How to learn to lay facing bricks. How is brickwork laid? Brickwork calculation

How to do it right This question is asked by literally everyone who has decided to build a brick wall with their own hands.

Brickwork is an opportunity to create a beautiful appearance for your home or cottage.

Where to start, how to do it correctly and what should be taken into account when laying a brick wall?

It's no secret that you can build a brick house yourself. At first glance, this seems to be a very difficult and sometimes impossible task, which is why preference is given to the work of professionals, which, by the way, costs a lot of money. But, taking into account all the necessary nuances and following the instructions, you can easily cope with this task without resorting to the help of specialists. Where should you start with bricklaying?

What type of brickwork is there?

Diagram of types of brickwork.

Brickwork is not only a way to build a high-quality and durable wall, but also an opportunity to create a beautiful appearance for your home or cottage. The more complex the brick pattern, the correspondingly more difficult it is to lay such a wall. There are several types of different brickwork. So, for example, one of the types is, in other words, alternating rows. The rows can be stitched or spooned, where the vertical seams of the spooned rows must coincide. Cross brickwork involves making horizontal seams with spoons in a bandage. In addition to these types of masonry, there is also Dutch masonry. Here mixed and alternate with each other, and bricks (spoon, butt) in a mixed row should be laid one after another. Masonry consisting of mixed rows is called Gothic. English masonry is made with a ligation of two bricks and consists of one bonded and two spooned rows. Bricklaying can be multi-row with ligation of several bricks, as well as multi-row without ligation.

The most economical type of laying a brick wall is considered to be the so-called well masonry. The technology of such masonry involves making two half-brick walls and further connecting the entire structure with a horizontal or vertical bridge.

Walls can also be erected with an air gap. This is done to save material consumption by up to 25%. It is enough to form layers about 5-7 cm wide and fill the resulting voids with mineral felt. Thanks to this method, you can increase the thermal efficiency of a given wall by up to 35%. The layers are filled with polystyrene foam, which can increase the heat-shielding properties by up to 50%.

If properly followed, any type of brickwork will provide a strong load-bearing structure. In addition, you have an excellent opportunity to create a unique facade of your home, creating a beautiful relief. You can combine different options for the location of the front brick layer - at an angle, with a protrusion, and others.

Types and methods of ligation of sutures

Scheme of ligation of sutures.

The most important condition when constructing a strong and reliable load-bearing structure is the correct distribution of the load. There are proven dressing schemes that are most often used in the construction of a brick house.

The chain circuit is considered the oldest. It consists of sequential ligation of the vertical seam in each of the rows. To implement such a scheme, it is necessary to alternate the butt and spoon rows and symmetrically close the lower seams for two lengths of brick.

The cross pattern of masonry involves asymmetrically closing the seams, and the spoon pattern involves asymmetrically closing the seams over half the length of the brick.

The most simplified option is considered to be a multi-row laying scheme. This scheme involves complete ligation of longitudinal and transverse seams every 3-6 rows. If you decide to choose masonry with two bricks with a chain ligation, then the strength of such a wall must be ensured by laying interlocking bricks every m. The most popular and common masonry method in low-rise buildings is considered to be alternating one interfacing row and five interfacing rows.

Tools and necessary materials

Before determining the required amount of base material and starting to lay the wall, you need to decide how thick the wall itself will be. If you decide to choose one brick masonry, then the thickness of such a wall will be 25 cm. It is worth saying that the wall can be erected either from ordinary red clay brick or from white silicate brick. The accuracy of the consumables can be determined based on the thickness of the masonry, but on average it is about 55 pieces per 1 m².

If you care about the appearance of your home being aesthetically pleasing, when choosing a brick, pay attention to its appearance. The brick must be smooth, there should be no cracks or defects, as well as straight edges. The strength of the wall and its load-bearing capacity depends on what kind of masonry you choose for yourself and what mortar you use. For the best strength and reliability of the wall, the masonry mortar must be of high quality and proven. If you decide to choose to lay a wall with one and a half bricks, then the strength and reliability of the wall will be ensured by a chain laying pattern.

Tools required for work: tape measure, hammer, hydraulic level.

To perform brick wall laying work you will need the following tools:

• Master OK;
• hydraulic level (or laser);
• hammer-pick;
• carpenter's square;
• roulette;
• chalked cord;
• jointing tool;
• buckets;
• shovel;
• metal container for mixing the solution.

Consumable materials include brick and properly prepared mortar, which ensures the reliability and quality of the masonry. The mortar can be lime, cement, or lime-cement based. Cement mortar is made from a mixture of cement and gully sand. The ratio can be either 1:3 or 1:6. Lime mortar is considered the rarest and is practically not used in the construction of houses and cottages due to the very low strength of the masonry. Perhaps the most popular is cement-lime mortar. It is made as a lime mortar with the addition of the required amount of sand and cement.

How to lay a wall?

Lightweight brickwork scheme.

Before you begin, it is necessary to prepare the base of the house, that is, its foundation. Then the outline of the wall is marked using a small cord. The material must be laid from the corner from left to right.

The main stages of installation work involve the following actions:

1. Spreading mortar for masonry. It must be applied with a shovel and then leveled with a trowel.
2. Direct laying of bricks. The brick is brought to the desired place; it is necessary to control the coincidence of the markings with the upper edge of the brick.
3. Brick settling. The brick is installed in its place, then you need to tap on top with a hammer until the edge coincides with the previously installed lacing.
4. Removing excess solution. Using a trowel, you need to pick up the excess mortar and lay it on top of the brick or between the ends.

There are some tricks in preparing the solution. You can add lime dough or ordinary red clay to it. This will give the mixture greater plasticity.

Those laying a brick wall for the first time can use a wax pencil or chalk to help lay out the brick correctly and keep mistakes to a minimum.

If the bricklaying is done “under jointing”, then it is necessary to rub the external seams with the prepared mortar, then attach a lath and form a seam (convex or depressed). It is worth remembering that jointing is done after the mortar has dried and gives the entire structure a beautiful and neat appearance. If you plan to plaster the surface in the future, then jointing is not necessary.

Summarizing

So, as has already become clear, there are many different ways to properly lay a brick wall. It turned out to be not so difficult. The most important thing in this difficult task is to correctly follow the technology and sequence of work. Which pattern to lay the wall in depends only on your choice. you have the opportunity to create a unique appearance for your home, which is sure to attract the attention of passers-by and neighbors.

The choice of material and installation method depends on financial capabilities and personal preferences. You can lay a brick wall yourself or entrust the job to professionals. But it’s worth remembering that self-construction will not only save you money, but also give you the opportunity to try yourself in a new business. We wish you success in construction!

It is difficult to imagine any construction without bricks. All kinds of structures are erected from it, foundations, external and internal walls, chimneys and much more are created. Since ancient times, the words “builder” and “bricklayer” have been considered almost equivalent.

Having knowledge of how to lay brickwork, you can competently control the most important operation at a construction site.

Types of bricks for masonry

The brick is a rectangular beam, which consists of artificial stone material. The most popular types are ceramic brick (made of baked clay) and silicate brick (a mixture of sand and lime). Ceramic bricks are divided into building (ordinary) bricks, facing (facing) bricks and special ones. Walls are built from ordinary bricks for subsequent finishing work (for example, plastering or cladding). Facing bricks have higher surface quality and color uniformity. It usually serves for decorative purposes. The special building material has high fire-resistant properties. Stoves, fireplaces and chimneys are made from it.

They also differ in size. The most commonly used material is regular size (250x120x65 mm) and one-and-a-half (250x120x88 mm).

The brick can be hollow or solid. The hollow material has holes and recesses that help increase heat transfer resistance. The solid material looks like a solid ceramic bar.

Types of installation

The choice of the standard method of laying walls (without taking into account finishing) depends on:

• (this method is also called “on a spoon”) - 88 (65) mm. Typically used to create partitions;
• half brick laying - 120 mm;
• full brick laying - 250 mm;
• — 340 mm;
• - 510 mm.

Follows in successive layers (rows). In order for the wall to have a unified structure, the bricks must be laid not just one on top of the other, but held together with mortar. Usually lime or cement is used. Each row must be shifted a small distance relative to the previous one.

Tool list

• special hammer - “pick”. For splitting and trimming bricks;
• - trowel;
• spatula for mixing and serving;
• bucket;
• mortar box with removable lid;
• mason's construction level;
• plumb line;
• a strong thread about a millimeter thick - “lace”. You can use thick fishing line, preferably colored;
• plumb line

Preparation of the solution

To lay a brick wall, you need mortar. It is mixed manually or using electric tools (various mortar mixers and concrete mixers). The composition can be very different. Most often, a mixture of 1 part M 400 cement, 3 parts construction sand and 0.8 parts water is used. The prepared solution should have the consistency of thick sour cream. To give greater plasticity and to prevent the mortar from separating, it is necessary to add slaked lime (in the amount of about half the volume of cement). If there is no lime, it can be replaced with clay. All components of the solution must be sifted and removed from large inclusions. All masonry mixtures have different proportions, which depend on the brand of cement used.

Correctly determined using a reference cone. It should be lowered to the surface and the depth of immersion should be monitored (on average from 8 to 14 cm). For solid bricks, a mixture with a mobility of 12-14 cm of cone settlement is required, for hollow bricks - about 8 cm.

First stage

The work begins with the installation of beacon stones in all corners of the intersection of walls, at the locations of doorways, and in the middles of long walls. After this, a cord is stretched between the lighthouse stones so that it exactly matches the upper outer corner of the row being laid. Using the lace as a template, the first row is laid out correctly. If the wall has a thickness of more than half a brick, it is laid across the direction of the wall being created. After laying the last brick in a row, the entire process is repeated for the next row.

It is recommended to carry out work at a temperature of at least +5 degrees Celsius, since in the cold the cement mortar will not set, but will freeze. The base on which it is produced must be level, stable and durable. It is necessary to isolate it from moisture from the foundation (to prevent capillary suction).

At the beginning of work, professional masons immediately lay out three rows of bricks in the corners. This greatly simplifies the work in the future. By moving the string to the set level, all that remains is to lay the rows, building a wall.

The horizontality of walls and corners is correctly checked with a building level, verticality - with a plumb line. A novice master should always have a level at hand - at the initial stage it is worth checking the horizontalness of each brick.

In order to simplify the work, they also use a special device called an order. It has the form of paired slats, 1.5 m long, with cuts for the lace. All cuts are made at the height of the brick with the addition of the width of the mortar joint and correspond to the height of the masonry row. Using the established order, the transfer of laces can be done much faster, and all work is carried out with greater accuracy.

The seam between the rows should be about 6-8 mm. Its thickness should be constant throughout the entire masonry of the building. Not only the aesthetic appearance, but also the quality of the work performed depends on the size of the seam. If the seam is made too thin, then it will not be possible to eliminate deviations in the size of the brick; water is quickly drawn out of it, the strength of the structure weakens, etc. Thick seams float, and the mortar will have to be made drier, and this will lead to a decrease in the quality of the work.

Ordering technique

The main thing that needs to be done to lay a brick is accuracy and skill. There is no need for haste in this matter. The solution must be applied with a shovel or trowel, constantly leveling it, creating a so-called “bed”. A brick is taken, a dab of mortar is applied to it, on the end with which it is pressed against the previous brick, it is laid in place, leveled, tapped with a pick or using the end of a trowel handle. The mortar that comes out is picked up with a trowel and thrown to the top of the wall or into a bucket.

At the preparatory stage, in order not to run after every brick, it is worth spreading it along the wall (creating mini-stocks). A reinforcement mesh is spread along the concrete foundation wall (to tie the brick wall to the foundation).

To create a strong wall, reinforcing masonry mesh should be laid periodically (preferably every 5 rows). This will prevent future cracks from appearing on the wall.

The first rows at the corners are laid using a level to ensure they are vertical. From the 5th row you can do everything with the installation of a corner. It is pressed against the corner with boards, other bricks, and screwed with a cord to the reinforcement bars protruding from the wall. Using a corner makes the installation job much easier. There is no need to constantly check verticality; just move the brick into the corner. It is necessary to check that the corner itself is level.

Two basic techniques

1. The first technique is “pressing”. The mortar is first spread evenly on the base, and then the brick is laid, as if drowning in the mortar. At the same time, it should be pressed with its end and the mortar should be raked to another brick.
2. The solution is applied to the brick, which will be laid in place. Before starting laying, the brick should be thoroughly moistened. This is done so that it does not draw moisture from the solution. You can dip it in a bucket of water for an hour, or you can simply water it from a watering can.

Dressing sutures

Due attention should be paid to dressing the sutures. The idea is that not a single seam between all the bricks in one row should coincide with a seam in an adjacent row. This is not difficult to do; to do this, at the beginning of one row, instead of a solid brick, place a third or 2/3 of it. In this way, the necessary shift of all bricks is achieved, and the seams between them will not match.

To tie parallel rows together, use the butt method (the brick should be laid across the wall). At the same time, it is also necessary to make a shift along the width of the brick so that not a single seam coincides in the lower and upper rows.

It is difficult to tie the seams at the corners of the wall when it turns at a right angle. Since the corners are the starting point when laying each row, many people want to lay solid bricks. In such a situation, the seams inevitably overlap, and this greatly weakens the entire masonry.

Bricklaying is not that difficult, the main thing is to use high-quality material and adhere to the basic principles of construction. Without the necessary experience, advice from professionals will not be superfluous. The durability of the building, as well as the safety and comfort of all people who will be in it, depend on proper installation.

With the help of such a multifunctional artificial stone as brick, you can build anything, so information on how to lay brick and what auxiliary tools are needed for this is in great demand today.

If you follow the rules for laying bricks, you can be sure of the strength of the structure.

Before you learn how to lay walls in both residential and non-residential premises, you need to remember that floors are raised from at least three types of building materials:

1. Facing or decorative bricks.
2. Foam blocks.
3. Drywall.

In this case, it is recommended to lay the brick on a concrete foundation (base) due to the fact that this material is quite heavy and the main load will go to the flooring. The foundation must be cured for at least 21 days after pouring, but for greater guarantee this period is usually extended to one month.

Preparatory stage

Before purchasing the main material - facing bricks, which, down to the individual piece, is thought out in advance, i.e. When designing a building, you need to stock up on the following standard set of mason-builder tools:

1. Construction level, plumb line, ordering, carpenter's square and tape measure.
2. Hammer-pick, grinder or cutting machine, trowel (trowel), concrete mixer and shovel.
3. Containers for preparing the solution and carrying it to the work area (old buckets, barrels, trough, etc.).

Of course, among other things, before you start laying brickwork, it is necessary to organize the intended workplace for the future building site. This means that you will need to clear it of construction debris and place all the necessary materials and tools for fruitful work as close as possible (within walking distance).

In addition to the tools, in order to lay bricks, you will need to purchase a small list of basic auxiliary materials, namely:

• cement, sand and clay (or lime);
• reinforced mesh;
• chalk cord and mason's cord, as well as construction glue and enough fresh water (to dilute the solution).

Advice: for those who want to learn how to lay bricks, it is recommended to always purchase building materials with a reserve of 8-10% more than the required quantity. It is better to have a small balance of purchased materials upon completion of construction than to feel an acute shortage of them in the midst of the main work. After completing all the above points, you can safely begin laying bricks according to the diagram below of the main work on laying walls and other buildings.

Main stages of brick laying

Armed with knowledge of how to lay bricks correctly, guided by technical documentation and advice from experienced craftsmen in this matter, you can build a wall very quickly and with minimal loss of time, etc. Regardless of the method of laying bricks, initially, in any case, you should prepare a cement-sand mortar, which consists of 4-5 parts sand and 1 part cement. To give the solution elasticity, additional clay or lime can be added to the base composition. To mix the prepared dry mixture to the required consistency, you will need to add ordinary tap water to it in small parts. It is recommended to dilute the mixture in a volume of no more than 50 liters.

Advice: it is not advisable to use such a solution when laying hollow bricks, because it will almost all be absorbed into the voids.

So, the main stages are contained in the following points:

1. Creating a brick building project.
2. Acquisition and preparation of materials and tools necessary for the implementation of the project, as well as the location of future construction.
3. Direct construction of a building made of bricks.

Additionally, it is worth knowing that before laying a brick, for example, on a concrete foundation, the latter should be covered with several layers of roofing material to create waterproofing protection. Further, it is recommended to lay bricks on a certain day or even a week, at a rate of no more than 10 rows per day, when the weather outside is stable, preferably warm and dry. At what temperature bricks can be laid and what requirements should be followed, building codes and regulations will more accurately tell you.

To ensure the strength of the masonry, a reinforced mesh must be laid every few rows of bricks.

Simple methods of using auxiliary means during the construction of brick masonry allow construction to be carried out almost all year round. Today, various methods of laying bricks and heating the walls if necessary are widely available.

1. Immediately before laying the brick in a row, it must be dipped in water for the best adhesion to the mortar.
2. For every 5 rows of bricks laid and bonded with mortar, for the strength of the structure, it is necessary to provide 1 row of reinforced mesh.
3. When tying bricks in rows, in no case should the seams between them coincide, because in the future this will adversely affect the strength of the structure being built.

There is no need to rush when building walls and brick buildings. The cement mortar usually takes more than one day to dry, and therefore in any case you have every chance to notice and correct unevenness and defects.

Conclusion and conclusions

Many of those who want to build a house with their own hands want to know how to lay bricks. Brick is a reliable building material. There are many types of bricks and many options for laying them. But the main steps will be the same for everyone: choose a place for construction, draw up a construction plan, prepare the necessary tools and buy building materials, wait for good weather, mix the mortar and start building walls. With the help of bricks you can build anything: a barn, and a royal box.

Remember safety precautions and follow building regulations.

Sometimes you look at brick houses built by real craftsmen, and you receive aesthetic satisfaction from their beauty. One involuntarily doubts whether it is possible to build something like this yourself. At the same time, neat rows of bricks in the walls seem to be a fairly simple design, looking at which it seems that doing something like this would not be difficult. Before starting a new business, for example, making your own hands, it won’t hurt to undergo at least basic training in the craft of a mason.

Brickwork is a set of strict rules, non-compliance with which leads to a violation of the strength and durability of the structure.

Features of bricklaying

Since we are talking about how to make the walls of a house that you decide to build with your own hands, both hollow and solid ceramic bricks obtained by firing clay are suitable for this.

This type of brick can be used almost anywhere. But it should be borne in mind that making internal partitions using hollow bricks will not be entirely correct only because its soundproofing properties are much worse than those of solid bricks.

1) ordinary corpulent;
2) hollow;
3) facing;
4) silicate;
5) fireproof;
6) clinker.

If you decide to make a low-rise building on your estate with your own hands, for example, a garage, then such a structure can be made from sand-lime brick, which differs from others in its heavy weight, and therefore it is advisable to use it only for the construction of low-rise buildings. When constructing a multi-story building from it, the load on the foundation will be much greater than from a building built from ceramic bricks.

If the room is intended to be heated with a stove (which is quite common in certain regions of Russia), and the stove will be laid with your own hands, then you can’t do without fireclay bricks. It can withstand temperatures exceeding 1000 C° and only it can be used for the combustion part of the furnace. For stove heating, it is very important that after heating this brick cools very slowly, which ensures uniform heating of the room.

Application of facing bricks

The purpose of facing brick is clear from its name. It can be either very smooth (coated with glaze) or has chopped surfaces, imitating natural stones. However, it should be borne in mind that it can be used not only for decorative purposes. When building with your own hands, it can even be used for the foundation.

I would like to focus on such a variety as double brick (stone).

One of the most durable is. It can be used for gutters or inside yard driveways for vehicles. This type can be used for cladding the foundation.

It is advisable to use it when laying external walls with your own hands. These blocks are porous and therefore lightweight. Their edges have a corrugated surface, which ensures reliable adhesion of the blocks to each other, and due to their large sizes compared to ordinary bricks, the speed of laying with your own hands significantly increases. from it there are only hollow ones.

Solid and hollow brick. Its size is 250x120x65 or 250x120x88.

Based on the loads they can withstand, bricks are divided into grades. For example, ceramic brick brand M100 must withstand a load of at least 100 kg/cm2. The most durable brick of this type is M300. And for clinker bricks, the most durable grade is M1000. Hollow ceramic bricks and stones are less durable than solid bricks and have grades from M25 to M100.

The largest face in area is called the bed, the next largest face is called the spoon, and the smallest in area is the poke.

List of tools

The main tools and devices for a mason builder are: trowel (trowel), hammer-pick, jointing, plumb line, rule, building level, ordering, mooring cord, plumb line.

To protect their fingers, masons wrap the knuckles with duct tape.

• the trowel is intended for leveling and removing excess mortar and filling vertical joints with mortar;
• a hammer-pick allows you to break the brick into pieces when making masonry;
• jointing is designed to provide a pleasing appearance by finishing the seams of an exterior wall. With its help, the seams are made into convex or concave shapes;
• use a plumb line to check the vertical masonry of the wall;
• the rule is a smooth wooden plank 1-1.2 m long, with the help of which the masonry and its surface are controlled;
• the building level (together with the rule) is intended for periodic control of the horizontalness of the masonry;
• The ordering is intended for operational control of the progress of brickwork in height. It consists of two metal strips (or wooden blocks) with marked marks, the distance between which is made equal to the sum of the thickness of the brick and the thickness of the seam. A seam thickness of 12 mm is considered optimal. Therefore, for an ordinary brick, the thickness of which is 65 mm, the distance between the marks is 77 mm, for one and a half bricks (thickness 88 mm) the distance between the marks is 100 mm;
• The twisted mooring cord should have a diameter of about 3 mm. It is pulled between the planks in the direction of the masonry at a certain height, which allows you to control the straightness of the masonry.

Order of structures

Like brick, mortars are divided according to the loads they must withstand after complete hardening. For the domestic system, the marking indicates the load value in kg/cm2; in the European system, the load is indicated in MPa. For example, the M5 brand of the European designation system corresponds to the domestic M50 brand. When preparing the mortar, it is necessary to keep in mind that the correct grade of mortar should not exceed the grade of brick.

For a private one-story building, the M50 grade of mortar is suitable, for a two-story building - the M75 grade. To make it easier to work with the solution, it should not be very thick, but it should not spread too much over the surface. Experienced masons know well the proportions of cement, sand and water for a certain brand of mortar in order for the masonry to be ideal.

To make the solution “elastic”, lime dust is added to it. You can mix the mortar well and correctly by hand, but since there is a large volume of masonry to be done and a lot of mortar will be required, it is advisable to rent a small concrete mixer for the duration of the work. This will be the right decision, facilitating a very labor-intensive process. You can do this on your own using a small concrete mixer, the volume of the solution in which is 46 liters.

For solutions use cement grade M400 or M500 and sand. The diameter of sand grains should not exceed 2 mm. The weight ratios for the corresponding grades of mortar are known, which must be observed when using a concrete mixer with a capacity of 200 liters.

For M50 grade mortar these values ​​are: cement - 52 kg, sand 320 kg, water 56 liters.

For M75 grade mortar these values ​​are: cement - 66 kg, sand 305 kg, water 58 liters.

Mortar grades M50 and M75 are suitable for any brand of ceramic brick.

Focusing on a one-time batch equal to 40 liters of solution, dividing the above data by 5 (200:40 = 5), we calculate the weight parts of the components to obtain a solution of grades M50 and M75 in a small concrete mixer.

Mortar M50: cement - 13 kg, sand - 80 kg, water - 14 l.

Mortar M75: cement - 16.5 kg, sand - 76 kg, water - 14.5 l.

To add “elasticity” to the solution, you can add 2 parts of lime dust, which is possible, since the concrete mixer is designed for 46 liters of solution.

The procedure for preparing the solution is as follows. Half of the calculated amount of water is poured into the concrete mixer, then cement and sand are poured in, and the rest of the water is added. To mix, the concrete mixer must operate for at least 2 minutes. The batch should be consumed within a time period not exceeding 2 hours from the moment of preparation.

Thermal insulation of walls

The struggle to save energy resources places particularly stringent demands on the thermal conductivity of walls.

In order for a brick wall to meet modern requirements for thermal insulation, its thickness must be made so that it is approximately 13-14 pokes or 7 spoons. It’s not realistic to make walls that thick. The correct solution was found by using insulation materials. One cm of good insulation replaces the thickness of brickwork in one poke. Therefore, the wall is made consisting of two parts. For example, the internal wall should be laid in one brick, the external one - in half a brick

Mineral wool slabs are used as insulation. The insulation is closely adjacent to the inside of the wall, and between it and the outer wall it is necessary to create a ventilated air gap (approximately 25 mm). On the outside, the insulation is covered with a windproof, vapor-permeable film. To connect the external and internal parts of the wall, metal reinforcement in the form of a mesh is used, which, of course, slightly degrades the thermal insulation properties of the wall. To eliminate this drawback, flexible fiberglass or basalt-plastic reinforcement should be used to connect the parts.

Basic masonry rules

The pictures show how the seams are bandaged, which is necessary for the uniform distribution of all types of loads (from the roof to the foundation) acting through the wall on the foundation. It can be seen that the ligation of the inner wall is carried out by alternating spoon and butt rows, and at the same time the vertical joints of the masonry in adjacent rows do not coincide. The minimum distance between these seams is a quarter of a brick, that is, half a poke. The outer wall is lined with interlocking rows, shifted by half a brick.

The plane on which the solution is applied is called the bed. Before laying the solution, the bed must be moistened with water. To obtain a 12 mm thick seam, a layer of mortar 15-20 mm thick is required. At the same time, for a spoon row, the width of the solution should be 80-100 mm, for a butt row - 200-220 mm.

For an external wall, masonry must be done using a method called “pressing”, in which the seams are completely filled, followed by processing of the outer seam using jointing. For the internal wall, the masonry method, which is called “butt”, should be used; for this masonry, the mortar should be less rigid than with the press method, and the seams should not be completely filled with mortar.

This concludes the learning process, although this is far from sufficient to achieve perfection in the profession of a mason, but, if desired, this knowledge can be replenished.

When facing walls with brick, a certain skill is required, because the masonry must be perfectly smooth and neat. To do this yourself, you need to study in detail how to lay facing bricks, what types of laying there are, and how to do jointing correctly. Finishing with such bricks is highly valued for its visual appeal and durability.

Brick parameters	Hyperpressed brick	Clinker brick	Sand-lime brick	Ceramic brick
Compressive strength, kg/cm²	150-300	300-500	75-200	100-175
Frost resistance, cycle	75-150	50-100	35-50	15-50
Moisture absorption,%	6-8	Less than 6	6-12	6-8
Thermal conductivity, W/m° C	0,7-0,8	0,7	0,3-0,7	0,3-0,5
Weight for size 250x120x65., kg.	4	3-4	3,8	3,5

For high-quality cladding you need the appropriate tools:

• building level - without it it will not be possible to lay bricks in even rows;
• trowel - it is used to apply the mortar, remove excess, and trim the brick when laying;
• hammer-pick - used for splitting facing material;
• grinder with diamond blades – used for cutting bricks;
• a square metal rod with a cross section of 10x10 mm - for forming identical seams between the rows;
• round rod with a diameter of 10 mm - for jointing.

Additionally, you will need a thin construction cord or strong thread, anchors and tying wire to connect the masonry to the load-bearing wall.

Types of masonry

Based on the location of the bricks in a row, there are several types of masonry:

• front (bed) - the brick is laid so that the widest side is visible;
• spoon - the long narrow side is visible from the outside;
• bonded - only the ends of the bricks are visible from the outside.

In addition, masonry is divided into types according to decorativeness:

• “half-brick” masonry - the vertical seams of the spoon or bed masonry are shifted horizontally by half the length of the brick;
• stacked - vertical seams between bricks are located on the same line;
• Flemish - spoon and bonded masonry alternate in one row;
• “American” - spoon and butt masonry alternate in rows.

If you have no experience, it is better to start with a standard half-brick spoon masonry, and as your skill improves, you can try other methods. It should be noted that stacked masonry is the most unstable, therefore it is used exclusively for decorative purposes.

Brick cladding technology

Step 1. Preparing the base

The facing brick must be laid on the plinth, therefore, when pouring and insulating the foundation, provide for a protrusion of the plinth around the perimeter of the house to the thickness of the facing masonry plus 2-3 cm for an air gap. Before starting work, you should check the base with a building level to eliminate possible distortions. If any irregularities are found, they are eliminated with cement mortar. After this, the surface must be thoroughly swept.

Step 2. Mixing the solution

For brick facing, the mortar is prepared from M500 cement and clean fine sand. The components are mixed in a ratio of 1:4, and water is added in small portions. The finished mixture should be homogeneous and thick enough; if the ball rolled from the solution does not fall apart and holds its shape well, the consistency is considered correct. Be sure to use clean water for mixing, with a minimum amount of salts, otherwise unaesthetic whitish spots will appear on the lining - efflorescence, which is not so easy to remove. An important point: you need to mix the solution in a small volume, since the installation process takes time, and the solution dries quickly.

Step 3. Laying the bottom row

Place a container of water next to the workplace and soak the bricks in it. Experienced builders recommend laying the bottom row without mortar. Since the length of the perimeter of the house is not always a multiple of the length of the brick, in certain places you will have to trim the brick and choose the optimal location of the seams. If you lay the first row on mortar, trimming will be more problematic. They start working from the corner: using a level, each brick is laid on top of the base and the seams are leveled. Be sure to leave 2-3 centimeters of free space between the load-bearing wall and the cladding for ventilation.

Step 4. Laying corners

Now you need to lay out the corners to a height of 4-6 rows. Place a square rod on the bottom row along the outer edge, pick up a little mortar with a trowel and carefully apply it. Having slightly leveled the mortar, lay a brick on top, knocking it down with the handle of a trowel so that it comes into contact with the rod. Check the location with a level, if necessary, knock it down again. Carefully remove the rod, wipe off the crumbs of the solution, and then repeat the same on the other side of this corner. When laying the following bricks, make sure that the corner is tied correctly: the ends should alternate with long edges on both sides.

Step 5. Wall cladding

When all the corners are laid out, they begin to line the walls. A strong thread is pulled between the corner bricks of the second row, laid on top and secured with something heavy. Now place a rod on the edge of the first row and cover the surface of the masonry with mortar. The bricks intended for this row are placed vertically on the ground, a little mortar is applied to the ends with a trowel, and then laid on the mortar with careful movements. Each of them is tapped, guided by the thread, the rod is removed, and the row is checked using a level.

Step 6. Attaching the cladding to the wall

If the brick cladding was not planned initially, it is necessary to tie the façade masonry to the load-bearing wall. This is done in two ways: using anchors and dowels with binding wire. In the first option, the anchor is driven halfway into the wall of the building, leaving the second part between the rows of cladding. It is better to take galvanized anchors with a diameter of 6 mm.

Second option: holes are drilled in the wall, dowels are inserted, and tie wire is attached to them. The wire should lie on the brick, but not extend beyond its edge. As a standard, fasteners are installed through 4 vertical rows and at a horizontal distance of 70 cm. About 5 fastenings are required per square meter of surface. Around the openings, the distance between the dowels is reduced by about a third.

The remaining rows are made according to the same scheme: they pull the thread between the corner elements at the height of the row, lay the rod, then the mortar and bricks. It should be noted that the width of horizontal seams should be 10-15 mm, and vertical seams a little less - from 8 to 10 mm. This type of masonry will look most attractive. Near the door and window openings, the brick is cut and fastened so that the row on the other side is not interrupted, then the masonry pattern above the opening will remain correct.

Step 7. Laying slopes

For greater decorativeness, the slopes are laid out from bricks of a different color. Along the perimeter of the slopes, cladding is carried out using the butting method; the resulting columns, one brick wide, may protrude slightly beyond the edge of the wall cladding. The slopes themselves must be strictly vertical, so when laying, control is carried out using the building level.

Step 7. Joining

As soon as the solution has set, you can begin to joint the masonry. The surface is swept, crumbs of mortar are removed, and the masonry is moistened with water. Prepare a working solution: mix cement and lime in equal parts, and then add sand. The ratio of sand to cement is 10:1, so much water is added so that the mixture acquires the consistency of a paste. After this, the seams are filled with mortar and they begin to be formed using jointing. The vertical seams are formed first, then the horizontal ones are unstitched.

You cannot lay out more than 6-7 rows at a time, as the masonry may become deformed under heavy load. Every 3-4 rows are checked with a level to achieve maximum verticality. You cannot fill the gap between the cladding and the wall of the building with anything; the air gap is necessary for ventilation of the surfaces, moreover, it also performs thermal insulation functions. Slope jointing can be done immediately after laying, so as not to rearrange the scaffolding twice.

Video - How to lay facing bricks