I'm replacing about 100 spalled bricks which have been laid on edge as
the top course of my 6-course high garden retaining wall. At each end
of this course, two galvanised metal right-angled stays have been laid
in the mortar - it looks as though they are meant to retain the bricks
in position. They look pretty unsightly. I wonder if they are strictly
necessary and I'm thinking about not re-using them, when I get to
re-laying the course. Any comments, anyone?

The bricks are Tudor Red and I haven't a clue what the metal stays are
called so I'm in need of enlightenment, which I have a feeling I'll get
in a big way!

Incidentally, removing the old bricks has been a long, tedious job. I
feel I should clean the mortar out of the frogs in the course below, to
give the new bricks a decent bedding-in. I am considering using an SDS
drill with a chisel bit to clean them up and speed up the job a bit. Is
this a wise move? I'd give anything to abandon the hammer and chisel!

Bruce

In message .com,
Bruce Hall writes
I'm replacing about 100 spalled bricks which have been laid on edge as
the top course of my 6-course high garden retaining wall.

Do you mean on edge or on end? - The latter would be normal - a soldier
course.

At each end
of this course, two galvanised metal right-angled stays have been laid
in the mortar - it looks as though they are meant to retain the bricks
in position. They look pretty unsightly. I wonder if they are strictly
necessary and I'm thinking about not re-using them, when I get to
re-laying the course. Any comments, anyone?

Nom, I don't think they are necessary, esp. if you are DIY-ing. I think
that their use is really for when the wall is being built. It gives a
firm end against which to but the bricks, otherwise the end one will
tend to move. However, what I've done in this situation is carefully bed
a couple of bricks at the end of the course. Leave to set firm, and then
come back ( a couple of days? later) and fill in the rest.


Incidentally, removing the old bricks has been a long, tedious job. I
feel I should clean the mortar out of the frogs in the course below, to
give the new bricks a decent bedding-in. I am considering using an SDS
drill with a chisel bit to clean them up and speed up the job a bit. Is
this a wise move? I'd give anything to abandon the hammer and chisel!

Hmm, I'd take great care, bashing about on top could well cause the
course below to get dislodged. I'd leave it I think if it looked at all
like it it is going to do so.
--
Chris French

Chris,
The top course of bricks (now removed) were laid long edge down, across
a double row of stretcher bond, 6 courses high.
I take your point about "bashing about", but there has already been a
good deal of manual "bashing about" with the hammer and chisel and the
course below has proved pretty robust.
Thanks again for your thoughts.

On 18 Apr 2006 00:47:29 -0700, "Bruce Hall"
wrote:

I'm replacing about 100 spalled bricks which have been laid on edge as
the top course of my 6-course high garden retaining wall. At each end
of this course, two galvanised metal right-angled stays have been laid
in the mortar - it looks as though they are meant to retain the bricks
in position. They look pretty unsightly. I wonder if they are strictly
necessary and I'm thinking about not re-using them, when I get to
re-laying the course. Any comments, anyone?

The bricks are Tudor Red and I haven't a clue what the metal stays are
called so I'm in need of enlightenment, which I have a feeling I'll get
in a big way!

Incidentally, removing the old bricks has been a long, tedious job. I
feel I should clean the mortar out of the frogs in the course below, to
give the new bricks a decent bedding-in. I am considering using an SDS
drill with a chisel bit to clean them up and speed up the job a bit. Is
this a wise move? I'd give anything to abandon the hammer and chisel!

Bruce

If the bricks you've removed are spalled, then it's likely that the
bricks below will be close to that state. Removing the old mortar from
their frogs is likely to take chunks of the brick face with it,
especially if it's firmly stuck and you have to use force to remove
it.
--
Regards,
Mike Halmarack

Drop the (EGG) to email me.

Mike Halmarack wrote:
On 18 Apr 2006 00:47:29 -0700, "Bruce Hall"
wrote:

I'm replacing about 100 spalled bricks which have been laid on edge as
the top course of my 6-course high garden retaining wall. At each end
of this course, two galvanised metal right-angled stays have been laid
in the mortar - it looks as though they are meant to retain the bricks
in position. They look pretty unsightly. I wonder if they are strictly
necessary and I'm thinking about not re-using them, when I get to
re-laying the course. Any comments, anyone?

The bricks are Tudor Red and I haven't a clue what the metal stays are
called so I'm in need of enlightenment, which I have a feeling I'll get
in a big way!

Incidentally, removing the old bricks has been a long, tedious job. I
feel I should clean the mortar out of the frogs in the course below, to
give the new bricks a decent bedding-in. I am considering using an SDS
drill with a chisel bit to clean them up and speed up the job a bit. Is
this a wise move? I'd give anything to abandon the hammer and chisel!

Bruce

If the bricks you've removed are spalled, then it's likely that the
bricks below will be close to that state. Removing the old mortar from
their frogs is likely to take chunks of the brick face with it,
especially if it's firmly stuck and you have to use force to remove
it.

I disagree. The top course of a wall takes all the water and all the
frost..its always the first to go.

Slap the new bricks on, and use a fairly strong mortar with some
antiporosity stuff in it...one of the FEB line should do, and it will be
pretty good. Using good grade hard bricks with lower porosity helps too.

I don't think clearing the frogs is worth the effort.

You may want to lay ties under the course along the wall to help bind
everything together..

"The Natural Philosopher" wrote in message
...
Mike Halmarack wrote:
On 18 Apr 2006 00:47:29 -0700, "Bruce Hall"
wrote:

I'm replacing about 100 spalled bricks which have been laid on edge as
the top course of my 6-course high garden retaining wall. At each end
of this course, two galvanised metal right-angled stays have been laid
in the mortar - it looks as though they are meant to retain the bricks
in position. They look pretty unsightly. I wonder if they are strictly
necessary and I'm thinking about not re-using them, when I get to
re-laying the course. Any comments, anyone?

The bricks are Tudor Red and I haven't a clue what the metal stays are
called so I'm in need of enlightenment, which I have a feeling I'll get
in a big way!

Incidentally, removing the old bricks has been a long, tedious job. I
feel I should clean the mortar out of the frogs in the course below, to
give the new bricks a decent bedding-in. I am considering using an SDS
drill with a chisel bit to clean them up and speed up the job a bit. Is
this a wise move? I'd give anything to abandon the hammer and chisel!

Bruce

If the bricks you've removed are spalled, then it's likely that the
bricks below will be close to that state. Removing the old mortar from
their frogs is likely to take chunks of the brick face with it,
especially if it's firmly stuck and you have to use force to remove
it.

I disagree. The top course of a wall takes all the water and all the
frost..its always the first to go.

Slap the new bricks on, and use a fairly strong mortar with some
antiporosity stuff in it...one of the FEB line should do, and it will be
pretty good. Using good grade hard bricks with lower porosity helps too.

I don't think clearing the frogs is worth the effort.

You may want to lay ties under the course along the wall to help bind
everything together..

I have put a row of bricks-on-edge along the top of a garden wall, as long
as you don't knock the end ones before they've well and truly set they're
quite robust. I think metal L brackets are more appropriate where vandals
might be encountered, the end brick is the easiest one to prise off.

Of course, use bricks with frogs, not holes, or the end bricks will look
ugly.

Andy.

Bruce Hall wrote:
I'm replacing about 100 spalled bricks which have been laid on edge as
the top course of my 6-course high garden retaining wall. At each end
of this course, two galvanised metal right-angled stays have been laid
in the mortar - it looks as though they are meant to retain the bricks
in position. They look pretty unsightly. I wonder if they are strictly
necessary and I'm thinking about not re-using them, when I get to
re-laying the course. Any comments, anyone?

They're frame ties. Absolutely not needed, may even hasten the
disintegration of the joint. As you say, ugly, too.


Incidentally, removing the old bricks has been a long, tedious job. I
feel I should clean the mortar out of the frogs in the course below, to
give the new bricks a decent bedding-in. I am considering using an SDS
drill with a chisel bit to clean them up and speed up the job a bit. Is
this a wise move? I'd give anything to abandon the hammer and chisel!

It's probably not necessary to bash the bricks about. If you're
worried you could always use a PVA in the mortar (or prime with
a weak PVA/water mix and replace the bricks immediately, before
the stuff dries).

Bruce Hall wrote:
I'm replacing about 100 spalled bricks which have been laid on edge as
the top course of my 6-course high garden retaining wall. At each end
of this course, two galvanised metal right-angled stays have been laid
in the mortar - it looks as though they are meant to retain the bricks
in position. They look pretty unsightly. I wonder if they are strictly
necessary and I'm thinking about not re-using them, when I get to
re-laying the course. Any comments, anyone?


I've never seen them used in this way before...

The bricks are Tudor Red and I haven't a clue what the metal stays are
called so I'm in need of enlightenment, which I have a feeling I'll
get in a big way!

Incidentally, removing the old bricks has been a long, tedious job. I
feel I should clean the mortar out of the frogs in the course below,
to give the new bricks a decent bedding-in. I am considering using an
SDS drill with a chisel bit to clean them up and speed up the job a
bit. Is this a wise move? I'd give anything to abandon the hammer and
chisel!

If the course below is fairly level without clearing the frogs, then leave
them full, and if it were mine I would use coping stones (quite a few types
of decorative flags about these days) to prevent water ingress and the
subsequent spalling when the frost gets in, just make sure you give the
backs of the copings / flags a good blob of neat PVA all the way along or
they will probably come unstuck...the other beauty of using copings which
overhang the wall is that the bed underneath wont be seen, meaning less work
re; the beds.


HTH

In article .com,
"Bruce Hall" writes:
I'm replacing about 100 spalled bricks which have been laid on edge as
the top course of my 6-course high garden retaining wall.

As others said, don't bother clearing the frogs, unless the
mortar is loose. The top exposed row of bricks on a wall should
be frost resistant type. The BS 3921 designation is "FL" or "FN"
for such bricks. FL has a lower salt content and less likely to
cause white salt deposits (efflorescence) to form on the wall.
Engineering bricks work well if you can find a good colour match
or a suitable contrast.

Start by "dry bonding", i.e layout out the bricks on the wall
with the right mortar gaps to get the spacing right without
ending up with a cut brick somewhere. On a 100 brick run,
this shouldn't be a problem by small adjustments to the
mortar gap. If old bricks were imperial and new ones are
metric, the spacing will be different, and you'll probably
want to get more bricks to avoid an excessive mortar gap.
If all bricks are metric, you should get 3 to every stretcher
below, although you might want to subtly adjust this if you
don't have an integral number of stretchers in the length of
the wall.

Start by bedding a brick at each end, but not the very end
bricks. When bedding these first two bricks down, make sure
the tops of them are the same distance above the course
below (check with a ruler) and use a spirit level to make
sure they are level side to side and front to back. (Remember
to leave enough space for the end brick and the mortar gap.)

Stretch a line the length of the wall between the top front
corners of these bedded bricks (stand another brick on top to
hold it in the right place). This is your guide to keep the
top of the row of bricks level (and hopefully the wall is
straight).

Now work in a few bricks from each end brick. As you lay each
brick, hold the end brick in place so it doesn't move. Keep
an eye on the brick spacing and make small adjustments to the
mortar gaps to keep them aligned with their dry bonding
positions. As you lay each brick, tap it into position so its
corner is level with the line but not quite touching it. Use
a sprit level to make sure it is level front to back. Once
you have a few bricks at each end, enough to remain stable
in their own right, you can work in any order you like.

Fitting the very end bricks which were avoided initially can
be fiddly. When you lay the bed of mortar, angle it so the end
brick falls into the next brick. Otherwise it will tend to
fall away, make a weak bond, and be liable to come loose.
Bed it in by eye to line up with the rest of the course.
As someone else said, a little exterior (waterproof) PVA
mixed in the mortar can help increase the bond life by
improving the tensile strength of the mortar, particularly
for these end bricks.

--
Andrew Gabriel

I'm surprised no one has sugested using coping stones to prevent the
same problem happening again.

John

John wrote:
I'm surprised no one has sugested using coping stones to prevent the
same problem happening again.

John

I did at 18:02

. uk