How to Do it With Marshalltown Tools

Masonry Tips and Techniques
Bricklaying Tools

Before you start any bricklaying project, be sure you have all the tools you'll need and have them close at hand. For projects using brick, make certain you have a brick trowel, brick chisel, mason's hammer, 4 foot level, tape measure, pointing trowel, jointing tool, mason's line, wood line blocks and spirit level. The height and thickness of your walls are always important. For short walls, a thickness of 4 inches is sufficient, but higher walls mean increased thickness--two or perhaps three tiers of bricks.

Bricks should be moist but not wet. Too much moisture will dilute the mortar and cause bricks to slip in the mortar bed. To assure proper moisture, spray bricks late in the day preceding use...and early in the morning (about 4 hours before) if you intend to lay them later the same day.

Use the table below to compute the necessary thickness for your wall and estimate the required quantity of bricks accordingly.

Height	Thickness
less than 2 ft.	one tier 4"
over 2 ft.	two tiers 8"
over 8 ft.	three tiers of 12" or reinforced with steel rods or brick pilasters

Walls 2 feet high or less may be laid in a ground trench if the soil is compacted. All others should be laid on a concrete footing placed well below the frost line.

If your footing is set and cured, you can begin preparing for masonry work. Using dry sand, mix dry mortar ingredients until they are thoroughly blended and the color is uniform throughout. (A formula for mortar is given on the preceding section: Concrete Block.) Then mix in water a little at a time. When mixture becomes smooth, mortar is ready for application. Avoid use of too much water.

To avoid unnecessary mistakes and having to cut bricks to fit small spaces, experiment by setting them on your footing as they will eventually be laid.

Be sure to leave a space between bricks for your joint. This method is best to determine the spacing of your bricks. Then, drive a stake in the ground at both ends of your wall and stretch mason's line between them. The line will serve as a straight line guide and should mark the outside edge and top of your first course of bricks. Later, as you proceed, the guideline can be moved up to match each successive course of bricks. Line blocks can be used to hold line in place.

When laying bricks, always start at the corners and keep the corners higher than the rest of your work. Work from the corners toward the center of your wall. Use the level frequently to check level and plumb. As the wall increases in height, move the line blocks up to the ends of your corner lead. The line will mark the next course to be laid. To lay your first course of bricks at the corner, be sure to use a thick mortar bed placed on the footing.

Spread a 1/2" mortar bed over one or two bricks at a time. Then use the point of your trowel to make a furrow in the center of the mortar bed. Your vertical joint will be formed by putting a substantial amount of mortar on the end of the brick to be laid. Then place your brick in position, butting the mortared end up against the previous brick until the mortar oozes out. To assure proper sealing and establish proper joint thickness, tap the brick with the handle of your trowel. Check with spirit level to be sure the course is level and plumb. If the course is not level, continue tapping the course into position with the trowel handle. Use the trowel blade to scrape away the excess mortar. If you have laid your course correctly, working from the corners toward the center, the last brick should be located toward the center of each course. To lay this "enclosure" brick, apply mortar to both ends of the brick and also to the exposed ends of the bricks already positioned.