Bricklaying tips, advice
 

My brickwork is passable but only just.... I have some basic questions
I'm using a 3:1 mix.
The engineering bricks I'm using have 3 large holes straight through.
Should I be filling these with cement as I go along?
Should I lay excess cement on each course so there is enough sticking
out to point up? If I do this it tends to dribble.
Or should I point afterwards with a dry mix. I can do it better this
way, but I can't get smooth flowing lines to my pointing because it's
too dry. If i make it wetter, it'll stain the brick surfaces.

So my problem is one way or the other, how to get a nice finish to my
pointing without staining the outer brick surfaces.

Any tips & advice appreciated.

Thanks
Tony

Bricklaying tips, advice
 

tonyjeffs wrote:
My brickwork is passable but only just.... I have some basic questions
I'm using a 3:1 mix.
The engineering bricks I'm using have 3 large holes straight through.
Should I be filling these with cement as I go along?
Should I lay excess cement on each course so there is enough sticking
out to point up? If I do this it tends to dribble.
Or should I point afterwards with a dry mix. I can do it better this
way, but I can't get smooth flowing lines to my pointing because it's
too dry. If i make it wetter, it'll stain the brick surfaces.

So my problem is one way or the other, how to get a nice finish to my
pointing without staining the outer brick surfaces.

Any tips & advice appreciated.

Thanks
Tony


My brickwork skills are about the same as yours by the sound of it. I do
the pointing as a separate process, and I think the staining problem can
be overcome by not trying to clean up the excess mortar too soon. Smooth
it with whatever you're using, but leave the surplus ridges for a couple
of hours so you can chop them off with the edge of the trowel when
they've dried out a bit. If you get dribbling, you probably need a
thicker mix.
My pointing is actually pretty good. I just have trouble keeping the
bricks level and straight :-)

Bricklaying tips, advice
 

Stuart Noble wrote:
tonyjeffs wrote:
My brickwork is passable but only just.... I have some basic questions
I'm using a 3:1 mix.
The engineering bricks I'm using have 3 large holes straight through.
Should I be filling these with cement as I go along?
Should I lay excess cement on each course so there is enough sticking
out to point up? If I do this it tends to dribble.
Or should I point afterwards with a dry mix. I can do it better this
way, but I can't get smooth flowing lines to my pointing because it's
too dry. If i make it wetter, it'll stain the brick surfaces.

So my problem is one way or the other, how to get a nice finish to my
pointing without staining the outer brick surfaces.

Any tips & advice appreciated.

Thanks
Tony


My brickwork skills are about the same as yours by the sound of it. I do
the pointing as a separate process, and I think the staining problem can
be overcome by not trying to clean up the excess mortar too soon. Smooth
it with whatever you're using, but leave the surplus ridges for a couple
of hours so you can chop them off with the edge of the trowel when
they've dried out a bit. If you get dribbling, you probably need a
thicker mix.
My pointing is actually pretty good. I just have trouble keeping the
bricks level and straight :-)

Oh, and another thing. I've never mastered the art of "throwing" mortar
into the joints from the edge of the trowel the way brickies do. I use a
mortar board and a narrow metal thing which I don't know the name of to
push it in. Very quick for the horizontal runs but a PITA for the
verticals.

Bricklaying tips, advice
 

"tonyjeffs" wrote in message
oups.com...


The engineering bricks I'm using have 3 large holes straight through.

snip

AIUI; the three 'holes' are to permit heat to reach the interior of the clay
during the firing process.
Imagine a solid bick (prism); some parts of the interior are a long wasy
from the face. Old bricks had a frog - indentation- to achieve a similar
effect.

Thanks
Tony


--

Brian

Bricklaying tips, advice
 

"tonyjeffs" wrote in message
oups.com...
My brickwork is passable but only just.... I have some basic questions
I'm using a 3:1 mix.
The engineering bricks I'm using have 3 large holes straight through.
Should I be filling these with cement as I go along?
Should I lay excess cement on each course so there is enough sticking
out to point up? If I do this it tends to dribble.
Or should I point afterwards with a dry mix. I can do it better this
way, but I can't get smooth flowing lines to my pointing because it's
too dry. If i make it wetter, it'll stain the brick surfaces.

So my problem is one way or the other, how to get a nice finish to my
pointing without staining the outer brick surfaces.

Any tips & advice appreciated.

If your mortar is dribbling onto the face of your bricks then I think your
mix too wet.
Don't drag the excess of mortar off the wall with your trowel. ALWAYS cut
into it or you will just succeed in staining the brick face.
Think of a block of butter, you want to cut the corner off with a knife to
leave a nice clean edge on the block of butter remaining. Rather than taking
the knife and spreading over the corner. The principle is the same in
bricklaying.

Google has loads of stuff on bricklaying / pointing.
Here is just one of them

http://www.diydata.com/techniques/br...g/pointing.php

Bricklaying tips, advice
 

In article .com,
tonyjeffs writes:
My brickwork is passable but only just.... I have some basic questions
I'm using a 3:1 mix.

That's quite strong, but should be OK for engineering bricks.

The engineering bricks I'm using have 3 large holes straight through.
Should I be filling these with cement as I go along?

No. Mortar will ooze in when you tap the brick down, which is fine.
They don't need to be filled.

Should I lay excess cement on each course so there is enough sticking
out to point up? If I do this it tends to dribble.

It needs to ooze out a bit, to ensure full coverage. You slice that
off flush with an upward action of the trowel edge. You might have
too much water in your mortar, particularly with low absorbancy
engingeering bricks. There shouldn't be anough for it to run down
the wall -- if a lot comes out, it will fall away, but cut it off
before this happens so you get a flush cut.

Or should I point afterwards with a dry mix. I can do it better this
way, but I can't get smooth flowing lines to my pointing because it's
too dry. If i make it wetter, it'll stain the brick surfaces.

Wet the tool, and use it to create a compressed surface on the
mortar. If you cut the mortar off flush as above, pointing up
is easy. Wait for at least ½hour after laying the bricks so
you are less likely to move them and damage the mortar bond.
(If you are doing the top course, you might need to hold them
in place whilst doing it too, to prevent any possible movement.)
Point up the perps (verticals) first, and then point up the
beds (horizontal runs). As you run the tool along, the excess
mortar will crumble out as it's started setting now. Use a
bucket to keep wetting the tool and rinsing any mortor off it.

So my problem is one way or the other, how to get a nice finish to my
pointing without staining the outer brick surfaces.

If you do end up with staining, you can wash it off with an
acid (brick acid is intended for this, kettle descaler works
too) and a soft brush (don't use a metal brush as you'll mark
the brick faces). Wait at least 24 hours before doing this or
you will damage the pointing. Wear goggles.

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]

Bricklaying tips, advice
 

On 13 Aug, 13:28, tonyjeffs wrote:
My brickwork is passable but only just.... I have some basic questions
I'm using a 3:1 mix.
The engineering bricks I'm using have 3 large holes straight through.
Should I be filling these with cement as I go along?
Should I lay excess cement on each course so there is enough sticking
out to point up? If I do this it tends to dribble.
Or should I point afterwards with a dry mix. I can do it better this
way, but I can't get smooth flowing lines to my pointing because it's
too dry. If i make it wetter, it'll stain the brick surfaces.

So my problem is one way or the other, how to get a nice finish to my
pointing without staining the outer brick surfaces.

Any tips & advice appreciated.

Thanks
Tony

First remember the difference between cement (grey dry powder) and
mortar (cement/sand/water). You don't fill the holes with cement (or
mortar) before laying the brick, as they will be filled when you lay
the bed of the next course.

You really need a picture or video to see how to lay a brick as words
are difficult, but you lay the bed with just enough mortar so that
when you press the brick down, some mortar is sqeezed out, and this is
then cut off and used for the perp joint of the next brick.

After laying the mortar will start to dry, but with engineers this
will take a while. Press the mortar with your finger, and if you just
make a slight indent, it can be pointed. If your finger sinks in, its
still too wet.

All the mortar should be cut off flush with the wall prior to pointing
(after laying really) and not left hanging out. Point any gaps with a
semi dry mix, and not wet mortar - as you have found out this will
stain the face of the bricks.

Use a bit of fairy liquid in the mix and this will reduce the water
content requirement and makes it easier to use, and cuts down on
possible staining.

dg

Bricklaying tips, advice
 

Thanks to all.
Reassuring Stuart to see someone's at a similar level to me.
Waiting a while for mortar to dry before pointing is good advice that
I'll take on board.
And cutting upwards to remove excess.
And watching a video.
I just ordered a DVD via youtube. Steve's bricklaying. Not too
expensive at £10 +£2p+p