How to Lay Brick

Brick walls have long been recognized for their stability, strength, and protection from the elements. A brick wall is also extremely versatile, and can be used as an exterior wall to your home, as a retaining wall for a front yard, or even as a decoration for your backyard patio. Plus, it takes very little effort to lay a brick wall. It simply takes a trowel, mortarboard, mortar, concrete, bricks, water, and a steady eye. You need to make certain the ground for your brick laying is level before anything else. If the surface isn't level, the end result will fall and topple over a period of time. The surface should have no gradient, and should be tightly packed.

One of the most common choices is a hard packed soil as the base. Once you have chosen your location, and leveled it, mark out the area for your bricks. Next, remove about six inches of soil, and be sure that the new surface is level as well. The next step in the process is to construct a frame. This frame will allow you to be sure the resultant bricks are level and positioned correctly. Use two by fours, and create a frame along the length and width of your proposed wall. At this point, you should pour a few inches of concrete into the dug base and allow it to cure. Remember, concrete is different than mortar, and will provide a way to maintain a level base.

The next step after the concrete has been cured is to remove the framing. Then it's only a matter of placing the first brick. The first step is to mix together the mortar by following the directions provided. Remember to only mix up as much as you need for about thirty minutes of work. Once it is mixed, place a small amount of mortar on the mortar board. Then transfer it, with the trowel onto the bottom of the first brick. Place it where you want it, and tap the top of the brick with the trowel. This will cause the mortar to squeeze out on all sides. The following brick should be laid in basically the same way, just make certain that the ends are coated with mortar as well. The mortar will give a barrier from the elements between each of the bricks. Use both the mortarboard and the trowel to make certain that the bricks remain level.

After you have completed laying the bricks, the trowel can be utilized to remove the left over mortar. There you have it; you have created the start of a brick wall. Then it's just a matter of repetition, and making sure each layer is a half a brick off from the one below it.

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