When choosing a brick, in addition to color, size and voidness, water absorption, frost resistance and strength must be taken into account. It must also be remembered that during construction, almost 20% of the masonry volume is mortar. Therefore, he also needs to pay attention. A mortar is usually used, which is prepared by mixing cement with sand and adding water. As a rule, four parts of the second are added to one part of the first component, since the correct ratio affects the plasticity of the mixture. And in order to improve this characteristic, clay, lime and special plasticizing additives are added to it, which are necessary in the winter season to ensure the hardening of binders.
Mobility
How is brickwork laid and the mobility of the building mixture determined? This procedure is carried out using a reference cone, which is lowered directly into the test solution, and then they look at how deep it plunged into it. For a hollow brick, a mixture with a draft of about 8 centimeters is suitable, and for a solid brick - from 10 to 14 centimeters. If the solution is too thick, it will most likelycrack over time, and too liquid will fill the voids of the brick and degrade its thermal insulation properties.
Quality
How is brickwork laid and the quality of the masonry material evaluated? The main properties that determine the characteristics of the mortar mixture are uniformity and plasticity. For a better consistency, it is better to mix it with an electric mixer or an electric drill with a nozzle. A correctly prepared mortar is perfectly laid in a thin layer, and the brick adheres to it with its entire surface. The presence of clean places on the building material indicates insufficient mobility of the mixture and its inability to dissolve.
Thickness
There are several options for carrying out work, on which the thickness of the brickwork depends - from 12 to 64 centimeters. However, a thick wall is economically disadvantageous and difficult to build. In this regard, in order to reduce the weight of the structure, the load on the foundation and reduce the consumption of bricks, the outer walls are often built from hollow bricks, or, if work is carried out with solid material, voids are left between them, which are filled with insulation.
Seams and corners
How is brickwork laid and right vertical angles are drawn correctly? This question is the most difficult, especially for beginner builders. It is also very important to lay the building material in a straight line and at the same level. A very important point is the correctly laid first row of bricks with a rail or a long cord. The evenness of the corners is checkeda square, and a vertical surface - a level and a plumb line. As soon as several rows are laid, the joints are grouted before the mixture hardens. The correct brickwork also depends on this. The work on jointing consists in compacting the solution between the elements and giving it a clear pattern. It is divided into two types: wasteland, when there are gaps between the bricks, and undercut - the entire space between the building material is filled with mortar and is aligned with the front face. There are also decorative, concave and convex seams.
Masonry methods
How is brickwork laid and in what ways? Consider several options: in the clamp, butt and butt with pruning. The first method is more suitable for working with a hard mortar and consists in pressing each subsequent brick to the previous one. The end-to-end option is used on a moving mixture, and the seams are formed into a wasteland. And the third method - back to back with pruning - combines the two previous ones. In this case, a very mobile material is used, and the seams are made into an undercut. You can improve the quality and strength of the masonry with the help of the desired consistency and uniform application of the mortar.
