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The home mechanic will probably wish to try his hand at building with bricks and certainly there are few materials so well suited to numerous building projects, whether they be inside the house or outside. Attractive and durable garden walks can be made by laying bricks dry in a bed of sand and the home mechanic might well try his hand at one of these first to get the general feel of brickwork. Once the principles of bricklaying have been mastered, solid as well as attractive walls chimneys and fireplaces can be constructed that will add to the appearance and comfort of the home. Common brick, which can be purchased at the lumber yard in nearly every town and city, measures 2 1/4 x 3 3/4 x 8 inches. Each row of bricks is called a course." There are several courses such as the "stretcher course" where the bricks are set down flat and end to end. In the "header course" the bricks are laid with the width facing out. Bricks laid in this manner will make a wall 8 inches thick as the bricks are 8 inches long. A brick wall is made by laying several courses, one over another, and the arrangement of the courses is called the bond. Actually it is the pattern of the wall. In the common bond you will notice that there are five layers of stretcher courses topped with a header course. If the wall is to continue up, another five rows of stretcher courses should be set down and then another header course. This process continues to the top of the wall. As the width of the bricks on the stretcher course is only four inches, another stretcher course must be laid alongside the first to make the total eight inches. The header course will then tie in these two courses and make the wall solid. Another type of bond is called the "English" bond. In this type there are alternative courses of headers and stretchers. A header is laid first and as this is eight inches deep, two stretcher courses, running alongside each other, go on top. On top of this goes a header course, then a stretcher, and so forth. In laying two stretcher courses, one alongside the other it is important to stagger the vertical joints. This rule, in fact, applies to all vertical joints. The joints must be staggered so that one will not come directly on top of the other. The "Flemish" bond is so constructed that each course is a combination of headers and stretchers. Professional bricklayers use a wide assortment of tools to speed up the work of laying bricks and to form different kinds of joints. As far as the home mechanic is concerned, he will need a trowel, a spirit level, a hammer (do not use a good claw hammer) and a cold chisel. The level should be about two feet long, and of the type that can be used to check both vertical and horizontal lines. Do not try to judge whether the wall is plumb, just by looking at it. Use the level often to make certain. A good way to keep each course horizontal is to stretch a line along the face of the wall and use this as a guide. The mortar used for laying bricks is made with 1 part Portland cement to 3 parts clean sand. This mixture works easier if 10 per cent of lime is added. All mortar joints should be about 1/2 inch thick and the mortar should be packed in to fill the joint solidly. Many damp walls are caused by not completely packing the joints with mortar. The brickwork should be laid on a solid footing and this must be at least equal in width to the wall that is to be built upon it. The footing should extend below the frost line. The top of the footing must be horizontal.
Before starting to lay the bricks it is a good idea to lay out the first course on the footing, making allowance between each brick for the mortar, to determine whether or not any bricks will have to be cut. Cutting the bricks can be done with the hammer and cold chisel. The bricks should be wet before they are set in with the mortar. Either keep the bricks soaking in a large tub filled with water or have a garden hose handy and spray them down. from time to time. When you are ready to start laying the bricks, spread a bed of mortar on the foundation and work it level with the trowel. The horizontal mortar joint must be level throughout the construction. Take the first brick, cover 'one end with mortar and set it in place with the mortared end facing in the direction that the course is to be laid. Take up the second brick, spread the mortar on one end and set it down, with the dry end up, against the mortared face of the first brick. Continue this process along the entire course. Be sure to get each joint packed with mortar. Avoid the necessity of having to move a brick, once it has been set in the mortar. The reason for this is that, if a brick is moved once the mortar has begun to set, the bond will not be perfect, and the slight crack that results will allow water to get into the wall. The surplus mortar squeezed out of the horizontal joints should be picked up with the trowel and used for the bed of the next course.
There, are several kinds of joints used for the face of a brick wall. The flush joint which is the easiest to make should not be used on exterior work as it is inclined to absorb moisture. If the top of a brick wall is exposed to the weather, it should be capped or topped with a rich cement mortar rounded slightly so that the water will drain off. If the top of a brick wall is not so protected, rain, is sure to find openings in the joints and flow down into the wall.
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