Important Construction Details about Brick Walls
- The slab area on which the wall is built should be chipped, (if smooth) cleaned and wetted before the work begins. A layer of cement grout is then applied on the slab area as well as on the sides of columns, which would be bound by the wall to ensure a sound bonding with the brickwork.
- The first course, which generally is a stretcher course, is laid on a 15 mm thick layer of mortar applied over the grout layer and two bricks are placed in the corner point’s wall. Both cross-joints and bed joints should generally have a thickness of about 10mm, which is ensured inserting fingers between the bricks for bed joints.
- The verticality of the wall is checked with the plumb bob and generally two bricks of a particular side are checked for the verticality and the balance is adjusted according to that. In a stretcher course the two bricks are laid with setting the outer edges at the exact spacing and leveling both sides. A header course is leveled only at one side of the wall
- With the aid of two strings drawn temporarily in such a way, the plane of strings is horizontal the top level and line of a brick of a particular course can be given.
- The work can proceeded raising the corners in a step manner up to about 5 / and filling the balance after that. Otherwise, the whole wall can be raised as one particular unit.
- The soaking of bricks is very important otherwise the water in the mortar is absorbed by the bricks.
- The width of the brick wall should be maintained by measuring its width by using measuring tape.
- All corners (right angles) should be checked by using masons square for each course.
- Brick walls should not be constructed to a height over1.5m within a day.
- Tooth should be provided always for succeeding constructions according to the drawings.