Brick walls are simple structures that are assembled with a few basic hand tools and yet there is a beauty in that simplicity.
People often think that it’s kind of hard to build a brick wall, but let me tell you that NO, it’s not hard at all! In fact, if you want to make a brick wall, why don’t you give it a try?
Build a Brick Wall
All the equipment you’ll need:
- A stiff brush
- A shovel
- A club hammer
- A bolster
- A spirit level
- An old board
- A brick trowel
- A measuring tape
- Brick/string line
Note: The materials needed for this project are excluded from the above list as it depends entirely on your project and its needs. However, if you are a newbie in this field, we’d like to help you better understand by providing a thorough step-by-step guide to help you estimate the number of materials needed for this task.
- So, first you need to decide the number of bricks you will need. The regular types are usually 215mm x 102.5mm x 65mm. And, to know the number of bricks accurately you’ll need, you’ll have to consider a 10mm mortar bed.
- And, then for all the materials and their quantity (as well as other accurate calculations), you’ll have to take into account the number of bricks you’ll be using and their standard size of 215mm x 102.5mm x 65mm.
- An allowance for cuts or wastage should always be considered otherwise, you might end up with horrible surprises. If the project is for your house or your garage, you’ll have to include an extra 5 % on all your products. The reason is quite simple. If it’s for a garden, the job might be done with fewer materials but when it comes to a house, there’ll be structural openings like windows and eventually, you’ll need some additional material.
Instructions on how to build a brick wall:
Step 1:
Your beginning point would be placing your bricks at both ends of the wall where the pillars would be. This task can only be carried out after all the necessary foundations have been prepared. With your string line, make a straight line between the two outer bricks at brick height.
Step 2:
On an old board, pile five shovels of sand and one of cement. Turn the shovel to achieve a uniform color. Make a center depression, then add water and stir. Repeat until the texture is smooth and creamy but not too loose.
Step 3:
Then, along the string line, lay a 1-2cm mortar bed. Begin by laying the first brick and tapping it gently to ‘bed in’. Using mortar, ‘butter up’ one end of the next brick and about it to the previous. Rep with a string line as a guide.
Step 4:
At the place where you want the pillars to be, put a brick side-on to the end of the wall. As the wall is being built, every consecutive course of pillar bricks must be set in the opposite direction.
Step 5:
During this process, there will come the point where you’ll have to lay half-bricks. So, if you want to make a cut, place the brick on its side, locate the bolster at the split point, and forcefully smash the head with a club hammer. The first time it should separate neatly.
Step 6:
Always build at least one course higher than the remainder of the wall on the pillars. As you build, move the string line up, bedding it into the mortar on the pillars. The end of each brick should be above the center of the one beneath for a stretcher bond.
Step 10:
To complete the beds, scrape mortar into the joints with the rounded edge of a brick jointer. Begin with the horizontal lines and work your way up to the vertical – this makes it easy to remove any extra mortar.
Step 11:
The final stage includes giving the finished result a gentle brush and get rid of any mortar that has fallen on the floor before it dries.
