How much mortar is needed for bricklaying?

In the modern world, it is impossible to do without brick blocks. They are necessary for the construction of various buildings, structures, residential buildings, industrial premises, structures for specific purposes (ovens for various purposes, dryers). Brickwork by itself will not hold. There are various types of solutions for the purpose of "binding" the blocks to each other. In this article we will talk about mixes for masonry, their functional significance, the procedure for calculating their quantity and mass.

Mortar for laying bricks, depending on the components and purpose, is divided into cement-sand, limestone. There are mixed mixtures, compositions with a plasticizer.

Cement-sand mixture is the most common composition for the construction of brick structures. The mortar is made of cement, sand and water in various proportions, which depend on the purpose and location of the brickwork.

Limestone mix is ​​less expensive. It is rarely used nowadays. It consists of sand, quicklime and water. It is used only for interior work, in rooms with minimal humidity, since the composition is unstable to liquid.

Mixed mixtures consist of the components of the two previously discussed solutions. This composition is used in "special" brickwork, where the qualities of a cement-sand and limestone mixture are required.

A plasticizer is a special polymer material that is added to the composition so that it is plastic, hence the name. Such a mixture is used in cases when it is necessary to connect uneven surfaces to each other, to fill unnecessary voids.

Depending on the type of masonry, the quality indicators of the brick, the variety of the mortar itself, the consumption of the mixture is calculated per 1 m3 of brickwork. The units of measurement of the solution are cubic meters, in the common people "cubes".

Immediately after we have decided on the above parameters, we choose the type of composition.

The cement-sand composition is prepared from a mixture of 1 part of cement and 3 to 5 parts of sand. In this way, you can calculate the cement consumption per 1 sq. m. The calculation also depends on the brand of cement, which can be from M200 to M500.

After determining the type of mortar, it is important to find out the consumption of the mixture, which depends on the thickness of the joints, walls (masonry can be 0.5 bricks, 1, 2 bricks).

Among specialists, there are some general figures when calculating the solution.

So, for the masonry of a conventional block with dimensions of 250x120x65 mm of a wall in half a brick per 1 m3, 0.189 m3 of the mixture is used. For a wall of one brick, you need 0.221 m3 of mortar. There are certain tables that you can use to make calculations.

There are features that must be taken into account when calculating the mixture used when laying.

The main ones are:

• wall thickness;
• the skill of a bricklayer;
• the porosity of the brick material, its ability to absorb moisture;
• the type of brick block, the presence of voids in it;
• the quality of the solution preparation;
• humidity, ambient temperature; season.

As a rule, the above factors affect the flow rate of the solution upward, but this is not always the case.For example: the skill of a bricklayer can affect both an increase in the amount of mortar used (he is not qualified enough), and a decrease (a craftsman). At the same time, an increase in the thickness of the walls necessarily entails an increase in the mixture and vice versa.

The consumption of the mixture is influenced by the components used, the shelf life of the cement, the quality of the solution preparation. In the case when, when mixing in the sand, there is the presence of foreign inclusions (stones, clay, tree roots), then when laying bricks, these objects will interfere. This will lead to an increase in the seams between the blocks, rejection of part of the solution.

Construction work, brick laying, as well as mortars used during work, must be given special attention. The result of the work performed, the strength of the walls, their durability, the safety of people who will use buildings, structures and living quarters depend on this. It is very important to get the advice of a specialist builder when calculating the amount of mortar for laying bricks. He will provide invaluable assistance in reducing material losses in the production of certain works.

How to prepare a mortar for laying bricks, see the video below.