A Beginners Guide To Bricklaying

Wester

Could anybody recomend a good book with good quality photographs and diagrams about how to learn the bassics of brick/blocklaying

And help on the subject please

ormus

ukjoel

I did a one day course at a local college a while ago as part of their adult education courses.

I used to work for a company that allocated you a few hundred quid a year to do this stuff and so a couple of times a year went on obscure courses like kite surfing, curry making, brick laying and my personal favorite massage (although you may not be so lucky with your partner on the day).

Cost about £60 and there was a 2 hour theory session on the Thursday night and then all day saturday mixing mortar, building a wall and lots and lots of carrying bricks.

May be worth looking for something similar although to be honest I preferred the curry making and the massages.

Wester

Any help on the subject please

ormus

http://www.diydoctor.org.uk/projects/laybricksandblocks.htm

try this to start with.

there are dvd,s on the net about bricklaying and other trades.
checkout bricklaying school co uk.

also try youtube.

27col

Like ukjoel I did a 2 day course at the local Adult education College. Money well spent, 1/2 day theory and full day practical, I went straight off and built my self a double garage, saving several thousand pounds in the process. I have done several largish jobs since and feel quite confident in laying bricks. Also, I find it very therapeutic, if a bit tiring. Obviously, I will never match a professional but I am pleased to show my efforts to anyone.

ormus

i started off doing small jobs such as BBQs etc....
and never did anything bigger.

decided it was cheaper and quicker to get a brickie in. last extension cost me 900 quid in brickie labour. (3 walls).

Widelats

I can lay bricks, as a newbie the tricky bit is getting the mortar on the trowel, then onto the brick edge, get yourself some mortar and a trowel and a few bricks and practice picking up the mortar from the board, and putting it neatly on the brick edges in 4 strokes, each edge of the brick at the brick ends.

Once you got that ok you then should practice laying mortar on top of other bricks, you kind of throw it on with a simple wrist flick and with practice you get a neat line of mortar on the bricks, then put a brick on top and use the trowel to tap down the edges so that the mortar underneath is the right height that you want it. Its one of them things that only practice can make perfect.

This guy has got it correct. This is going slow, its for instruction, on the sites you go really quick.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yctod6hC5D0&feature=related