A brick wall can help you mark your territory (in a nice way) and prevent erosion. Plus, it’s a great place to show off your climbing roses or other plants. The good news for the DIYer is that building a brick wall is easier than you think.
When you’re laying bricks, make sure you use a string line to ensure that the wall is straight.
- Use a string line and a level to ensure that the wall is straight and level.
- Spread mortar onto the back of bricks with a bricklaying trowel, or use your hand if you’re laying them by hand.
- Place one brick at a time into position until you’ve reached the top of your wall, then brush off any excess mortar from the top surface of each brick before placing another one in place beside it to make sure they are aligned correctly with each other
If your wall is load bearing, be sure to check with your local building code official. You’ll probably need a building permit.
- If your wall is load bearing, be sure to check with your local building code official. You’ll probably need a building permit.
- The foundation of the wall will determine how sturdy your brick wall ends up. While concrete blocks are fine for garden bricks, if it’s going to need to bear weight or support anything, consider pouring a concrete footing so it’s as close to indestructible as possible.
The foundation of the wall will determine how sturdy your brick wall ends up. While concrete blocks are fine for garden bricks, if it’s going to need to bear weight or support anything, consider pouring a concrete footing so it’s as close to indestructible as possible.
The foundation of the wall will determine how sturdy your brick wall ends up. While concrete blocks are fine for garden bricks, if it’s going to need to bear weight or support anything, consider pouring a concrete footing so it’s as close to indestructible as possible.
In order to properly prepare the ground, shovel out some dirt from where you want your wall built so that there’s about 3 inches between the surface of the soil and where you’ll be laying down bricks. Make sure that this area is smooth and level.
You’ll want to use about ten per cent more than the number of bricks you calculate you’ll need since some of them will break during laying. If you’re using a certain pattern or design in your brick wall, be sure to purchase a few extra bricks in case you mess up and have to replace them later.
When building a brick wall, it’s important to know how many bricks you need and how many of them will break. The first step is calculating the total area of your garden that you want enclosed by the brick wall. If you’re using a certain pattern or design in your brick wall, be sure to purchase a few extra bricks in case you mess up and have to replace them later.
The second step is ordering enough bricks for each side of the garden plus any extras based on patterns or designs that may need replacement later on down the road. You’ll want to use about ten per cent more than the number of bricks you calculate you’ll need since some of them will break during laying.
When laying a new brick next to an old one, if they don’t quite match up, either remove the old one and replace it with one that’s closer in size, or shave down the new one using an angle grinder.
If the brick you’re adding to your wall isn’t quite large enough to match the existing bricks, either remove the old one and replace it with something that will fit better, or shave down your new brick. This can be done using an angle grinder and a masonry blade.
- Position the angle grinder at a 45 degree angle and shave off small amounts of material from around the top of your new brick as needed until it fits into place properly.
- Ensure that you’re wearing safety gear such as dust mask and goggles when doing this; otherwise, you’ll risk breathing in harmful dust particles.
Don’t make a mortar bed larger than what will be covered by five bricks. Mortar dries out quickly and can crumble over time if not sealed properly.
Don’t make a mortar bed larger than what will be covered by five bricks. Mortar dries out quickly and can crumble over time if not sealed properly. It should be about 1/4″ thick, level and smooth before laying your bricks. Find the corner where you want to start building and start with one brick placed at one end of the wall, butted against another brick on the opposite side of the wall (this is called an “end bond”). Then lay a course of bricks in an alternating pattern for each row until you reach your desired height. Then use a trowel or garden spade to apply regular mortar onto both sides of each course of bricks using a slight spreading motion with firm pressure across its surface; align them so their ends are staggered from row to row without leaving gaps between them; fill any voids with more mortar; let dry overnight; remove excess mortar from between courses using cold water as needed
Conclusion
Brick walls are a common feature of many homes, and they can be used for both interior and exterior design. Building your own brick wall is not as difficult as it sounds, but it does take some patience and planning to get right. We recommend that you hire an expert installer if you are going to use the wall in an area where weight will be supported (such as on top of an existing concrete foundation) or if you’re unsure of how to install them properly.
