Brickwork. Basics (B

Since its invention, brick has been one of the most versatile and sought-after building materials known to mankind.

Most buildings are built from brick, as it has a huge number of practical qualities.

To properly perform bricklaying, you must have a number of theoretical knowledge and practical skills.

In order to provide the building with a certain level of strength and solidity, it is necessary to follow a number of bricklaying rules.

Basic rules of brickwork

Speaking about decorative masonry, there are several levels of complexity for laying out a brick wall. This:

1. 1. - simple - when complicated masonry elements occupy no more than 10% of the total front surface of the wall;
    - masonry of medium complexity - when complicated elements occupy no more than 20% of the total front surface of the wall;
    - complex - when complicated elements make up no more than 40% of the total front surface of the external wall;
    - especially complex, in which complicated elements of the common front wall occupy an area greater than 40%.

Also, in order to add an unusual touch to the architectural design of the building, they use colored mortar, the color of which is contrasting with the color of the brick from which the masonry is made. It is best if a diagram is prepared in advance.

Ready-made colored solutions can be purchased at a hardware store, or you can prepare such a solution yourself.

To obtain a red tint, red lead powder is used. To obtain a solution with a brown tint, you should add red lead powder along with soot to its dry mixture. For a white shade, use white cement with white quartz sand as an additive. To get a black color, you need to add soot to the solution.

Brick has been and remains the most popular building material due to its qualities such as strength, fire resistance, low thermal conductivity, frost resistance, and environmental friendliness.

You can list its advantages endlessly, but the fact is a fact - the most solid buildings are built from brick, which will last for decades.

Is it possible to lay brick walls yourself? This is possible if you follow some rules. SNiP for various conditions of design, architecture and structures provide certain recommendations for the construction of brick houses.

How much does brickwork cost from specialists? They will answer you the same way: prices fluctuate depending on the time of year, complexity and speed of installation. But it has always been like this - the price of one brick will be equal to the cost of working with it. That is, if a brick costs 100 rubles, then the mason will charge 100 rubles per piece for the work (provided that you provide all the building materials and tools).

Types of brickwork

Since bricks are not laid anyhow, but in a certain sequence, the types of brickwork also have their own names.

Masonry depending on material

Brick(classical) - made from ordinary (ceramic) or sand-lime brick;
Small and large block- from blocks of various sizes (cinder blocks, aerated concrete, foam concrete, ceramic or cement bricks. Here you should choose more carefully, since the weight of the brickwork will have a significant impact on the foundation of the house);
Tesovaya- from processed stone of a certain geometric shape;
Rubble- made from irregularly shaped stones containing rubble and cement.

Masonry, depending on the laying features

Solid- is a monolithic structure, the width of which is half a brick. In this case, the bricks are located longitudinally in relation to the outer side of the wall;
Lightweight and reinforced- the first is used for the construction of low-rise buildings (usually 1-2 floors), consists of two parallel walls built in half a brick. The cavity between the walls is filled with insulation. The second is used when the construction of reinforced structures is required - for the construction of walls experiencing increased load. In this case, the walls are reinforced transversely, laying a metal mesh every three masonry rows.
Decorative- this type of brickwork is used almost everywhere, because with its help they decorate wall facades, arches, columns. When decorative masonry, you can combine different types of bricks (for example, silicate and ceramic), but this requires additional reinforcement.

Important! It is not recommended to erect a completely hollow wall to avoid subsidence and collapse of the structure.

Brickwork of a corner of 1 brick: “Multi-row dressing system”, video:

1.5 bricks: “Multi-row dressing system”, video:

In 2 bricks: “Chain dressing system”, video:

Brickwork schemes

chain- splice and spoon rows alternate, while the vertical seams of the spoon rows coincide;
crusade- horizontal spoon sutures should be tied;
Dutch- interlocking and mixed rows alternate (in this case, interfacing and interlocking bricks are laid in turn - this is how a mixed row is obtained);
gothic- only mixed rows of seams;
English- consists of 1 tychkovy and 2 spoon rows (with dressing in half a brick);
multi-row- consists of 1 splice and 4 spoons side by side (with a half-brick bandage);
multi-row without dressing horizontal masonry joints.

Dressing of butt seams

chain;
spoon;
cross.

The first involves sequential row-by-row ligation of vertical joints. In this case, it is advisable to alternate the butt and spoon rows, covering the lower joints by half the length of the brick.

The second is an asymmetrical closing of joints half the length of the brick.

The third is to asymmetrically close the joints.

Masonry tools

Trowel for applying the solution;
Building level (for checking horizontal and vertical), rule (rail for checking the smoothness of the front surface of the masonry);
A skein of thread for marking (threads are pulled to make a plumb line), a plumb line (to check verticality);
Joining tool - used to create a seam (concave or convex);
Hammer-pick;
Spatula for mixing the solution;

How to prepare the solution

You will need:

Sand
Cement
Lime

The solution is prepared at the rate of 1:4 (cement consumption for brickwork according to the “cement - sand” scheme). The powdered mixture is poured with water, gradually stirring until a creamy consistency is obtained. You can add lime to make the solution more flexible.

Advice! If masonry is a quarter of the width, then instead of preparing cement mortar, you can use regular tile adhesive. In this case, the seams will be much smaller and thinner.

The mortar should be distributed evenly over the surface, then the bricks will be at the same level, without protruding beyond the wall.

Important! If bricks are reused, they should be thoroughly moistened. This is necessary because dry bricks “pull” all the water out of the mortar, quickly drying it out, and this reduces the quality of the mortar and has a bad effect on the masonry itself.

Brick laying technology

For those who are taking on such work for the first time, we can recommend laying a trial (“sighting”) row without applying mortar to the bricks. This way you can clearly see the calculation of brickwork, how much material is consumed per row and how it is located in the row.

Advice! Bricks should be laid out intact, paying special attention to vertical seams. The seam between them can be made using a wooden block of small thickness: brick - block - brick. In this case, the distance between the bricks will be the same, and if necessary (already during laying on the mortar), you can adjust the thickness of the seam. Another block will allow you to adjust the thickness of the horizontal seam.

Let's assume that the foundation of the house is perfectly level. A brick is placed in the first row, and bars are applied to its edges (see photo) (two to a “poke”). Then a cement mortar is placed in the middle of the brick and distributed along the entire edge of the “bed”. To make the mortar adhere more firmly to the edge of the brick, you can tap the masonry.

Excess mortar will “come out” through the open sides; it can be collected with a trowel. After this, the bars are removed and placed on the next brick. If the level and rule are applied, then the seams on the front side will look more than perfect.

Angles

After laying out the first row, the corners are completed.

Important! At this stage, you should lay the brick especially carefully and carefully, since the next fences will be built with a focus on the corners.

To lay out the corners, you will need a level, a plumb line and a wooden strip - very strong and even, which will act as a “beacon”.

One end of the beacon is installed vertically in the ground, the second is fixed at the beginning of the future corner. All four beacons should be secured in this way, making sure to control the verticality of the slats with a plumb line. If all the beacons are installed perfectly straight, you can safely lay out the corners.

Brickwork corner in 1x1/2 bricks Video:

How to join bricks

If the butt seams are made poorly, the result will be poor sealing of the seams and large heat losses. In addition, you will need a lot of mortar to fill the joints, which means additional consumption of cement and sand. What can you do to get neat little seams?

Use the bars again. With their help, the brickwork of the external walls will not only be perfectly smooth, but will also have the same gaps. It is advisable to tap masonry bricks with a hammer after applying the mortar.

Walls

After marking the butt corners, you can begin building the walls. To control the verticality of the plane of the enclosing surfaces, you can use a cord. Drive a nail into the seam of the top row of the corner, tie the end of the cord to it, then stretch the rope with a slight slack to the adjacent corner.

Advice! The slack will be necessary to ensure that the cord wraps around each nail secured in the seam. By fastening the rope in as frequent increments as possible, you can more often control the evenness of the plane of the wall being built and spend less time and effort on leveling the bricks.

After several rows have been laid, you need to joint the joints using a special tool - this must be done immediately, before the cement mortar has completely hardened. Correctly done jointing will help give a complete look to your structure, and reinforcement of the brickwork will strengthen the structure.

In conclusion, I would like to add that it is good to lay brickwork when the air temperature does not drop below +10 C. It is recommended to carry out work in dry weather and only in the warm season. Experienced masons advise mixing the mortar exactly the amount of material that you can “handle” at a time. Otherwise, the structure of the sand-cement mixture will be disrupted by the addition of water and will lose its binding properties.

Otherwise, you should adhere to the tips and recommendations given above.

Brick laying is always carried out in compliance with certain rules. The most important thing in the process is strength. There are several types of laying bricks. Each type has its own characteristics and subtleties that need to be taken into account when constructing a building or structure.

Types of bricks used in construction

Today, the industry produces a large number of different types of bricks. Each of them is applicable on various construction sites. You need to know the most basic points in order to choose one or another type of material and get to work.

The brick can be solid, produced by plastic pressing. This type of material is quite dense, durable and resistant to low temperatures in the winter, and is also resistant to moisture and is not subject to deformation under extreme conditions.

All these features are due to its indispensability in the construction of buildings and structures operating under heavy loads, as well as for use in waterlogged soils. In addition, this type of brick is used for laying stoves.

Hollow brick is also very often used in practice. It is used in the construction of chimneys, walls and parts of underground structures.

In addition to hollow bricks, a porous-hollow type is used in construction. These types are very often used in the construction of walls of various buildings or structures.

Due to the fact that this type of brick contains internal voids, it has good characteristics, namely: heat retention (an important condition when constructing a building or structure for further operation), as well as weight, which is significantly less than others according to the classification of bricks.

Main types of brickwork

Professional builders use various types of brickwork when constructing walls. After analyzing, you can understand that each has found its application in construction. Let's take a closer look at each type.

Solid masonry

This type is a monolithic structure. The width of this structure is equal to half a standard brick. The masonry mechanism of this type is carried out along the outer edge of the wall of the structure being built. Builders call each resulting row a mile, and the fillings formed between them are backfills. When choosing a continuous type of masonry, the bricks will be laid without the formation of various kinds of cracks and insulation. In this situation, the wall composition will be made only of bricks and mortar. Most often, this installation option is applicable in the construction of load-bearing walls, when installation work on insulation is carried out from the outside. Thermal insulation can be performed in other, various ways.

The continuous type of brick laying, according to the dressing of the seams, can be single-row or multi-row. But it is worth noting that the pillars and possible piers are laid according to the principle of three rows, no less. If you are laying structures that do not exert heavy loads, then it is better to use broken bricks. If a smoke opening is being installed using continuous laying, it is recommended to take pre-baked brick. Existing seams near the channels must be treated with clay. When laying bricks in a continuous type, only mortars that are plastic in composition are used.

Lightweight masonry

This type is used in construction, low-rise jobs. The main essence of this masonry is that two walls are erected, half the width of a standard brick, which, as a rule, are located parallel to each other. Only solid bricks should be used. Insulation is carried out with special heat-insulating materials.

Attention ! You cannot build an entire wall using lightweight masonry. Every meter, a row of butts must be laid on the wall.

Lightweight masonry was introduced into construction in order to build thinner walls, while maintaining their thermal insulation properties.

Quite often, lightweight masonry is used in the construction of structures with existing internal insulation. Laying is done only using warm mortar. Any type of sand, porous in composition, is added to it. This mixture is another opportunity to make the masonry thinner by increasing heat resistance.

Walls can also be erected on the basis of porous-hollow or hollow, as well as ceramic bricks. The lightweight look involves jointing the existing brickwork joints over the entire surface of the building’s façade.

Reinforced masonry

Reinforced masonry is often used in construction for the purpose of erecting certain structures that bear very high loads. The reinforcement itself is located in the seams, in a horizontal or vertical position. The thickness of the seams should be thicker in comparison with the diameter of the rod. There are different types of brick wall laying based on reinforcement, for example Gothic or Dutch. If the reinforcement is performed transversely, then it is better to use a metal mesh with various shapes. Such a grid should not be laid very often; every 3-5 rows of brick laying will be sufficient distance.

Reinforced masonry is, first of all, a way to build a stable and durable wall. Especially when it is planned to build any structure with a fairly large load. The essence of all work on the construction of reinforced masonry comes down to the fact that steel reinforcement is laid in the existing seams. This material is not bad in its composition and adheres very well to the mortar, due to this the masonry will turn out monolithic. The reinforcement can be laid either lengthwise or crosswise. Once the existing rods are firmly secured in the seams, they will take part of the load on their base. In addition, with the help of reinforced installation, absolutely any solutions that do not meet general standards can be implemented.

Basic brick laying schemes

To increase the strength of the brickwork, it is necessary to bandage the longitudinal, vertical, and transverse seams. In all basic schemes and methods, not only solid bricks are used, but also some of its parts, halves or quarters. To make bricks of non-standard shape, a hammer-pick is used. These bricks, incomplete in their shape, are always laid with chips inside the masonry, so that the solid side looks only outward of the wall.

Longitudinal seams are seams located horizontally in the masonry. Bandaging such seams is extremely important and necessary in order to evenly distribute the entire load that may occur on the surface of the entire width of the wall. Also, tying prevents the brickwork from separating into thinner, separate layers.

Bandaging is performed in rows that are laid out transversely to the direction of the main masonry. These rows are usually called bonded rows. Their laying is carried out at the rate of one splice per four to five rows of ordinary laying.

Transverse and vertical seams are seams located between bricks within the entire masonry. Bandaging them is necessary to strengthen the wall and give it solidity. The ligation of the transverse seam is performed using spoon rows.

In addition to this, there are other options for constructing a house or building from brick, in which the ligation of transverse seams is performed in butt rows. In construction, transverse seams are very often tied using both methods. But vertical seams are usually not tied separately. Their dressing, when laid correctly, is obtained automatically.

If the corners of a brick house are turned out ahead of the masonry of the walls, then any mistake made when performing work using the selected dressing methods can lead to cracks in the wall, regardless of which masonry method is used.

Materials and devices for bricklaying

Depending on what function the walls will perform, solid or hollow bricks are used. Clay or silicate bricks can also be used.

For the construction of brickwork, cement, lime, and sometimes a combined version of cement-lime mortar are used. You can prepare them either with your own hands or purchase them at hardware stores. By introducing a small amount of lime or clay into the solution, you can improve not only the plasticity of the composition, but also ensure the strength of the solution.

Mix the components of the mixture in a dry state, manually or using a concrete mixer. After thorough mixing, water is gradually added to the dry mixture until a special concentration of the solution is reached, at which it will have sufficient plasticity, but will retain its shape and will not spread.

To build walls with your own hands, you will need a special tool for laying bricks:

container in which the solution will be prepared. It would be good if it was a concrete mixer;
container in which the solution will be transferred;
trowel;
nylon fishing line (to secure the boundaries of the laid brick row);
building level;
jointing;
order controlling the rows of brickwork;
plumb line A special device for bricklaying that controls any deviations of the masonry from the vertical;

square A device that controls the geometry of the corners of a building;
a template for laying bricks that controls the thickness of the seams;
pick;
mallet;
gloves.

Conclusion

Compliance with and compliance with all rules guarantees the long service and safety of any structure. And brick walls built with your own hands will become the real pride of any builder.

We will learn more about how to properly build brick walls with your own hands in the next video.

The construction industry is moving forward by leaps and bounds, using the most modern materials and technologies, despite this, brickwork remains popular, both in private construction and in urban planning.

One of the important advantages of brick is low thermal conductivity material, which makes it possible to talk about the heat-saving abilities of brick structures. This indicator is slightly different for different types of brick.

There are certain contradictions between its mechanical strength and thermal insulation characteristics. Strength parameters are directly proportional to the density of the material, and thermal conductivity, on the contrary, is inversely proportional, which is largely due to the presence of air inclusions.

There are 3 main categories of bricks:

Ordinary– density in the range of 1700-1800 kg/m³ with thermal conductivity (λ) of the order of 0.6-0.7 W/(m²xdeg);
Conditionally thermal insulation– density 1400-1600 kg/m³ and λ – 0.34-0.52 W/(m²xdeg);
Hollow, with improved thermal insulation characteristics - density - less than 1150 kg/m³ and thermal conductivity - 0.17-0.26 W/(m²xdeg).

The composition of the material also significantly affects thermal physics. In particular, silicate (white) brick has lower thermal conductivity compared to fired clay-sand composition. In general, the variety of types of bricks allows you to choose the most optimal option, which combines high strength and good thermal insulation characteristics.

Another important direction in heat conservation is increasing the thickness of brickwork. It can be assessed by thermal resistance (R), which is calculated using a simple formula: R = B / λ (where B is the thickness of the masonry). For the northern and Siberian regions of the country, reliable thermal protection requires the construction of walls with a thickness of at least 40-45 cm.

Basic terms and classification

To conduct a full analysis of brickwork, it is worth understanding the generally accepted concepts and terminology used to describe the material. In general, a brick is an artificial stone or building block in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped. It is available in standard sizes:

single (standard) brick – 250x120x 65 mm;
one-and-a-half (thickened) brick – 250x120x88 mm;
double brick – 250x120x138 mm;
thickened (expanded) version – 288x138x63 mm;
single modular brick – 288x138x63 mm;
thinned modular element – 288x138x88 mm;
thickened hollow brick with longitudinal channels - 250x120x88 mm.

Like any parallelepiped, a brick has 6 faces, which are usually called as follows:

Bed– 2 largest oppositely located faces. The brick lies flat on them.
Spoon– 2 side, elongated edges.
Tychek– 2 end faces, the smallest in area.

Brick is usually classified according to a number of indicators.

According to the material:

Ceramic (red). It is made by firing a clay mixture.
Silicate (white). Made from a mixture of quartz sand and lime.
Hyper-pressed. The base is a mixture of limestone, cement and dyes.

By purpose:

Standard, construction or ordinary brick.
Facing brick. It is intended exclusively for finishing work.
Fireclay or refractory brick. It has a specific yellowish tint. Able to withstand temperatures up to 1600 degrees.
Clinker or ceramic brick. It is made from clay by special firing until the clay is completely sintered.

By strength the brick is marked from M50 to M500, where the number indicates the permissible load in kg/sq.cm.

There are solid and hollow bricks. In the first case, the volume of air inclusions does not exceed 13%. Hollow elements may have voids in the form of holes or slots. The total volume of voids can range from 15 to 40%.

The variety of types and at the same time standardization of sizes allows you to choose the best option for brickwork, depending on specific conditions.

Types of brickwork

Brick laying can be done by row laying in different ways, depending on the location of each element and their relative position. The following main masonry parts are distinguished.

Longitudinal rows:

Spoon row (spoon masonry) - bricks are laid on a bed with a spoon on the front side of the wall.
Bonded row (bonded masonry) - bricks are placed on the bed perpendicular to the wall surface, i.e. with exit to the front side of the pokes.

Transverse rows(for multi-row installation along the wall thickness):

External (front) layout - a row of bricks on the outside of the wall.
The interior layout is a brick row with access to the interior.
Zabutka - a row of bricks between the external and internal layout.

Seams, formed between bricks in masonry:

Horizontal seam - a seam created by mortar when laying rows in a horizontal direction, i.e. between adjacent rows.
A vertical seam is a gap filled with mortar between the side brick edges. It can be longitudinal (between bricks of the same longitudinal row) and transverse (between layout and backfill elements).

Laying on spoons to form a bed row is used much less frequently. During finishing work, it is fundamentally possible to lay bricks vertically, i.e. on pokes, but the strength of such a system is very low.

Features of dressing

It has been established that the coincidence of vertical seams along all rows leads to to a significant reduction in strength designs. To increase reliability and create a monolithic system, ligation of rows is provided. Its essence lies in the displacement of adjacent horizontal rows relative to each other.

The dressing can concern transverse and longitudinal vertical seams, which determines two types - transverse and longitudinal ligation. Strengthening in the transverse direction is achieved by alternating spoon and bonded masonry.

Longitudinal ligation is ensured by shifting elements in adjacent rows relative to each other (by at least a quarter of a brick).

The following main dressing systems are distinguished.

Single row (chain) type

This is one of the simplest dressings, when a tie row is laid on a spoon row, and then a spoon row again. When carrying out masonry, they try to adhere to such conditions.

The bottom and top rows lie across, i.e. poking. In spoon rows, the outer and inner layout is shifted relative to each other by half a brick. Transverse seams in adjacent rows are offset by a quarter of the brick. The main disadvantage of this system is large waste bricks taking into account the need to use halves and quarters.

Multi-row system

It provides for the following masonry: the bottom row is bonded, on which the spoon row is laid so that the vertical seam in it falls in the middle of the bottom row. Next, 4 rows of spoons are laid, and in each the displacement of the elements is ensured. for half a brick.

The seventh row is again stitched with tying, similar to the bottom row. All masonry is provided in this sequence. Advantages of the method - waste reduction, increase in productivity. The disadvantage is less strength compared to the previous method.

Three-row system

It is a type of multi-row dressing. In this option, 3 spoon rows are laid on one side row. The difference is that in spoon rows the vertical seams are allowed to coincide. This somewhat reduces the strength of the masonry, but reduces waste.

The listed dressings are used in the construction of walls and the formation of corners. In the corner, the rows are tied together by alternating spoon and butt laying.

It must be taken into account that in a corner unit, a brick laid on a bed goes out onto one wall with a spoon, and onto the adjacent one with a poke. The butt edge allows you to shift the next element in the row by half a brick.

Selection of masonry mortar

Masonry mortar is a mixture of several ingredients, which, when cured, firmly connects all elements into a monolithic structure. Its composition is formed on the basis of a binder with a filler, which are diluted with water. To improve properties, we introduce supplements.

Solutions are classified according to the following criteria:

binder type. There are simple (based on one component - cement, clay, lime, gypsum) and complex varieties based on mixtures (lime and cement, cement and clay, etc.) varieties;
by the amount of binder component– fat, skinny and normal. The first type involves a higher content of this ingredient, which increases strength, but leads to cracks and shrinkage. Lean mortars are prepared with a minimum amount of cement, which reduces cost but worsens properties. It can only be used in low-critical structures. Optimal proportions include normal solutions;
by weight– light (density up to 1550 kg/m³) and heavy (over 1550 kg/m³) solutions;
in terms of strength under compressive load, solutions are divided into grades - from M10 to M200, where the number indicates the tensile strength in kg/cm²;
by mobility, i.e. ability to cover the surface of a brick. This indicator is determined by the depth of immersion of a standard cone-shaped weight into a freshly prepared solution. Depending on the purpose of the mortar, the figure can be 8-14 cm. For solid red brick it is about 11-13 cm, and for hollow brick - 7-9 cm. In hot weather, a mobility of about 13-14 cm is recommended.

The following mortars are most often used for bricklaying:

Cement-sand composition. The binder is cement (grades M200-M400), the filler is sand. By changing the ratio of the main components, you can prepare solutions of different brands. So M50 is prepared from cement (M300) and sand in a ratio of 1:6, M75 -1:4, M100 - in a ratio of 1:3.
Cement-lime mortar. The binder is a mixture of cement and lime, the filler is sand. This solution has increased compressive strength combined with high ductility and manufacturability. To prepare different grades, the following proportions of cement (M300), lime and sand are used: M25 - 1: 1.5: 10.6; M50 - 1:0.7:6; M100 - 1:0.3:3.7.
Compositions with a clay component. When adding clay to a solution, it increases plastic. Usually it is introduced instead of lime, and in the same proportions. Most often clay solutions are used for , hearths, fireplaces.
Plasticizing additives. Mobility, increased hardening time, plasticity, and resistance to cracking of the solution can be ensured by adding plasticizers. For this purpose, surfactants are recommended. You can use ready-made tools such as TsNIIPS-1, SSB. They are introduced at the rate of 200-220 g per 1 m³ of solution. When preparing the solution yourself, you can use liquid soap, shampoo, washing powder (60-90 g per 10 liters of solution).

Most often in construction, simple, cement-sand mortar. When preparing it, you should use fine-grained sand, after carefully sifting. Water is added until the desired consistency is obtained.

Technological methods of masonry

When laying bricks, it is recommended to adhere to a certain order. Work begins with laying out 4-5 rows in the corners of the structure. They are carefully leveled using a level and plumb line. When laying, the standard joint size should be maintained - 12 mm.

After laying out the corners, a vertical bar is installed on them, with marks marked on it indicating the location of the rows - order. The risks have a pitch of 77 mm (standard brick thickness and seam 12 mm).

A cord is stretched between rows (without sagging), which is necessary to align the rows. Supports for the cord are provided every 4-5 m to prevent sagging. Using a trowel, the mortar is applied to the bed of bricks laid in the bottom row and poked into the bricks prepared for laying.

The thickness of the layer is 2.5-3 cm, and it is applied in the center, 2-2.5 cm away from the edge. The main methods of masonry are technology "snuggle" and "squeeze".

The “end-to-end” laying technique is used with a moving solution (11-14 cm). It is implemented in this order:

the solution is applied to the laid row of bricks;
the brick being laid is picked up with a slight inclination;
a little of the previously applied solution is heated onto this element;
the brick is advanced until it touches the already laid element;
the brick is completely settled.

Using the “press” technology, a low-moving solution (7-10 cm) is applied to the bottom row. The seams must be filled and sealed. Procedure of manipulations:

with a trowel, the mortar is moved and pressed against the vertical edge of the already laid brick;
another brick is laid with pressure to the trowel;
the instrument is pulled out with a sharp movement;
the brick settles completely into place.

Sometimes another variety is used - “butt-to-edge with trimming”. This method combines the described technologies. The bottom line is that the mortar is applied according to the “press-to-press” principle, but the laying of the brick itself is ensured “butt-to-spot”. The mobility of the solution must be ensured at an average level - 9-11 cm.

Tools used

The need for reinforcement

In the construction of brick structures intended for operation under increased mechanical loads, reinforced masonry is used. Transverse reinforcement provided with a metal mesh.

It is laid every 4-6 rows of bricks. In addition, reinforcement can be provided by steel rods (6-8 mm) laid in vertical or horizontal seams. In this case, the seams are made 3-5 mm wider than the diameter of the reinforcement.

Reinforcement rules are regulated by the following documents:

SNiP II-22-81 and SNiP II-22-81, extending to stone and reinforced stone structures;
SNiP 3.03.01-87 for load-bearing and enclosing structures.

Seam cutting device

The seam between the bricks provides the appearance of the entire masonry. To give a certain attractiveness, jointing is used, providing the seams with a clear shape on the front side of the wall. You can give it a triangular, rectangular, round (concave or convex) shape.

The jointing is carried out until the solution has completely hardened using a special tool (jointing). The work is carried out in the following order:

Use a cloth or soft brush to remove all excess solution from the surface;
the seams are unstitched in the vertical direction;
horizontal seams are unstitched.

If plastering of a brick wall is planned in the future, then the “ empty" In this case, the solution in all seams does not reach the edge by 9-14 mm. This allows the plaster solution to fill the formed void, adhering well to the surface.

Ensuring the adjoining walls

If the connection of the internal walls to the supporting structure is made during the construction of the building, then the connection is ensured in the same way as the formation of corners. The spoon and butt rows are alternated so that they alternately go inside one and the other structure.

When partitions are attached to an already finished wall, it is used reinforced fastening with steel rods. The rods are laid in load-bearing walls at least every 1-1.5 in height. A total of 3 reinforcements with a diameter of 8-10 mm are fixed. They are more than 1 m long and end with an anchor.

Thin partitions can simply be inserted into a load-bearing wall. On the outside, a vertical groove is formed on it, the width and thickness of half a brick. The partition is inserted into this groove.

Laying chimneys and ventilation shafts

A brick stove chimney is often made of brick. This design has the following elements - stove neck, pipe cutting (fluff), drain, roofing otter, pipe neck and head.

For production, fireclay solid brick of red color M150-M200 is most often used.

When laying unimportant parts, you can use unburnt (pinkish) and burnt (dark brown) bricks. Hollow products cannot be used for chimneys.

The main part of the chimney masonry is made using cement-sand mortar. Lime and cement-lime mixtures should be used in the roof area.

Ventilation brick systems are installed inside walls or in the form of a special shaft. The minimum ventilation duct has a size of 140x140 mm (half a brick). Brickwork is made according to a template to ensure the same section along the entire length, and its length is equal to 9-12 brick thicknesses.

For laying, a cement-sand mortar is used in a ratio of 3 to 1 using Portland cement M400. In the case where the chimney and ventilation shaft are located close, a sand-lime brick barrier

In this article you can find out what types of bricklaying methods there are, outlined in the images, as well as the general bricklaying technology that it is advisable for a beginner to adhere to.

Required Tools

So, you are planning to lay a wall with your own hands and want to know what methods of laying bricks there are. But what tools do you need to do this? Let's figure it out.

Trowel (trowel)– is the main tool of a mason. It is with the help of it that the master applies and levels the solution, and also removes excess. Most often, the brick is tapped with a handle, thereby adjusting it to the desired position.

Kirochka– with its help you can split and trim bricks to the required size. However, this classic tool is now giving way to a grinding machine together with a stone wheel: with their help, the required piece can be cut much more accurately and quickly.

Joining– this simple tool is used to cut seams between rows of bricks. However, either a steel tube or the rounded tip of a trowel can be used instead.

Order– this device is used to control the height of the masonry. The optimal thickness of seams is up to 12 mm. When the thickness of the seam varies, you can easily end up with a wall that deviates from the horizontal. By using ordering this problem can be solved.
Cord mooring– it can be stretched both between the corners of the wall and between rows. With its help you can control the horizontal, and also prevents the masonry from moving away from a straight horizontal plane. This cord must be pulled at a distance of 2-3 mm from the edge, thereby it will not allow the displaced brick to deviate from a straight line.

Plumb- This is a basic tool that allows you to control the verticality of the wall.

General principles and terms

The basic technology of brick laying is based on its physical properties. So, the material can easily withstand compressive loads, but bending loads can damage it. Of course, other properties must be taken into account:

The plane of the rows when constructing the wall must be parallel. Thanks to this, the applied loads are evenly distributed. However, one point needs to be clarified here: when constructing arches, a plane angle of up to 17° is allowed.

In adjacent vertical rows, laid bricks must overlap each other by no less than ¼ of the width and length. That is, one brick must be supported by at least 2 others.
Vertical joints must be filled with mortar. Thanks to this, the masonry will not delaminate.
In the process of erecting several horizontal rows, they must be tied together. The reason is simple - to prevent the masonry from delaminating. Such a dressing ensures high-quality connection and immobility of the layers.
The masonry must be separated from the base or foundation by a layer of waterproofing. Roofing felt is most often used, but there may be alternative options. You can study them in more detail in the article "".
If you have a protruding base, then it is advisable to cover it with a galvanized ebb. Thanks to this you will protect the wall from water ingress.

Laying always starts from the corner. The outside is always laid out first.
If you want to make your wall stronger, then lay steel reinforcement between the rows. With its help, if necessary, you can connect the internal and external walls.

Now we suggest studying the terminology that is used among masons.

The bed is the mortar layer on which you will lay the next row.
Spoon - the side face of a brick.
The butt is the butt.

In accordance with this, the spoon laying method means that it is laid horizontally so that the axis of the wall coincides with the axis of the greatest length of the brick. Poke laying method - rows that are used for dressing.

The seam between the rows can be filled completely or not completely, i.e. empty This method is used when subsequent plastering is required, because... plaster penetrating into cavities will adhere better to the wall.

Brick laying methods

What types of brickwork are there? Below we will look in more detail.

Spoon masonry

This easy method occurs in half a brick from row to row with the displacement of all vertical seams. Offset by half or a quarter of the length of the brick.

Chain method

This masonry method is based on the fact that 2 horizontal layers must be connected to each other. The chain ligation method is one of the main ways to make a wall uniform and very strong. The technology of bricklaying is very simple - one horizontal row of trays, followed by parallel laying of 2 bricks and spacing of the seams, and the second row is bonded. Here we draw your attention to the fact that the vertical seams of the butt and spoon rows are not allowed to coincide.

If you are planning a wall of one and a half bricks, then a more complex technology should be used: the masonry consists of 1 tray and 2 butt bricks. Naturally, the seam should also move as the rows rise.

Multi-row dressing

Usually, in most cases, there is no need to perform every second row using the butting method. At the same time, the strength of the wall will not suffer too much when alternating up to 6 spoon rows with 1 stud row. However, there are some limitations.

The following must be laid out using the pin method:

Last and first rows;
All elements that protrude (cornices);
Parts of the wall located under the beams.

An easy way to lay bricks

This method is used during the construction of houses with a small number of floors. A distinctive feature is that there are large cavities in the wall, most often filled with thermal insulation (mineral wool, expanded clay, etc.). A wall made of lightweight masonry consists of 2 walls (usually half a brick). Lightweight bricklaying methods can be very different in implementation.

Laying method with three-row diaphragms– 5 rows of a hollow wall inside with 3 butted rows alternate. Laying 3 rows is necessary because the length of one brick is not enough to connect the structural elements, and the organization of ligation will make it possible to create a reliable structure.

Masonry with diaphragms. 1-expanded clay or foam concrete, 2-screed, 3-solid corner, 4-diaphragm.

Well masonry it is called so because in cross-section it looks very much like a chain of wells. Between the thin walls, the dressings are stacked vertically on top of each other.

Anchor brick and concrete masonry uses foam concrete instead of insulation. Those interlocking bricks that protrude from each wall into the internal cavity form the anchorage of the concrete to the wall.

Method of laying bricks with a layer occurs with the formation of 5-6 cm gaps in such a way that a reliable dressing is obtained, as well as so that there is no possibility of mutual displacement of the inner and outer walls. The resulting layer acts as thermal insulation and can easily be filled with some kind of insulation.

Reinforced masonry method

This method is used in the construction of brick walls, which can perform various functions:

The reinforcement used can give the wall additional rigidity and reliability in earthquake-prone areas.

The use of reinforcement may be due to the replacement of the laying of bonded rows or diaphragms during the construction of thermally insulated lightweight walls.

Decorative masonry

The decorative masonry method is used in cases where the wall will not be plastered. In such cases, it would be a logical decision to give the surface the most attractive appearance. It would be difficult to list all types of brickwork providing a decorative surface at the facade here, but we will still list the main ones:

Forming a pattern from different colored bricks by chain tying. It is the simplest solution for combining sand-lime and red bricks.

The use of Bavarian masonry, i.e. In each row several bricks with a dark shade alternate.

With this method, facing bricks are used to lay out the relief corner of the structure.

The use of decorative masonry, together with careful cutting of seams, can be attractive not only on the facade, but also on the inside. We talked about this in more detail in the article "".

In this case, decorative bricks of an unusual shape are used.

With this method, an imitation of partially destroyed and rough masonry is organized. But most often for such an interior, wall relief panels are used.

Openwork method

Everyone usually associates brick with solid capital walls. But, despite this, it is quite possible to build seemingly weightless walls and fences from it.

Fences and walls do not have to be straight, as everyone is used to. Thus, during the construction of ancient castles and fortresses, hewn stones were used, but even from ordinary bricks curved structures and not necessarily monolithic ones can be made.