Hi,

I'm about to do some bricklaying for the first time, with the
traditional first project of a barbeque. This is going to be quite a big
barbeque, though (just under six feet wide) and I have no real idea how
much mortar I'll need. I've ordered 275 bricks (allowing a margin and
for having to chop some) - is there some kind of rule of thumb for how
much mortar would be required? I'll probably be buying from B & Q, and
probably their ready-mix stuff as it didn't seem much more expensive
than the constituents and I don't mind taking the idiot-proof option in
areas that I don't know much about. I have arranged to borrow a mixer.

Any non-obvious advice welcome, though I've read quite a few Web pages
on the subject now so I'm not looking for step-by-step instructions.

Cheers,

Pete

On 29 Apr, 09:17, Pete Verdon
d wrote:
Hi,

I'm about to do some bricklaying for the first time, with the
traditional first project of a barbeque. This is going to be quite a big
barbeque, though (just under six feet wide) and I have no real idea how
much mortar I'll need. I've ordered 275 bricks (allowing a margin and
for having to chop some) - is there some kind of rule of thumb for how
much mortar would be required? I'll probably be buying from B & Q, and
probably their ready-mix stuff as it didn't seem much more expensive
than the constituents and I don't mind taking the idiot-proof option in
areas that I don't know much about. I have arranged to borrow a mixer.

Any non-obvious advice welcome, though I've read quite a few Web pages
on the subject now so I'm not looking for step-by-step instructions.

Cheers,

Pete

See he
http://www.pavingexpert.com/mortars.htm

Simon.

The message
from Pete Verdon d
contains these words:

I'm about to do some bricklaying for the first time, with the
traditional first project of a barbeque. This is going to be quite a big
barbeque, though (just under six feet wide) and I have no real idea how
much mortar I'll need. I've ordered 275 bricks (allowing a margin and
for having to chop some) - is there some kind of rule of thumb for how
much mortar would be required? I'll probably be buying from B & Q, and
probably their ready-mix stuff as it didn't seem much more expensive
than the constituents and I don't mind taking the idiot-proof option in
areas that I don't know much about. I have arranged to borrow a mixer.

Any non-obvious advice welcome, though I've read quite a few Web pages
on the subject now so I'm not looking for step-by-step instructions.

I don't do brickwork (my house is all stone) but I have come to expect
that I need much more mortar than is obvious at first glance.

You could make a first approximation by working out the volume of all
the joints bearing in mind that the frog in a brick takes a good chunk
of mortar.

My ancient (1965) architects and builders diary (which I find an
invaluable source of information) says:
"One yard super half brick walling =48 bricks and 0.75 cu feet mortar.

Expect the dry mix to shrink slightly when water is added and don't mix
more than you can use in an hour. When mixing mortar in a mixer I tend
to start with either 2 gallon or 3 gallon of sand. Anything less and I
mix in a bucket. Anything more and I have ended up with it going off
before I can use it.

--
Roger Chapman
Sure as Hell
My next Computer
Won't be a Dell

Pete Verdon wrote:
Hi,

I'm about to do some bricklaying for the first time, with the
traditional first project of a barbeque. This is going to be quite a big
barbeque, though (just under six feet wide) and I have no real idea how
much mortar I'll need. I've ordered 275 bricks (allowing a margin and
for having to chop some) - is there some kind of rule of thumb for how
much mortar would be required? I'll probably be buying from B & Q, and
probably their ready-mix stuff as it didn't seem much more expensive
than the constituents and I don't mind taking the idiot-proof option in
areas that I don't know much about. I have arranged to borrow a mixer.

Any non-obvious advice welcome, though I've read quite a few Web pages
on the subject now so I'm not looking for step-by-step instructions.

Cheers,

Pete

My gut feeling is that's a bag of cement..and about 4 times as much
sand..so lets say tops 100kg or so.

But that seems high.. maybe not. Depends how good bricklayer you are.
I'm not, and waste a lot. But the end result looks OK.


These days I always seem to have a bag of sand around (gardening use)
and just buy cement by the bag when needed.

In article ,
Pete Verdon d writes:
Hi,

I'm about to do some bricklaying for the first time, with the
traditional first project of a barbeque. This is going to be quite a big
barbeque, though (just under six feet wide) and I have no real idea how
much mortar I'll need. I've ordered 275 bricks (allowing a margin and
for having to chop some) - is there some kind of rule of thumb for how
much mortar would be required? I'll probably be buying from B & Q, and
probably their ready-mix stuff as it didn't seem much more expensive
than the constituents and I don't mind taking the idiot-proof option in
areas that I don't know much about. I have arranged to borrow a mixer.

Any non-obvious advice welcome, though I've read quite a few Web pages
on the subject now so I'm not looking for step-by-step instructions.

You need much more mortar than you might at first imagine.
About 1kg of sand and cement ready-mix per brick.

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

"Pete Verdon" d wrote in
message ...
Hi,

I'm about to do some bricklaying for the first time, with the traditional
first project of a barbeque. This is going to be quite a big barbeque,
though (just under six feet wide) and I have no real idea how much mortar
I'll need. I've ordered 275 bricks (allowing a margin and for having to
chop some) - is there some kind of rule of thumb for how much mortar would
be required? I'll probably be buying from B & Q, and probably their
ready-mix stuff as it didn't seem much more expensive than the
constituents and I don't mind taking the idiot-proof option in areas that
I don't know much about. I have arranged to borrow a mixer.

Any non-obvious advice welcome, though I've read quite a few Web pages on
the subject now so I'm not looking for step-by-step instructions.

Assuming a barbeque about 2m wide, 1m high and with 1m ends you'll need
about 250 bricks and 280 kg of dry mix.
--
Dave Baker
Puma Race Engines

Pete Verdon wrote:
Hi,

I'm about to do some bricklaying for the first time, with the
traditional first project of a barbeque. This is going to be quite a
big barbeque, though (just under six feet wide) and I have no real
idea how much mortar I'll need. I've ordered 275 bricks (allowing a
margin and for having to chop some) - is there some kind of rule of
thumb for how much mortar would be required? I'll probably be buying
from B & Q, and probably their ready-mix stuff as it didn't seem much
more expensive than the constituents and I don't mind taking the
idiot-proof option in areas that I don't know much about. I have
arranged to borrow a mixer.
Any non-obvious advice welcome, though I've read quite a few Web pages
on the subject now so I'm not looking for step-by-step instructions.

Cheers,

Pete

don't use ready mixed mortar - it is way too strong and dries horrible, plus
it stains everything it touches, the sand in it is far too sharp for
building and it's too dear, in short it's expensive ****e.

Buy one bag of opc (ordinary portland cement) and 4 X 25kg bags of red
building sand.
Mix 2 sand to half the cement for a 4:1 mix, and 2 tablespoons full of good
quality (fairy if possible) washing up liquid (it's not worth buying
plasticiser for such small amounts) and mix to a suitable consistency.

Don't mix all the mortar at once, because it's unlikely you'll lay 270
bricks in a day, plus it might start raining and you'll have to ditch it.

if you intend using a mixer, use half the allocated ingredients first, so
that you have some dry ingredients to dry it up should it end up too
wet...if it ends up too dry add a small amount of water at a time until it's
right, leaving the mixer to run for at least a minute inbetween adding water
splashes, keep adding bits of all ingredients (except W-U-L) until you have
mixed all the sand/cement that you intend using in that mix.

HTH

Phil L wrote:
Pete Verdon wrote:
Hi,

I'm about to do some bricklaying for the first time, with the
traditional first project of a barbeque. This is going to be quite a
big barbeque, though (just under six feet wide) and I have no real
idea how much mortar I'll need. I've ordered 275 bricks (allowing a
margin and for having to chop some) - is there some kind of rule of
thumb for how much mortar would be required? I'll probably be buying
from B & Q, and probably their ready-mix stuff as it didn't seem much
more expensive than the constituents and I don't mind taking the
idiot-proof option in areas that I don't know much about. I have
arranged to borrow a mixer.
Any non-obvious advice welcome, though I've read quite a few Web pages
on the subject now so I'm not looking for step-by-step instructions.

Cheers,

Pete

don't use ready mixed mortar - it is way too strong and dries horrible, plus
it stains everything it touches, the sand in it is far too sharp for
building and it's too dear, in short it's expensive ****e.

Buy one bag of opc (ordinary portland cement) and 4 X 25kg bags of red
building sand.
Mix 2 sand to half the cement for a 4:1 mix, and 2 tablespoons full of good
quality (fairy if possible) washing up liquid (it's not worth buying
plasticiser for such small amounts) and mix to a suitable consistency.

Don't mix all the mortar at once, because it's unlikely you'll lay 270
bricks in a day, plus it might start raining and you'll have to ditch it.

if you intend using a mixer, use half the allocated ingredients first, so
that you have some dry ingredients to dry it up should it end up too
wet...if it ends up too dry add a small amount of water at a time until it's
right, leaving the mixer to run for at least a minute inbetween adding water
splashes, keep adding bits of all ingredients (except W-U-L) until you have
mixed all the sand/cement that you intend using in that mix.


Much cement (e.g. Blue Circle Mastercrete Original - the first I found)
may not need any additional plasticiser.

"Blue Circle Mastercrete Original entrains a controlled quantity of air
and the addition of admixture of the air-entraining type is unnecessary
and not recommended for concrete. In mortar and rendering, the addition
of proprietary air-entraining mortar plasticiser is either unnecessary
or the manufacturers recommended dosage significantly reduced dependant
upon the sand used. Other proprietary admixtures of the non
air-entraining type and pigments are compatible with Blue Circle
Mastercrete Original. Trial mixes are recommended to determine optimum
mix proportions."

http://www.lafargecement.co.uk
--
Rod

Hypothyroidism is a seriously debilitating condition with an insidious
onset.
Although common it frequently goes undiagnosed.
www.thyromind.info www.thyroiduk.org www.altsupportthyroid.org

"Phil L" wrote in message
om...
Pete Verdon wrote:
Hi,

I'm about to do some bricklaying for the first time, with the
traditional first project of a barbeque. This is going to be quite a
big barbeque, though (just under six feet wide) and I have no real
idea how much mortar I'll need. I've ordered 275 bricks (allowing a
margin and for having to chop some) - is there some kind of rule of
thumb for how much mortar would be required? I'll probably be buying
from B & Q, and probably their ready-mix stuff as it didn't seem much
more expensive than the constituents and I don't mind taking the
idiot-proof option in areas that I don't know much about. I have
arranged to borrow a mixer.
Any non-obvious advice welcome, though I've read quite a few Web pages
on the subject now so I'm not looking for step-by-step instructions.

Cheers,

Pete

don't use ready mixed mortar - it is way too strong and dries horrible,
plus it stains everything it touches, the sand in it is far too sharp for
building and it's too dear, in short it's expensive ****e.

Buy one bag of opc (ordinary portland cement) and 4 X 25kg bags of red
building sand.

What's he going to lay the other half of the bricks with?
--
Dave Baker
Puma Race Engines

Dave Baker wrote:
"Phil L" wrote in message
om...
Pete Verdon wrote:
Hi,

I'm about to do some bricklaying for the first time, with the
traditional first project of a barbeque. This is going to be quite a
big barbeque, though (just under six feet wide) and I have no real
idea how much mortar I'll need. I've ordered 275 bricks (allowing a
margin and for having to chop some) - is there some kind of rule of
thumb for how much mortar would be required? I'll probably be buying
from B & Q, and probably their ready-mix stuff as it didn't seem
much more expensive than the constituents and I don't mind taking
the idiot-proof option in areas that I don't know much about. I have
arranged to borrow a mixer.
Any non-obvious advice welcome, though I've read quite a few Web
pages on the subject now so I'm not looking for step-by-step
instructions. Cheers,

Pete

don't use ready mixed mortar - it is way too strong and dries
horrible, plus it stains everything it touches, the sand in it is
far too sharp for building and it's too dear, in short it's
expensive ****e. Buy one bag of opc (ordinary portland cement) and 4 X
25kg bags of
red building sand.

What's he going to lay the other half of the bricks with?

A trowel.


HTH

Pete Verdon wrote:
is there some kind of rule of thumb for how much mortar would be required?

Thanks for all the suggestions. It seems likely that without your advice
I would have bought way too little.

Pete

Phil L wrote:
Dave Baker wrote:
"Phil L" wrote in message
om...
Pete Verdon wrote:
Hi,

I'm about to do some bricklaying for the first time, with the
traditional first project of a barbeque. This is going to be quite a
big barbeque, though (just under six feet wide) and I have no real
idea how much mortar I'll need. I've ordered 275 bricks (allowing a
margin and for having to chop some) - is there some kind of rule of
thumb for how much mortar would be required? I'll probably be buying
from B & Q, and probably their ready-mix stuff as it didn't seem
much more expensive than the constituents and I don't mind taking
the idiot-proof option in areas that I don't know much about. I have
arranged to borrow a mixer.
Any non-obvious advice welcome, though I've read quite a few Web
pages on the subject now so I'm not looking for step-by-step
instructions. Cheers,

Pete
don't use ready mixed mortar - it is way too strong and dries
horrible, plus it stains everything it touches, the sand in it is
far too sharp for building and it's too dear, in short it's
expensive ****e. Buy one bag of opc (ordinary portland cement) and 4 X
25kg bags of
red building sand.
What's he going to lay the other half of the bricks with?

A trowel.


A brickophilaic.

HTH

Roger wrote:

Expect the dry mix to shrink slightly when water is added and don't
mix more than you can use in an hour.

Which is a lot less than you think when starting out - I was only laying
about 30 bricks ph on a recent diy job, due to my inexperience. Came out
fine, but so much time needed to check levels etc when a pro just 'feels'
it.