Brick walls are strong and durable, damage resistant, can withstand relatively high loads. You can use brick to form more than just straight lines., but also curved walls. In case of using plaster, the final result depends on the mixtures used, their colors and application method. In this article we consider the issue of self-construction of brick walls.
Required Tools
If you want to build a wall yourself, then you have to be patient and get the right tool. The most important of them is the level, which will serve to check the accuracy of the vertical and horizontal. Besides, you must arm yourself:
- trowel;
- hammer and chisel or pick;
- rubber mallet;
- fishing line for masons;
- bucket.
To even out the width of the seams, you can buy a mason's jointer or cut plywood into strips of the desired thickness.
Brick selection
Buy brick worker from a trusted manufacturer, it must have the same dimensions, and free from defects. This is especially important, when are you going to do the masonry yourself?. A good specialist can also handle crooked bricks., but if this is your first experience, then the use of uneven bricks will ultimately, can lead to disappointment in one's own abilities. Not important, what the manufacturer says, you should check for yourself, that all edges are equal and there are no defects.
Solution
Ready-made mixtures can be used as a solution. You can also cook it yourself, mixing 1 piece of cement with two, maximum three parts of sand. To this mixture you need to add half – maximum one part lime or other plasticizer (lime is not recommended, when to build a clinker wall, which you are not going to cover with plaster). Then add water to obtain a sticky mass., consistency like thick sour cream. Too dry and will be porous and difficult to apply., too liquid will not stick to the brick and will fall.
Let's start laying
The most difficult first row. The level should be checked, is there any basis, on which you will build a wall, ideal horizontal plane. If not, then you need to tighten the fishing line according to the level, so that the first row of bricks lies perfectly flat, in this case, the desired position can be adjusted with a layer of solution. If the base has an ideal level, then we can safely say, that the hardest part is behind you.
Using a trowel, you need to apply the solution with a thickness slightly larger than the planned thickness of the seam. For beginners, when laying bricks, it is worth using jointing so that the brick lays evenly creating a perfect seam.
Subsequent rows should be laid offset by half a brick to create a bond. Half bricks are not available for sale for this purpose., therefore, you need to prepare them yourself using a pickaxe, or a chisel and a regular hammer. Using them it is difficult to achieve a perfect cut, therefore, in the case of clinker cladding, you can use a grinder with a stone disc.
The laying of subsequent rows is the same, like the first one, with only one difference, what if the first one was done correctly, subsequent ones will be easier to complete. But this does not mean that you can relax and let go of the bubble level.. The more often you use it, the smoother the wall you will get. It is worth remembering to remove excess mortar and avoid getting it on visible brick walls. If you are not going to plaster the wall, then the work should be completed in a few days, filling the gaps between the bricks with joint compound.
Benefits of a brick wall
Brick wall has excellent load-bearing capacity, unlike plasterboard, it does not require preliminary preparation for subsequent placement of wall cabinets, heating batteries and equipment. This material is not only time-tested, but also quite self-sufficient in industrial-style interiors.
In the video for this article you will see clearly how to build brick walls yourself.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGE2TKsrNjs
