Bricklaying technology and methods

Classic technologies are found in all spheres of human activity. In construction, brickwork is considered a classic of the genre. It has existed since ancient times. Many centuries-old buildings made of baked bricks have survived in the world, therefore, despite the variability of modern building materials, brick products remain in demand.

The technology and methods of laying bricks for each type of construction are different, and the result is the same - a beautiful and durable structure.

Brick as a building material with a rich history has been improved several times. The composition of the solution, from which blocks convenient for masonry are obtained, changed, the color and size changed.

Types of bricks are classified according to five criteria: material, purpose, method of manufacture and molding, filling, size.

Ceramic (red) bricks are made from high quality clay. There are no impurities and sulfates in it, which reduce the strength of the product.

Raw materials for ceramic bricks are molded, then fired and cooled. Firing takes place at a high temperature - 800-1000 degrees. Compliance with the temperature regime is important, otherwise the product will be underburned or overburned. In both cases, it turns out to be second-rate - it is no longer suitable for housing construction.

Determining a marriage is simple: an unburned brick has a pale color, and a burnt one has dark brown spots.

High-quality ceramic brick, matte, reddish, porous at fracture. When lightly hit on the surface, it emits a characteristic sound.

Red brick is durable, does not crumble, looks expensive, has a convenient shape and weight for construction. The disadvantages of the material are low heat resistance and the ability to accumulate moisture in a porous structure. In winter, moisture freezes, which can cause microcracks to form inside the brick. This shortens the life of the brick product.

Various buildings are erected from ceramic bricks, but it cannot be called universal. You can fold a house out of it, but for a fireplace or stove you will need another building material - refractory (fireclay) brick. It is of 4 types:

• quartz (from quartz sand and clay);
• alumina;
• lime-magnesian;
• carbonaceous.

The first two types are inexpensive and sold in any construction market. They are used to build ovens. Refractory bricks can come into contact with metal elements and open fire at a heating temperature not exceeding 1300 degrees.

The second two types of fireclay bricks are building materials for industrial furnaces. They can be found on sale, but they will cost many times more.

Silicate (white) brick is made from refined quartz sand, lime without impurities, water. The proportion of sand is the largest - 80–90%.

Silicate bricks are molded under high pressure and then sent to dry.They do not undergo heat treatment at high temperatures, therefore, they are considered less durable than ceramic. Their heat-resistant properties are also low, but soundproofing is at a height.

Silicate brick may not be white if coloring pigments are added to the composition. They do not affect the quality of the product and "set" well on lime and sand.

Hyper-pressed bricks are formed from screenings (limestone, marble, dolomite, shell rock) and high quality Portland cement. A small percentage of the raw material is water, which imparts viscosity to the cement and makes it a binder.

Plastic raw materials are pressed into special shapes, and the finished brick is used for wall cladding.

The color of the hyper-pressed brick depends on the type of screening. It can be yellow, orange, gray, pink, red, milky.

Clinker bricks are made from refractory clay. Pure, plastic, carefully selected raw materials are heat treated. The temperature is so high that the clay is melted into a homogeneous mass.

Clinker brick is the most durable, dense, moisture resistant. It does not freeze inside, therefore it is resistant to low temperatures.

The finished product is smooth, even, varied in color, therefore it is considered universal for construction, except for the construction of furnaces.

There are three areas of application and three types of bricks, respectively: building, facing, refractory.

Construction (ordinary) brick complies with GOST and is suitable for external and internal work. Residential buildings can be erected from it, however, without insulation on the walls, the room will be cold. Reliable insulation from the inside and finishing work from the outside is required, since ordinary bricks have external defects. Rough surfaces and chips are natural. They do not affect the technical characteristics, but the appearance of the walls is unpresentable.

Facing bricks are also often referred to as facing or facade bricks. It is this type of building material that helps to mask the cosmetic imperfections of ordinary bricks. It is smooth, even, rich in color.

Facing materials can be of different types: ceramic, silicate, hyper-pressed.

The facing material is of two types.

• Textured. The shape of such a brick does not differ from the standard one, but it has a relief "pattern". The edge can be smooth or ragged. It is mainly used for the construction of beautiful fences, decoration of buildings. Textured brick can be alternated with smooth.
• Figured. This is a brick with an atypical profile shape. It facilitates work with complex elements, including windows, arches, window sills, rounded corners, fences, arbors of complex shapes. It is not easy for a beginner to work with such a material, but with its help complex facades of buildings are created.

Facing materials are varied in color: from milky white to almost black.

Fireclay bricks are designed for the construction of stoves, fireplaces, summer cottage barbecues on the street. They also trim the "apron" (a safe area that protects the floor from ignition) around stoves and fireplaces inside the room. It can withstand repeated heating, contact with fire and coal, but at the same time has a low thermal conductivity. Such characteristics are provided to him by density and heat-resistant shell.

Fireclay bricks are of a typical shape and shaped (for example, wedge-shaped).

Its technical characteristics depend on the brick molding method. Modern manufacturers use three molding technologies.

1. Plastic. With this technology, plastic wet raw materials are used, from which bricks are made in several stages. The finished product is durable, with a high degree of resistance to moisture, but the edges may be uneven.
2. Semi-dry. Lower quality raw materials are suitable for this method. It goes through fewer processing steps and becomes a ready-made building material faster. Thanks to the heat treatment of raw materials, the quality is not worse than with plastic molding. The edges of the brick are even, and the color is uniform, therefore, the method is often used for the production of facing material.
3. Manual. Hand-molded bricks are elite materials. Although the process is not entirely based on manual labor (some processes are automated to reduce the cost of goods), the finished product has unique technical and aesthetic characteristics. This brick is called "antique" or "aged" because of the characteristic rough texture. It is used for cladding and renovation of old buildings.

There are two types: corpulent and hollow.

Solid bricks have only natural voids (pores). In relation to the total weight of the product, their percentage is no more than 15% for ordinary material and no more than 5% for facing.

The supporting structures are erected only from solid bricks.

In a hollow brick there are 4–8 chambers, in percentage terms it is 25–45% of the total mass. Cameras are needed for thermal insulation and sound insulation, so the material is used for the construction of partitions and walls. Hollow bricks are not suitable for the construction of load-bearing structures and furnaces.

Brick size is also an important characteristic. It helps to correctly calculate the masonry step and the amount of building material.

Russian GOST provides three standard sizes:

• 25 cm - in length, 12 cm - in width and 6.5 cm - in height;
• 25 cm - in length, 12 cm - in width, 8.8 cm - in height;
• 25 cm long, 12 cm wide, 13.8 cm high.

In all respects, deviations up to 4 mm are permissible.

European sizes are more variable.

Regardless of the size, the brick has 3 faces: bed, poke and spoon part.

The bed is the largest working side of the product in terms of area. Brick is laid on it in rows.

The longitudinal side face is called the spoon part. It can also serve as a working side, but less often.

The jab is the smallest part of the product.

These terms need to be remembered in order to navigate the lessons for beginner masters.

In addition to these parameters, you need to take into account the brand of brick, strength, resistance to weather conditions. Before large-scale construction, it is recommended to study similar structures made of different types of material, assess the service life and operational condition of products.

Brickwork is impossible without auxiliary tools. They fall into two categories: instrumentation and work.

Control tools are needed to lay down the masonry evenly and correctly.

• Plumb line. Structurally simple, but important thing for controlling vertical masonry surfaces: walls, piers, pillars, corners. The plumb line looks like a strong lace with a sinker at one end. The weight of the lead can be light (200-400 g) to control verticality at one floor.

• Level. An aluminum tool that serves as an auxiliary element for checking the vertical and horizontal lines of the masonry. On the body of the rule there is a flask with an anti-freeze liquid and an air bubble. Horizontal and vertical is checked by deflecting the bubble from the center position.

• Berth. This is a thick thread or twisted cord 1-3 mm thick.The mooring is pulled between the corners-beacons so that the rows of masonry are even along a horizontal line. It provides the same thickness of the mortar joint and a clear horizontal line. One thread is not enough for mooring - you need a homemade load to tighten the thread, and a nail 3-4 mm thick. A half of a brick wrapped in paper and a bag with handles (to tie the ends of the dock) are suitable as cargo. The nail is used to fix the thread between the bricks.
• Rule. This tool looks like a spatula with a blade length of about 100 cm or an aluminum strip up to 150 cm long. The rule is needed to check the face of the masonry. It should be as flat as possible.

• Ordering. This is a wooden lath with markings for a typical brick and a standard seam with a thickness of 1.2 cm. The lath is marked with a distance every 77 and 100 mm (brick thickness + seam thickness). With its help, rows, window and door openings, ceilings and lintels are marked.
• Bar. Auxiliary metal profile of various shapes. It is made of thin stainless steel and helps to smooth corners and openings. The bar remains inside the masonry, as opposed to the mooring, which moves up from row to row.

Working tools are a necessary base for do-it-yourself masonry.

• Trowel. It is a small spatula with a wood handle and a polished steel work surface. The steel part is varied in shape and size (drop-shaped, triangular, rectangular). As a rule, it has a wide base and a tapering tip. A trowel is needed to level the mortar at the seams. Also, with its help, vertical seams are filled and excess mortar is cut off.
• Mortar shovel. The name of the tool already informs about its functions - to stir the solution in the container and feed it to the seam.
• Joining. This small tool is used to shape the seam. The jointing can be convex and concave for protruding and recessed seams.

• Hammer-pick. It is a hammer with a pointed end on one side and a flat end on the other. With its help, the brick is divided into pieces when necessary.
• Mop. Tool with metal handle and square rubber plate at the base. The arrangement of the rubber is horizontal. The mop is needed to smooth and fill the seams inside the ventilation ducts. It also removes excess solution from the ventilation ducts.

In addition to the two main categories of tools, auxiliary ones are also needed: containers for mortar and water, cement and sand, gloves, a safety kit for working at height.

Brickwork technology is the key points that are considered common for the construction of any object. The subtleties of the process may change when choosing a particular masonry method, but it is imperative to master the basic techniques.

First of all, it is important to decide on the type of foundation and the width of the masonry. The height is calculated using a special table that contains information about the thickness of the brick, the corresponding thickness of the mortar and the number of blocks per 1 square meter.

A foundation is a must for any heavy construction. For non-residential buildings on one floor, a columnar foundation is sufficient. It is better to install a reliable house on a strip or solid foundation. Brick is considered a heavy material and therefore requires a solid base. The higher the number of storeys in the house, the stronger the foundation should be.

The heat-insulating and sound-insulating qualities of the building, as well as its refractory properties, depend on the thickness of the masonry.

There are 5 types of masonry in thickness.

• In half a brick. The thickness is equal to the width of the bed - 12 cm. This option is suitable for non-residential one-story buildings.
• One brick. The wall thickness is equal to the length of the bed - 24–25 cm. Enough for a one-story house with thermal insulation.
• One and a half bricks. The thickness of the structure is formed by two rows of blocks. It is equal to 36–37 cm, respectively. Such masonry will be reliable for one-story and one-and-a-half-story buildings.
• Two bricks. This option consists of the length of two beds - 48-50 cm. You can safely build a two-story cottage on a solid foundation. The total weight and cost of such a building is quite high.
• Two and a half bricks. The thickness of the walls is 60–62 cm. It is rarely used for multi-storey residential structures. In addition to its heavy weight, such a building will require investment in a heating system.

Having determined the required width and type of building material, you can start building a foundation and laying bricks. In the process, you need to follow the rules.

• Use devices to control the horizontal and vertical lines so that the masonry turns out to be even. The most important step is to lay out the first row correctly.
• First, the corners are erected, then the middle part of the wall. The corners serve as guidelines to lay out even horizontal rows.
• The direction of the ordinal masonry is from left to right.
• The blocks are placed on the mortar in such a way that in the horizontal rows the upper brick rests on the two lower ones. The support area is not less than one quarter of each of the two lower blocks.
• The mortar is placed on horizontal and vertical joints. This protects the brickwork from cracking.

• An obligatory element of the masonry is the dressing. It guarantees strength and protection against delamination.
• For additional strengthening of the building, metal reinforcement is used.
• Waterproofing (roofing material or mortar) is required between the masonry and the foundation.
• If the wall is to be plastered, the joints do not need to be completely filled. This will help the plaster set better.
• Facing and working bricks are laid out according to the same rules.

The composition and consistency of the mortar depend on the design and technical characteristics of the brick. Four types of masonry mortars are widespread: cement, lime, cement-clay, cement-lime.

Cement mortar is familiar to many for the floor screed. In the form of an intermediate layer in the masonry, it retained some of the properties of the screed: it is cold, durable, and inactive.

A solution is prepared from cement, sand and water. Depending on the brand of cement, the proportions in the composition vary: one part of the cement accounts for from one to six parts of sand of the middle fraction.

To obtain a high-quality solution, you first need to thoroughly mix the dry components of the composition, and then gradually pour in water. The thick mass is mixed until a homogeneous consistency. The solution should not be too thick or too thin.

Cement-sand mortar can be used for brickwork, but this option is not the best. Cement is an inactive material.

Lime mortars are considered the warmest, but inferior in strength to cement mortars. Due to their low strength, they are used in the construction of one-story buildings, indoors.

To prepare the solution with your own hands, you need a lime "dough" or quicklime. Lime is mixed with sand in a ratio of 1: 2 to 1: 5.

For beginners, there are ready-made mixes. You just need to add water to them, following the instructions on the package - just how to dilute wallpaper glue.

Lime-cement mortar (sand, cement and lime) has all the necessary qualities for a reliable result: it is universal for all types of bricks, moderately plastic, easy to apply, adheres well to the surface of the working material.

Preparing lime-cement mortar on lime "milk" (slaked lime, diluted with water). Then the sand is mixed with cement. The finished mixture is brought to a fluid consistency with lime "milk" and mixed.

This type of mortar is universal for all types of brick buildings.

There is also such a variety as cement-clay mortar. The ratio of clay and cement in a dry mixture is 1: 1. Then the solution is mixed into a homogeneous mass. Its main difference and advantage is its fast adhesion at low temperatures. And besides that, he is not afraid of moisture.

Regardless of the type of material and solution, there are general principles for working with it. For example, the surface of a brick matters. The more porous it is, the more moisture will be absorbed into the brick when it solidifies. The masonry hardens quickly, the seams become strong. This must be taken into account when preparing the mixture.

To avoid delamination of the solution, it must be stirred periodically.

There is no need to dilute the entire object: it hardens quickly. It is best to prepare the mixture in batches, working on small areas.

For beginners, the words "seam" and "dressing" raise questions. In fact, it is not difficult to understand this topic. The idea of ​​constructing dressings is already reflected in one of the basic principles of masonry: for the wall to be solid, each brick in the upper row must rest on at least two bricks from the lower row. Sometimes this technique is called "stagger", that is, the vertical seam should form a zigzag, rather than a straight line.

Chain ligation (also called single-row) is an ordinal alternation of spoon and butt rows, that is, one row is laid out with the spoon side (long), and a butt row (short side) is built above it.

Recommendations for performing chain ligation:

• the first row, from which the laying begins, and the last, final one, must be butted;
• bricks in a spoon row rest on at least two lower bricks, longitudinal rows (vertically) should not form a straight line;
• the longitudinal seams of adjacent rows are shifted by half a brick (in relation to each other), and the transverse seams are shifted by one fourth.

Chain dressing is considered the most durable and reliable, but at the same time it is the most energy-consuming and expensive. When working, you will need to make many incomplete fragments. Some of them will turn out to be a marriage in the process of mastering a brick hammer.

Three-row dressing is a masonry according to the scheme, where every fourth row is bonded. It is carried out simply: the first row is a butt, then three spoon, again a butt, and so on. Closes the butt row. There should still be two points of support for the brick in the top row.

Three-row dressing is indispensable when working with walls, columnar foundations, posts inside the room.

Multi-row dressing according to the principle of masonry erection is similar to three-row, but with the difference that the butt row appears not after 3, but after 5-6 spoon rows. At the same time, a small amount of incomplete brick leaves, and the design is as reliable as possible.

Multi-row dressing is needed where it is important to provide good thermal insulation in the room. But it is not suitable for piers and posts.

The thickness of the dressing, like the thickness of the masonry, varies from ½ to 2.5 bricks.

The masonry method is understood at the same time as the method of arranging bricks in a row, design features (with voids, reinforcement, without voids) and decorative features.

There are three ways to lay bricks: press-on, press-on and press-on with mortar trimming.

• Prepare a moderately thick solution (so that it is convenient to draw on a trowel and level). Cement will do.
• Spread the mortar under the first brick, stepping back 1–1.5 cm from the front of the structure being erected.
• Place the first brick on the bed, pressing it firmly against the base.
• Collect the excess solution with a trowel and press it against the free butt edge.

• Keeping the metal part of the trowel pressed against the poke of the previous brick, bring the new block with your left hand and place it next to the first one.
• Pull out the trowel quickly. The solution should remain between the two pokes.
• Lay out the entire horizontal row in the same way, cutting off excess mortar every 3-5 blocks.

The result is an even and durable masonry. From time to time, the vertical and horizontal of the wall must be checked with a building level or use a pier.

For a beginner, this method may seem difficult, since it requires a lot of unnecessary repetitive movements.

• Prepare a plastic solution. For example, lime-cement.
• Cover the mortar with a trowel, departing from the edge of the front side 20–30 mm.
• Install the first brick of the row. For an even row, it's best to start by building corners.
• Take a second brick, fix it at a slight angle in relation to the seam.
• Remove excess mortar protruding from under the first brick with a trowel, apply it to the base, level it. Tightly "fit" the bricks to the butt along the plastic mortar. Excess mortar will fill the gap between the pokes.
• Lay the entire row in the same way.

Filling is faster and easier for the novice master. You can lay bricks both on the bed and on the edge (spoon part).

It differs from a technique identical in name only in that it is necessary to retreat from the front of the wall no more than 2 cm, and the solution is cut off not after 3-5 bricks, but after each laid element. This makes the masonry look neater.

From the point of view of masonry design, three types are popular.

• Lightweight. Masonry with voids inside the walls for thermal insulation material. It is used for the construction of low-rise buildings.
• Reinforced. Masonry using steel mesh, which increases the reliability of the structure. Relevant in seismically active regions and when cladding a working brick with facing material.
• Classic. The use of masonry with a dressing of one kind or another.

• Ornamental - This is the formation of a pattern using bricks of different colors (for example, plaster and red). Common ornaments: Dutch masonry, cross, chaotic, Flemish, spoon with offset.
• Bavarian - German technology, the essence of which is the use of bricks of different shades of the same palette. There is no regularity in the alternation of shades.
• Obverse - facade cladding in half-brick with decorative elements. You can often see a beautiful facing material with the highlighting of individual elements (basement, cornice, slopes) decorative overlays.
• Openwork - brickwork with a relief. There are fragments protruding forward against the background of the smooth wall. Also, openwork masonry implies that a gap remains between the pokes of adjacent bricks, as if the wall is "woven" of bricks.

The predominant type of brick structures are residential buildings. And erecting a wall even for a low-rise building means working at heights. For safety reasons, it is not recommended to carry out masonry while standing on the wall being erected. For work, special platforms are needed, which are located below the level of the wall being erected.

At a height of two floors, interfloor ceilings are needed for work.

Before starting work, be sure to check the tools for serviceability. The handles must be free of burrs and defects, firmly and correctly fitted. Gloves or mittens are recommended to protect your hands from injury. Work equipment must be suitable for weather conditions.

Mastery in any business requires training. A common mistake for beginners is to take up full-fledged construction for the first time.Very few people achieve the ideal result without practice, so the most important advice for novice bricklayers is to practice on simple objects and available materials.

Cheap brick, trowel and regular tile glue are perfect for this purpose. Unlike mortar, it sets more slowly. A structure made of glue bricks can be quickly disassembled and repetitive work on mistakes until you understand how to correctly lay bricks according to one scheme or another.

For information on what mistakes beginner masons make in brickwork, see the next video.