When constructing walls, as a rule, a combined masonry of white and red bricks is used. This combination will provide high quality buildings and nice design.
Red brick is produced by firing special clay. This process takes place at high temperatures. Proper compliance with technological requirements will ensure high properties building material.
Template size clay brick next:
- 65 mm thick;
- 0.12 m wide;
- 0.25 m long.
As a rule, per sq. a meter of wall takes from forty-five to fifty bricks.
Recently, blocks have been used more and more often in construction. They are twice the size of standard clay bricks.
Remember, laying bricks will be durable and beautiful only if there are no cracks and the edges are smooth and clear. If you want to reduce the pressure on the foundation and increase the thermal performance of the building material, you can use cellular brick. It weighs significantly less than a single.
What composition can be used for masonry
Before laying brick, prepare a high-quality mortar. It must firmly hold together individual fragments and rows of masonry. The following compositions can be used in it:
- limestone;
- cement;
- simple;
- complex.
Lime compounds are used infrequently. Many individuals are confident that they are the most reliable, but this opinion is erroneous. Lime mortar often requires a frame to install fences and partitions.
You can prepare this composition using quicklime and sand. These components must be mixed until smooth, then add water. Mix the resulting mixture thoroughly.
Make sure that there are no lumps or foreign impurities in the lime mass.
Cement mortar is the most popular. It is prepared from a mixture of construction cement and sand of medium or small fraction. The proportion of the solution will vary depending on the brand of cement. The preparation of this solution will begin by mixing the dry mixture.
Then gradually add water in small portions. Then mix thoroughly until smooth. However, this type of mixture is not always suitable, as it may turn out to be too hard or too strong.
It is best to use cement-lime mortar. It consists of lime and cement respectively. The process of preparing cement-lime mortar is as follows:
- first you need to dilute the slaked lime to the state of “thick milk”;
- then pass the resulting pulp through a sieve;
- after this, prepare a dry mixture of sand and cement, which must be filled with lime “milk”.
Masonry with a cement-lime mixture can be used anywhere.
Advice: Adding lime significantly increases plasticity.
The next type of masonry mortar is simple. It is prepared from a binder and sand. Cement or ordinary lime is used as a binding component. Sometimes it is advisable to use clay as a binding component. However, a mixture with clay is not suitable for all masonry.
A simple solution must be prepared in certain proportions. As a rule, it is one third cement to one part sand. The resulting solution must be mixed and then added a little distilled water. It is better to stir with water until the mixture becomes sufficiently dense.
Another installation solution is called complex. Such a mixture is a combination of a binder material and several components that have a certain physical effect on building materials. Complex mortars include cement-clay-lime and cement-lime mixtures.
Clay is added to such mixtures to ensure that the solution is plastic and does not fall apart during the laying process. Sometimes it is advisable to add plasticizers. Most often they are used when laying facade walls.
The complex mixture is quite economical. It is able to provide uniform compaction along the entire perimeter of the installation.
How to lay bricks correctly
After you have prepared the mortar for laying, it remains to decide how to lay the brick and what will be more efficient for your structure. There are 3 masonry methods:
- end to end;
- press;
- end-to-end with trimming.
Any installation can be made of silicate and ceramic bricks. When choosing a masonry method, pay attention to the following factors:
- Ambient temperature of building materials.
- Purpose of the wall.
- The height of the masonry.
- The use of various auxiliary elements.
- The type of mortar you will use on your wall.
Also, the state of ordinary or thickened building materials will have an impact on the masonry process. Before laying wall elements, pay attention to the moisture content of your building materials. It should be average.
In order for the installation to be rational and high-quality, you must ensure the uniformity of the structure around the entire perimeter. This is achieved through the skillful use of a plumb line and level.
There is a common mistake when the builder does not ensure that one side is not ahead of the other in the number of rows. This error leads to a general loss of foundation stability. Remember, an unevenly distributed load will certainly lead to deterioration in the quality of the entire structure.
Types of masonry
Each type has its own specifics. For example, pressing laying is used in structures where spoon and butt bricks are used, connected with rigid mortar. In this case, it is rational to lay the bed for five bonded elements or for three or four spoon elements.
You can use a trowel as a clamp. The required mass of rigid mortar is placed at a distance of 10-15 cm from the edge of the wall. Press-fitting requires good skill of the builder, so it must be done extremely carefully.
End-to-end laying is indispensable in cases where there is no need to close the seams, and the mortar for construction is sufficiently plastic and mobile. It is worth noting that it is rational to use a device for laying bricks, which is called a trowel.
The end-to-end laying process begins with applying a thin mortar to the bed. Then the brick is laid and pressed tightly. If you move the decorative brick slightly, the mortar left at the edge can completely fill the vertical joint cavity.
Laying bricks end to end with trimming is considered something in between. On one side it fits flush with the other. However, the mortar for back-to-back masonry with trimming is the same as for classic back-to-back masonry.
After you have picked the best way and building materials, you need to decide what constitutes technological process masonry
It is worth noting that in any masonry, after two or three rows have been laid, it is necessary to unstitch the seams. With its help, the seam becomes tight.
Depending on what tools are used during the construction process, the seam can be given any appearance.
In practice, there are many masonry schemes. All of them will help make your wall reliable and durable. The most common masonry scheme is bandaging the seams. During the dressing process, you need to make the wall monolithic. Bandaging the seams involves maintaining a rational order of brick placement.
As a rule, dressings should be applied in places where the load is most noticeable. These can be corners or joints where the laying changes its direction.
Bandaging can be transverse, longitudinal and vertical:
- Cross knitting is used to establish a reliable connection between bricks. It will also help distribute the load, but only horizontally.
- Longitudinal dressing is needed to prevent delamination of the wall. It will also help distribute the load evenly along the entire perimeter of the masonry.
- Vertical ligation is needed for stable overlap of sutures
Suture dressing can be single- or multi-row. Traditional masonry made from standard red brick uses a single row of joints. If you use thickened bricks, then you can lay the butt row more often.
- Tools and materials
- Features of the solution
- Dressing seams when building walls
- Brickwork technology
- Methods for masonry
- Carrying out jointing
- Causes of efflorescence on masonry
Brick houses are the most common, despite the variety of materials. But you should not only choose the right building material and prepare a solution with the recommended ingredients, you also need to have masonry skills. Masonry can be done after the master has become familiar with the generally accepted rules.
Figure 1. Diagram of the brick structure.
If you lay a wall with 1 brick (250 mm thick), the tongue and groove surfaces of the products will be visible. In Fig. 1 you can see a brick, where: 1 – bed; 2 – poke; 3 – spoons; a – ¼ of the product, b – ½ of the product, c – the part called “brick”. Walls are sometimes built with ½ brick, in which case the side is on the outside. Partitions are sometimes built with ¼ brick, then the bed faces outwards, which saves material and increases the free area. So, with a length of 4 m, the difference in area loss with partitions built into a whole product and half of it can be almost 1 m2. With walls built in a whole product and in ¼ of a product, the difference can exceed 1.5 m2.
Tools and materials
Figure 2. Schemes of chain ligation of brickwork.
- shovel;
- sand;
- hammer-pick;
- rule;
- level;
- cement;
- hammer;
- capacity;
- mooring;
- trowel;
- brick;
- plumb line
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Features of the solution
Do-it-yourself brickwork is made using a mortar of cement and sand (sifted). With an increase in the proportion of cement, the solution becomes less plastic, which reduces its mobility. When compared with lime or mixed mortars, which contain, in addition to cement, lime or clay, the cement mortar is not so mobile. The use of a highly plastic mixture when constructing walls from hollow products is uneconomical. This is due to the fact that the solution gets into the cavities that the brick has. However, as the mobility of the mixture decreases, it becomes more difficult to work with it (for example, laying and leveling it).
The workability of the masonry mixture can be determined by immersing a reference cone in it. When using hollow products, a mixture is used whose mobility does not exceed 8 cm of cone draft.
If you plan to work with solid brick at elevated temperatures, the mobility of the mixture must be increased to 14 cm of cone sediment.
The masonry will be of high quality if you use a properly prepared and mixed solution; without this, it may settle.
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Dressing seams when building walls
Figure 3. Scheme of multi-row ligation of brickwork.
The brick must be laid using a dressing system, this will make the masonry more reliable. Can be used for bandaging transverse, vertical and longitudinal seams.
The most common dressing systems are multi-row and single-row. The latter is also called chain and is distinguished by alternating rows, which are called spoon and butt. This dressing can be seen in Fig. 2. Adjacent transverse seams should shift by ¼ of the brick relative to each other; as for the longitudinal ones, the shift is carried out by ½ of the product. The vertically located seams of the underlying row are covered with bricks located in the upper row. If you use a multi-row dressing, the splice rows should be placed through several spoon rows, as can be seen in Fig. 3. The letters L and T in the figure indicate the spoon and butt parts.
There are restrictions on the number of spoon rows located between the bond rows, which is determined by the thickness of the product. When installing a wall based on a single product, there is 1 stud for 6 rows of masonry. If it is intended to use thickened elements, then 1 row of joints will correspond to 5 rows of masonry. Vertically located seams in 4 spoons are closed with spoons of adjacent rows for ½ of the product, and the seams on top of the row are closed with stitches of the 6th row for ¼ of the product. This one is called five-row. But such a dressing can only be used if the thickness of the partition/wall is equal to a brick or more.
If the masonry is made in ½ or ¼ brick, it will need to be reinforced. Why use a steel mesh, which can be replaced with reinforcing wire; the reinforcement must be laid in the seams, skipping every 4-6 rows.
When leveling the mixture, you should use a trowel. During the laying of bricks, you will need to change its dimensions, for which a hammer-pick will be useful. It is impossible to do without checking the correctness of the masonry; in this process you will have to use a plumb line, a level, as a rule, a mooring cord and an order.
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Brickwork technology
The masonry needs to be given special attention at the stage when the solution is distributed on the bed of the product. The density and reliability of the seam will depend on this. In a spoon row, the mixture must be distributed in a layer whose width is 100 mm; in a bond row, this figure should be maximum 220 mm. The thickness of the layer should be equal to the limit of 15-20 mm; if this condition is met, the final thickness of the seam will be equal to 10-12 mm.
Laying bricks with your own hands should be done after soaking the products, which will ensure optimal strength of the wall.
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Methods for masonry
There are several ways to lay bricks with your own hands: pressing and butting. Their difference is in the degree of plasticity of the mixture.
The “pressing” method is used when laying masonry using a rigid mixture, which is characterized by a cone settlement of 9 cm, and the joints should be filled and grouted.
This method involves laying the mixture with an indentation from the front surface of the partition/wall, the indentation should be 10-15 mm, after which it must be leveled with a trowel, directing movements from the already laid product, which will allow preparing the solution for several products. After using the edge part of the trowel, a certain amount of the mixture must be raked to the laid product and pressed against its vertical edge.
The next product needs to be lowered onto the bed and pressed against the trowel. Afterwards, the tool must be sharply removed. Then the brick needs to be settled on the bed, removing excess mixture with a trowel. This will ensure the reliability of the masonry with filling of the seams.
The “butt” method is applicable for work that involves the use of a moving mixture; it is characterized by a cone settlement of 13 cm, and the filling of the seams on the front side should be incomplete. The mixture must be raked from the laid path using the edge of the product. He must be pressed to the bed, and the extracted mixture must be placed in a vertical seam. The solution must be spread at a distance of 30 mm from the front side of the partition/wall.
Brick is widely used in individual construction. It has high strength, durability, good sound and heat insulation. Subject to masonry technology and making the right choice material, brick walls will not require additional decorative finishing.
Types of bricks
Red and white (silicate) bricks are mainly used. Yellow is used for wall cladding. All types of bricks can be hollow or solid, with round or rectangular voids. There are several main types of bricks:
1. Ordinary solid brick. It is predominantly red in color and is used for the construction of load-bearing walls, pillars, columns and vaults. The brick is frost-resistant and can withstand frequent temperature fluctuations without visible deformation. The porosity of the material should be at least 6-8%, but not more than 20%.
Ordinary brick has a rough, unattractive surface, so walls made from it require plaster.
2. Hollow brick. It can be pale red, dark red, brown and yellow. Used for construction external walls with increased thermal insulation characteristics. If it is necessary to reduce the mass of the walls and the load on the foundation, the load-bearing structures can be entirely made of hollow bricks.
Voids can be through or non-through, slot-shaped, oval, round or square. The diameter of the through void is no more than 16 mm, the width of the gap is 12 mm. During laying, they are partially filled with mortar and provide reduced thermal conductivity.
The presence of voids makes it possible to reduce the consumption of raw materials, transportation costs, facilitate the production process and increase frost resistance.
3. Facing brick. The color depends on the raw material and can vary from light yellow to dark red. Used for all types of outdoor work, withstands exposure to water and low temperatures.
Walls made of facing bricks do not require painting and retain their decorative effect for a long time.
4. Curved brick. It has a red-brown color and is highly resistant to moisture and frost. Mainly used in exterior decoration walls Manufacturers offer a wide selection color range and brick shapes with the possibility of manufacturing according to individual sketches.
5. Glazed brick. Available in various colors. Used for cladding internal and external surfaces.
During the production process, various chemical components are added to the clay mass, which, when fired, form a colored glassy layer. At the same time, the decorative layer has good adhesion to the bulk and increased frost resistance.
Glazed brick is a very brittle material, which significantly limits its scope of application. Mainly used to create panels and mosaic masonry on building facades and indoors.
6. Ceramic clinker modular brick. Color - white, gray, red and light brown. It has low moisture absorption (0.2%), high frost and heat resistance.
Clinker bricks are fired at a temperature of 1800 degrees and can withstand at least 50 heating-absorption cycles.
Brick is produced in non-standard size(larger than facing bricks) with smooth end walls, which reduces the amount of material required and reduces laying time.
Brick laying mortar
Mortars for brickwork can be simple (with one binder) or complex with several binders.
To prepare the solution, you need to mix cement and sand in proportions 1:4. To get 1 cu. m of cement mortar, you will need 8 bags of M400 cement (1 bag of 50 kg) and 32 bags of sand.
Solution consumption: usually per 1 cubic meter. m of masonry consumes 0.3 cubic meters. m of solution.
Special additives - plasticizers - can be added to solutions to increase frost resistance and reduce water absorption. They are available in liquid or powder form and are added strictly according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Brick laying technology
The masonry is done in horizontal rows, in most cases the brick is laid on the bed (flat). It is possible to lay bricks on a spoon edge (on an edge).
During masonry, the seams are bandaged: vertical, longitudinal and transverse. The ligation of longitudinal seams is carried out in butt rows (rows facing the short side), and transverse seams - in spoon rows (formed from bricks laid with the long side facing the outer surface of the wall).
The height of a masonry row consists of the height of the brick and the thickness of the joint (mortar layer). The average seam thickness is 12 mm. The width of the masonry (wall thickness) is a multiple of 1/2 brick. When determining it, it is necessary to take into account vertical seams with a thickness of 10 mm.
Brick bonding system
The strength of the wall is ensured by bandaging the seams. The dressing system is the order in which the bricks are laid relative to each other. Can be single-row or multi-row.
In a single-row dressing, splice and spoon rows alternate. Transverse seams in adjacent rows are shifted relative to each other by 1/4 of a brick, and longitudinal seams by 1/2 of a brick. All vertical seams of the lower row must be overlapped with bricks of the upper row.
Multi-row dressing is much simpler and is the main one for laying walls. It consists of separate walls 1/4 brick thick (12 cm), made of spoons and tied through several rows with a butt row.
The maximum height of the spoon masonry is determined by the size of the brick and is:
- 6 rows - for a single brick with a thickness of 65 mm;
- 5 rows - for bricks 88 mm thick.
The thickness of the seams for any dressing system is 8-10 mm. The horizontalness of the masonry is checked every 2-3 rows and, if necessary, the thickness of the seam is reduced or increased.
Basic rules for laying bricks
The laying of brick walls is carried out in accordance with the following rules:
- brickwork begins with the installation of rows (slats with divisions corresponding to the thickness of the row) at the corners, at the intersection and junction of walls;
- after checking the orders, a mooring cord is pulled between them;
- a mooring cord is installed for each row at the level of the top edge with a distance of 3-4 mm from the vertical plane of the masonry;
- To strengthen the mooring at lighthouses, a mooring bracket is used, which with its sharp end is inserted into the masonry seam, and with its blunt end rests on the lighthouse brick. The mooring cord is tied to the blunt end of the shackle;
- for the next row the line is tightened by turning the staple to a new position;
- after installing the orders, beacons and mooring cord, bricks are laid out on the wall, mortar is spread and the outer mile is laid;
- when laying a verst row, the mortar is spread out in the form of a bed 80-100 mm wide, for a butcher row 200-220 mm with a distance from the front surface of 10-15 mm. The thickness of the mortar bed should be 20-25 mm. This is enough to create a completely filled seam with a thickness of 10-12 mm;
- You can start laying the next row only after laying the versts and backfilling the previous row.
Brick laying methods
Laying versts (outermost rows of bricks forming the surface of the masonry) can be carried out in three ways:
- press;
- end-to-end and end-to-end with cutting of the mortar;
- half-sucked (forgotten).
The masonry method is selected based on the plasticity of the mortar, the condition of the brick (wet or dry), the time of work and the requirements for the cleanliness of the masonry on the front side.
For laying out walls using pressed in necessary:
- Spread the mortar at a distance of 10-15 mm from the face of the wall and level it with the back of the trowel. The tool is moved from the already laid brick, while the mortar bed is arranged simultaneously for 3 spoon or 5 joint bricks.
- Level the mortar bed (the tool is held in the right hand) and use the edge of the trowel to rake up part of the mortar and press it against the vertical edge of the previously laid brick. With your left hand you carry a new brick to the place of laying.
- The brick is lowered onto the prepared bed and moved with the left hand to the previously laid brick and pressed against the trowel blade.
- Using an upward motion, the trowel is removed and the brick is used to press the mortar between the brick being laid and the brick being laid.
- With hand pressure, the laid brick settles on the mortar bed. Excess mortar that appears on the face of the masonry is removed with a trowel in one step after laying 3-5 bricks with pokes and 2 bricks with spoons. The mortar is poured onto the mortar bed.
Laying bricks using the method end to end is performed in the following sequence:
- The mortar bed is laid out.
- The brick is held at an angle and part of the mortar is raked in with the butt edge, starting at a distance of 8-12 cm from the previously laid brick.
- The brick is moved towards the one already laid with a gradual straightening of the position and pressed against the bed. Part of the mortar fills the vertical transverse seam.
- The laid brick is laid down by hand on the mortar bed.
- When laying a spoon row, the solution is raked with a spoon edge.
In a way half-sitting backfill is laid out (bricks between the inner and outer rows). To do this you need:
- Spread the mortar between the inner and outer versts and level it.
- Holding the brick almost level, at a distance of 6-8 cm from the one already laid, gradually lower it onto the mortar bed. In this case, a small amount of solution is raked in by the rib.
- The brick is moved closely to the one laid earlier and pressed into place by hand pressure.
- The backfill brick is pressed tightly against the bed to create even masonry at the same level as the milepost rows.
Vertical seams remain partially unfilled. They are filled when spreading the mortar for laying the next highest row.
If it is necessary to create a masonry surface with a clear pattern, then laying the bricks is carried out with trimming the mortar. The seams can be given any shape - rectangular, recessed, concave inward or convex outward.
The seams are unstitched until the mortar sets: first, the surface of the masonry is wiped, the vertical seams are unstitched (3-4 spoons or 6-8 pokes), then the horizontal ones.
Results
In the process of building brick walls, it is necessary to take into account the features and requirements for their installation:
- used in construction and wall decoration different kinds bricks: ordinary solid, hollow, facing, figured, glazed, clinker;
- to mix the solution, you need to combine cement and sand in a ratio of 1:4 and fill the mixture with water;
- In order for a brick wall to have sufficient strength, it is necessary to bandage the seams, longitudinal, transverse and vertical;
- the recommended thickness of the vertical joint of the masonry is 10 mm, the longitudinal one is 12 mm;
- In a single-row dressing, alternation of splice and spoon rows is observed. Transverse seams are shifted by 1/4 brick, longitudinal seams - by 1/2 brick;
- at multi-row dressing 5-6 spoons are laid out in a row, which are tied in a row;
- the brick row is laid using rows installed at the corners of the walls and a mooring cord stretched between them to control the level of the masonry;
- masonry can be carried out in three ways: pressed, butted or half-butted. The choice depends on the properties of the mortar, brick and the requirements for the appearance of the front surface.
We also have an excellent article on our website about insulating external walls with foam plastic:
Finally, a video to better understand the brick laying process.
Despite recent advances in the construction industry, brick construction is still very popular. Many builders prefer brick due to its high strength, good heat and sound insulation, and durability. But you can take advantage of all the benefits of this building material only if the bricklaying is done correctly.
Classification of brickwork
Depending on the technology, the following types of masonry are distinguished:
- with cladding. In this case, the facing masonry must be tied to the wall (using metal mesh or individual rods);
- reinforced. In this case, reinforcing bars are laid in the mortar layer. Due to this, the strength of the masonry in the transverse direction increases;
- decorative. Acceptable use different types bricks (for example, glazed and clay). For greater visual effect, 1 splice and 2-3 spoon rows are often combined;
- solid masonry. A solid mass of bricks is laid out; they can be laid either short (butt part) or long (spoon part).
- lightweight masonry. Used only in 1-story buildings, acts as a heat and sound insulator. 2 walls are laid out of brick at a short distance from each other, then the space between them is filled with insulation (for example, mineral wool). To impart rigidity and strength to the structure, the walls on top can be combined with diaphragms; for the same purpose, bonded rows are used - in this case, ½ of the brick goes into the space between the walls.
According to the masonry technique, there are:
- end-to-end masonry. Most often used when using a plastic, non-rigid mortar. The solution is laid in such a way that in the central part its thickness is about 2.5 - 3 cm, with a larger amount of solution left at the edge. The brick is laid and pressed firmly, moving the brick; the mixture, left at the edge in larger quantities, fills the vertical seam.
When using this method, complete closure of the seams is not ensured.
- press the masonry. Used when working with rigid mixtures. The laying technology is that the mortar is applied and leveled with a trowel for several bricks at a time (for 3 spoons or 5 joints). Since the mortar is hard, to fill the vertical seam it is held with a trowel to the vertical edge of the already laid brick. The new brick is laid and moved forward. Excess solution is removed with a trowel.
This method provides high strength masonry, but more labor-intensive compared to end-to-end masonry.
- butt laying with trimming. It is also used when working with a rigid mixture and is a combination of pressing and butting masonry. The mortar is applied using the same method as when laying pressed, and the brick is laid as when laying end-to-end.
Materials and devices for brickwork
Depending on the purpose of the walls, either solid or hollow bricks can be used (they have increased heat and sound insulation). Clay or silicate bricks can also be used.
Cement, lime or cement-lime mortars are used to prepare the mortar; they can be prepared either with your own hands or purchased already ready mixture in dry form. Most often, Portland cement grades 400 - 600 are used to prepare solutions. The introduction of a small amount of lime or clay into the mixture improves its plasticity and ensures a gradual increase in strength by the solution (water from the mixture will evaporate gradually).
For the same purpose, you can add a little ordinary dishwashing detergent to the mixture.
Mixing the mixture components should be done manually or in a dry concrete mixer. Then, gradually adding water, you need to achieve a concentration of the solution at which it will be sufficiently plastic, but at the same time it should retain its shape and not spread on a horizontal surface.
As for the tools, to lay bricks with your own hands you will need:
- container for preparing the solution (it is better to use a concrete mixer);
- a container for carrying the mortar directly to the place where bricks are laid;
- trowel;
- nylon fishing line (with its help the border of the laid brick row will be secured);
- building level;
- jointing;
- ordering - this device is used to control the rows of brickwork. Made independently from simple wooden board, on which rows of bricks are marked, taking into account the thickness of the seam and the height of the brick;
- plumb line (control of the deviation of masonry from the vertical);
- square (used to control the geometry of the corners of the building);
- a template to control the thickness of the seams;
- pick;
- mallet;
- mittens/gloves.
Video - Brick laying technology
Laying bricks with your own hands is not difficult, provided you follow a few simple rules:
- Before directly laying bricks, it is necessary to reliably isolate the foundation from the wall using roofing felt.
- When working, you should always strive to use halves and other fractional parts of a whole brick as little as possible. To do this, the first row is laid out without mortar (but with gaps between the bricks).
It should be remembered that the most important elements when laying bricks there are corners. If they are laid out without deviations from the vertical, then the laying of the wall will be significantly simplified.
- The corners of the future building are laid out in 3-6 rows.
- Then you need to carefully set the boundary of the first and subsequent rows of bricks. To do this, stretch the cord, which is secured every 5 meters (to prevent sagging).
The cord is pulled only from the outside if the wall thickness does not exceed 2.5 bricks. If the thickness is more than 2.5 bricks, the cord must also be pulled from the inside.
- Depending on the masonry method, the mortar is applied, then the brick is laid, its surface must coincide with the stretched cord. Excess mortar is collected with a trowel. If the wall surface will not be plastered, then, without waiting for the mortar to dry, you need to go along the seam with jointing.
When laying bricks with your own hands, you should remember that long vertical seams are unacceptable, as this reduces the strength of the masonry. To comply with this rule, dressing is arranged. The simplest option is considered to be a spoon dressing - in this case, the bricks of each subsequent row are shifted relative to the previous one. As a result, the vertical seam of the overlying row is at the level of the middle of the underlying brick.
Other, more complex dressing methods can be used, for example, chain, English, cross, Dutch, Gothic.
There are multi-row and single-row dressing. Transverse ligation is necessary to ensure uniform distribution of the load, and longitudinal ligation prevents delamination of the wall. From the point of view of strength, the optimal scheme is considered to be one in which 6 spoon and 1 butt rows alternate (used when the wall thickness is 1 brick). With a thicker wall, 1 splice row can be used after 5 spoon rows.
In some cases, the task of laying bricks can be made easier. In this case, the inner and outer walls (120 mm) are laid out very carefully, and the space between them is filled with bricks without such strict control.
Properly executed brickwork guarantees the durability and safety of the building. In addition, brick walls will become a source of real pride for any owner.
Thanks to external decoration, it is easy to change the architectural appearance of the house. Laying facing bricks with your own hands will make the façade attractive. The work requires accuracy and adherence to technology; it is quite painstaking, but the result will please you for many years.
Types of facing bricks
The main function of the facing material is the decorative design of the house, so manufacturers offer a huge selection of shades and textures of the front part of the brick. The appearance and characteristics of the product are influenced by the raw materials and technology used in production. There are several types of facing bricks.
Ceramic - classic brick made of baked clay. Depending on the type of raw material, it has a reddish or white-yellow tint. The material is resistant to mechanical damage and ultraviolet radiation, and does not lose color due to fading. It is made smooth and rough, with a flat or wavy surface. The brick allows steam to pass through well, so moisture does not accumulate in the masonry.
Hyperpressed brick is made from shell rock or limestone with the addition of Portland cement and dyes. Production is carried out by pressing under high pressure. The product is resistant to moisture and frost, its cost is lower than that of ceramics. Bricks are made solid, hollow and figured.
The disadvantage of the product is its smooth surface, which makes adhesion with the solution difficult.
Clinker bricks are made from plastic clay, which is fired after pressing. Bright shades of the material are obtained thanks to the addition of dyes. The product is characterized by high sound and heat insulation, frost resistance, strength and durability. This material has the highest cost among facing bricks.
The low water absorption coefficient of clinker bricks increases the time required for laying.
Features of choice
All bricks for facing finishing can be divided into two groups:
- corpulent – a material with a dense continuous structure, characterized by high strength;
- hollow - a product made with holes in the body; this design reduces the thermal conductivity and weight of the brick.
The facing material is characterized by stable geometric dimensions, the inaccuracies are:
- length – 4 mm;
- width – 3 mm;
- height – 2 mm.
When choosing a material, you should inspect it for defects and chips. When visually assessing facing bricks, pay attention to several criteria:
- color range of material;
- quality of the front side of the product;
- embossed or smooth surface of a brick.
To achieve maximum masonry quality, you need to know the basic rules:
- Where to start? First of all, masonry is carried out without mortar to determine the amount of brick that needs to be trimmed.
- The material is cut with a grinder, a stone disc is used. Working with a metal disc or hammer is prohibited.
- The masonry mortar is made from 1 part cement, 3 parts sand, 1 part water. The sand is sifted before mixing. The consistency of the mortar should be thick enough, the brick should lie tightly. To give the mixture a shade similar to brick, coloring pigments are added. Ceramic products are soaked before laying.
- The size of the horizontal seam should not exceed 10 mm, vertical - 12 mm.
- If the front part is contaminated with the solution, it is immediately removed with a trowel. Every 4 rows, the facing brickwork is wiped with a damp cloth to remove any remaining dirt.
- To ensure ventilation of the masonry, three vertical seams are counted and the fourth is not filled with mortar.
- The cladding of the building is carried out at a temperature of +5ºC.
Tools and equipment
- Buckets for solution.
- Scaffolding.
- Master OK.
- Plumb and level.
- Hammer.
Installation technology
Having determined during dry laying out the places for cutting bricks and window and door openings, proceed to leveling according to the level of the base. The first row of bricks is laid on it along the entire perimeter of the building. The solution is applied with a 1.5 cm indentation from the edge. After the first row, corner pillars are formed to a height of 4–6 rows. A thread is stretched between the elements, along which the bricks of the remaining rows are laid. This guideline helps maintain horizontality. To tie the cladding to the main wall, anchors with wires attached to them are used.
After the solution has set, the seams are embroidered with a special device. During the work process, it is necessary to ensure the cleanliness of the front part of the brick and wipe it.
Brick cladding gives the house a respectable and attractive appearance, and doing the work yourself allows you to save on the services of craftsmen.
Video
The technology for laying facing bricks can be viewed in the following video: