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HowtoLayBrick:14StepswikiHow

HowtoLayBrick
Steps

Whetheryouarelayingbricktobuildamailboxenclosure,orbuildingabrickhouse,the
processisthesame.Payingattentiontobasicprincipleswillhelpyousucceedwithyour
project.

Gatherallthematerialsyouneedtostartyourprojectbefore
beginning.Whenyouhavemixedthemasonrycementandstartedlayingbrick,

youhavetousethemortarupandstrikeyourjointsbeforequitting.
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Pouraconcretefoundationifyoudonothaveanexistingslab,brickledge,
orfootingtoworkon.Thismustbelevelandbelowthegradeofthefinished

groundsothatthebrickisallyouseewhenyourwallisfinished.

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Layoutthewallyouaregoingtoworkon,andmarkopeningslikedoors,
windows,andanyarchitecturalappearancesyouareincludinginyour

design.Forbeginners,asimple,squareprojectlikeaplanterboxormailboxpedestal
isbest.

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Placebrickalongthelengthofyourfoundationinstacksyoucanreach
easilyfromyourworkarea.

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Space"mortarboards"abouteverysixfeetalongthewall,oroneachside
iftheprojectissmall.Thiswillallowyoutograbmortarwithyourtrowelasyou

work,andnothavetomovearoundtoomuch.

Mixyourmasonrycement,ormortar.Thiscanbedoneinawheelbarrowfor
smallprojects,oramortarboxifyoudon'thaveaccesstoamortarmixer

orcementmixer.Basically,tomixthemortar,youwillusearatioofthreepartsmasonry
sand(builderssand,ifitisveryclean),toonepartmasonrycement.Addwatertothe
drymaterialsandmixtoaconsistencylikepudding.Toodry,anditwillbedifficultto
"set"thebrickinthemortarbed,toowetandthebrickwillsag.

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Placeafewshovelsofmortaroneachboard,splashingtheboardfirstwith
watersothemortar"keeps",orstayswetenoughtouse.

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Startatacorner,andusingthetrowel,scoopupmortarandplacea4to6
inch(10.2to15.2cm)widebandonthefootingorslababout1inch(2.5cm)

thick.Setabrickdowninthis"bed"ofmortar,andtapitdownwiththehandleofyour
trowel,untilitislevel,paralleltothelineofyourwall,andtheedgeisplumb.Repeat
with6or8brick,usingtheedgeofthetroweltocutawaytheexcessmortarthatis
shovedoutfromunderthebrickasyougo.

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Setanothercourseofbrick,startingatthecorner,ontopofthefirst
course.Ifyouareturningthecorneryoubeganat,youwillseteachcoursehalfa

brickbackfromthepreviouscourse,sothateachcourseisstaggeredhalfabrick.If
youareturningthecornerwhereyoubegan,putthefirstbrickinthefirstcoursesothat
itissquare,andlayafewbrickinthisdirectionalso.

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10

Keeptheheightofthebrickthesameusingaspiritorcarpenter'slevel,
andkeeptheendjoints(headjoints)equal.Thestandardbedandhead

jointsare38inch(1.0cm),butthiscanbeadjustedtoyourpreference,upto34inch
(1.9cm)orevenmore.

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11

Layupseveralcoursesoneachendofthewallyouaregoingtolayfirst,
thesearethe"leads",thenyoucanattachapieceofbuilder'slineatthe

topofeachbrickasyoulayuptheremainingbrickinthiswall,keepingthem
alignedandlevel.

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12

Striketheheadandbedjointswitha"jointer"or"jointstriker"whenthe
mortarhasbeguntoset.Thejointerisapieceoftubingwhosediameteris

thesameorslightlylargerthanyourjointspacing,bentinan"S"shape.Holdthetool
ononeend,andrubitalongthemortarjointbetweenyourbrickwiththecurvedportion
ofthetooltosmoothoutthemortarjoint.

13

Brushthefaceofthebrickwitha"foxtail"brushtowipeawayexcess
mortarandfinishsmoothingthejoint.Ittakesalotofpracticetobeableto

tellwhenthemortarissetproperlytostrikeandbrushthejoints,butbasically,whenit
ishardenoughtotouchwithyourfingerandnotleaveanimpression,itisready.

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14

Continuelayingthebrickuntilyouarelevelwiththeleadsyoulaidup,
thenbeginattheendsorcornerslayingeitherinanotherdirection,or

straightupwithanotherlead.
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