A brick garden wall is a great way to add character and dimension to your outdoor living space. While building any kind of wall is a challenging DIY project, adding a small retaining wall here and there doesn’t have to be too arduous. If you’re willing to put in some time and effort, you can complete this project with a partner or friend in an afternoon. We’ll walk you through the entire process of building a small garden retaining wall below—but please seek out professional advice if you have any doubts about tackling this project on your own.
What You’ll Need:
You’ll need:
- A level surface to build your wall on. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but the closer you can get it to being flat, the straighter your bricks will be.
- Bricks – You’re going to want enough bricks for the height of your wall and then some in case one or two break while being laid. I would recommend buying a few extra just in case though! Make sure they are all uniform with each other so that they match up neatly when building a brick wall like this.
- Mortar – This is what you use to hold the bricks together by filling in any spaces between them after laying them down onto your base surface (see below). There are different types of mortar depending on what kind of brickwork project you want to do:
- If using natural clay or quarry tiles then use pointing mortar which is easier than regular cement mix because it won’t crack as soon as it dries out; however if using natural materials make sure they don’t contain too much salt which could make them rot.
Step 1
- Choose the area you want to build the wall.
- Choose the bricks you will use for this project. You can find them at your local building materials store, and they’ll come in a variety of sizes, textures, and colors—a few different types are pictured below.
- Consider how many of each kind of brick you’ll need before buying all of them at once; having too many will be wasteful and cost more money than necessary.
- Decide which mortar trowel is best for working with how thick or thin your bricks are (and whether or not they have any cracks). The thicker ones work especially well if both sides have been smoothed over by hand before being laid down on top one another–but don’t worry if yours aren’t perfectly smooth yet! It’ll still look beautiful when finished as long as they aren’t crumbling apart while still wet with water from cleaning off excess mortar adhesive underneath them together using small amounts
Step 2
With your bricks, begin by placing the first row in the corner of your garden wall. Make sure it is level, using a spirit level to check and adjust as necessary. Use a brick trowel to ensure that your mortar is flush with each brick and then use a brick hammer to ensure that all of them are flush.
Step 3
Once you’ve chosen the bricks, make sure that they are level. A lot of people forget to do this, but it’s really important. You don’t want any of your bricks leaning too much or too little. Next, place them on the wall and make sure they are not too close together or too far apart from each other. If this sounds like a lot of things to keep track of—it is! Fortunately for us though, our brains have evolved to handle these kinds of tasks with ease (and we can even help others with them).
So now that you know how to build a small garden wall with bricks—go forth and build one.
Step 4
- Use a spirit level to ensure the wall is level. You can also use a spirit level to check your bricks and mortar.
- Test the mortar by doing a dry run with some bricks. If you notice any gaps, add more water until it’s smooth and soft but not too runny.
- Don’t mix more than you can use in one session; don’t apply too much mortar to your trowel; don’t keep unused mortar for later use—it will spoil.
Step 5
- Place the bricks in the trench, making sure that they are level with each other and at the correct height. Use a flat-blade trowel to apply mortar to the joints, then tap them into place with a rubber mallet or bricklayer’s hammer. Make sure you have enough bricks for your project, but remember that you will be cutting them to size later on so don’t buy too many! Also, be sure that your bricks are small enough for one person to carry easily—even if it means buying more than what you need for this job.
- Set up your gauge rod according to its instructions (which may vary depending on which model you have). This will allow you to measure out equal intervals from one side of the wall so that both sides match up perfectly when finished building
Step 6
- Apply the first layer of bricks to the wall and level them with a trowel.
- Apply the second layer of bricks and tidy up any mortar between them with a trowel until it’s nice and smooth to touch.
- Once you’ve done this for both sides, allow your small garden wall to dry completely before applying sealant or paint (if you choose).
Step 7
You’ll need to make sure that you have evenly stacked bricks, as well as smooth mortar. Use a spirit level to check that the bricks are all level and there aren’t any gaps between them. If they aren’t all even, use a brick trowel to make sure that the mortar is level with the top of the bricks so it doesn’t look uneven when you put on your capstones.
Building a brick garden wall is a great DIY project.
Building a brick garden wall is a great DIY project. It can be done in a weekend and is an excellent way to save money on landscaping. You’ll also have the satisfaction of creating something beautiful that will last for many years. In addition, building a wall gives you insight into construction methods and architectural design principles, which can help inform your other home improvement projects—or even lead you to pursue more advanced training in building trades or architecture later on in life.
Conclusion
Building a brick garden wall is a great DIY project, and it’s not as hard as it looks. It will take some planning, patience, and elbow grease, but anyone can do it with the right tools and a good guide. The steps we talked about above should give you an idea of what to expect when you get started. But remember to think about all the details before you begin—like finding the perfect spot for your garden wall or choosing the best bricks for your project—and don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it.
