is required with a simple one: fold the first rows of the structure without mortar, eliminate all shortcomings. In other words, do an imitation of brickwork. Once you do this, check that there are no omissions. Now you can start laying directly with the mixture. Before starting work, it is recommended to moisten the bricks with water: just dip them in a large bowl of liquid, and thenpack.
During work, a mallet, a trowel handle or even your own fists for tapping the brick and leveling it will greatly help you. It is better to collect all the solution that is squeezed out with a trowel and pour it into a bucket. This is how you will gradually adjust the bricks, removing excess mortar and achieving the results you need in stages.
How to calculate materials?
To make accurate calculations on the amount of material, prepare a detailed plan. You will need to draw all the layers of bricks on paper and calculate their number in detail. It is useful to know that the standard parameters of one brick block are 250 × 120 × 60 millimeters. However, the indicators may vary slightly, it all depends on the manufacturer. Therefore, it is recommended to pre-select a brick that will be used in the work, find out its dimensions, make a plan, and only then purchase raw materials.
What tips can you give to avoid mistakes?
There are three main principles that must be strictly adhered to in order for the job to be done as well as possible:
- To ensure that the bricks during laying do not experience an angle load, but only compressive pressure, it will be necessary to place the rows strictly parallel to each other. The largest angle can be 17 degrees.
- Transverse and longitudinal vertical seams should always be parallel, while having a solid seam between them.
- In the side faces of the bricks, several parallel systems should be formed, which are placed perpendicular to each otherfriend.
Independent brickwork without much experience may not work the first time. It’s worth practicing first, forming small ladders or pillars, and then building walls. If you want to use brickwork in the interior, then you should not rush, otherwise everything can be ruined. Practice. If all else fails, then you can purchase special wallpaper for brickwork. They are inexpensive and look very nice.
