A short brick wall can be built in just two days. It features a common look to create a simple, beautiful design. This guide will walk you through the basics of how to build a short brick wall, including what materials to use and how high to place your finished wall.
Short brick walls are perfect for arranging closely together to create a unique and eye-catching border, or to simply add interest to your garden. It is easy to build yourself, no matter how large or small the area that needs brick edging.
A short brick wall is built of bricks laid on their face, with the joints running horizontally. This type of wall is often used to provide a decorative barrier. As with all brick walls, it’s important that you start by laying a foundation, or footing, before you begin laying bricks.
Building a brick wall is great way to add a new feature to your garden. However, before you begin work make sure that it complies with the Building Regulations. The person who designed your wall will probably have obtained the necessary approval but if not, you should contact your building control department for advice. You should also ensure that you are using the correct materials to carry out your project and it is vitally important to check for any underground services such as gas pipes or cable lines so that no damage occurs during building.
You will need to use a mini-digger to dig the hill down or the trench out so that you can reach the area.
You will need to use a mini-digger to dig the hill down or the trench out so that you can reach the area. Do not use a normal digger, as it will be too big and heavy for this job.
- A mini-digger should be able to dig down to the depth of your wall (about 20cm). It will also be able to dig out your trench.
Next you need to level the ground as best you can. If your ground is in a dip, use hardcore and compact it really well.
After you’ve had a good look at the ground, you can begin to level it up. Firstly, if you have any dips in the ground, fill them with hardcore and compact it really well (you can use a hammer for this). If your ground is fairly flat then just make sure that it’s nice and level before continuing.
Next, you need to get all of your materials together so that they’re ready when needed: digger (if digging yourself), bricks or blocks (your choice), mortar mix – which should come out of a bag or tub; level; spirit level; wet sand/gravel (or just concrete if there’s no sand nearby); boards for bedding down the bricks; gloves & goggles; face mask.
Once this is done, lay a bed of sand on the ground and level it off.
Once this is done, lay a bed of sand on the ground and level it off. Use a spirit level to check that the sand is perfectly level before applying any mortar to it. If you can find a trowel with a wide handle (the type used by painters), use it to apply mortar to the sand in sweeping motions. This will keep your hands safe from getting dirty while working on your brick wall project.
Then you will need a length of timber, at least 3m long, to use as a guide for your wall height. Use bricks at either end to support the timber, then lay more bricks on top until you have reached the height you want your wall to be.
Next, you will need a length of timber, at least 3m long, to use as a guide for your wall height. Use bricks at either end to support the timber and then lay more bricks on top until you have reached the height you want your wall to be.
Once finished with this stage of construction it’s time to level off the brickwork. Place a straight edge along each side of your short brick wall and use any necessary tools to ensure that all bricks are level with each other – this allows for an even finish when applying grout later on!
The bricks should always be laid with frog upwards for strength (frog is where there is a hole in the brick).
The bricks should always be laid with frog upwards for strength (frog is where there is a hole in the brick).
The pointy end of the brick is called a frog, and this should always point up when you lay them. The reason for this is that during manufacture of bricks, they are pressed into shape and built up layer by layer. This means that the bottom side has less mortar than the top side. To compensate for this, you need to make sure that you put more mortar on top than underneath so that your wall stands tall and sturdy.
Always make sure that your bricks are butted up tight against each other for strength too. If you’ve got a gap between them, this will weaken your wall when it’s built.
Make sure that your bricks are butted up tight against each other for strength too. If you’ve got a gap between them, this will weaken your wall when it’s built.
Use a straight edge to make sure that the bricks are at the same level and then use some mortar mix to secure them into place using a trowel or other tool.
Once you have finished laying your first course of bricks and are happy with their height, apply mortar to the top of each brick using a trowel. Don’t use too much mortar or it will squidge out everywhere! Apply gently and spread evenly over each one.
Once you have finished laying your first course of bricks and are happy with their height, apply mortar to the top of each brick using a trowel. Don’t use too much mortar or it will squidge out everywhere! Apply gently and spread evenly over each one.
If you are using a straight edge such as a spirit level or carpenter’s square to ensure even spacing between your bricks, don’t worry if some of the mortar squeezes out at this stage – this is normal.
Use another length of timber as a straight edge when applying mortar to each course of bricks, making sure that they are all at the same level.
To ensure that each brick is level, you will need to use another length of timber as a straight edge. You can also use a spirit level.
- Ensure that the bricks are all at the same level by using another length of timber as a straight edge when applying mortar to each course of bricks, making sure that they are all at the same level.
- Use a spirit level to check that the bricks are all at the same height when laying them down and then place another brick on top so it can be checked for accuracy again before more bricks are laid down.
Final words
That’s it! You have now built a brick wall. The last thing to do is to remove the timbers and your guide posts, then backfill with soil or a concrete mix depending on what you need from the wall.
