How to Build a Brick Wall

Installing brick walls can be difficult work, but if the job is not very large, you can surely feel the pride that comes with knowing you did it yourself.

There are a few tools and terms you should become familiar with if you intend to take on a small brick project.

Brick Trowel: The main hand tool used in the trade. Basically, it is a triangular shaped piece of flat metal with an attached handle used to move mortar from one place to another when actually laying bricks.

Mortar, or ‘mud’: The mud like stuff that bricks are set in. Mortar is the substance (usually gray) that you see between bricks in the average brick wall.

The formula for making mortar is roughly 15 to 20 good shovels of sand to 1 70lb bag of mortar mix. This will require somewhere in the neighborhood of 5 gallons of water. Note, the water amounts will vary somewhat in accordance with sand moisture. I recommend that the dry materials be mixed prior to adding the water, then add the water about a gallon at a time until desired consistency is achieved.
I further recommend that if mixing mud by hand in a wheel barrow, that you use the larger type wheel barrow and divide the ingredients in half, mixing a half batch of mortar at a time with a garden hoe. This will make the job of mixing it a whole lot easier.

Pavers: bricks designed to be used in walkways, patios, driving surfaces and other surfaces where the appearance of holes is undesirable.

Over size bricks: These bricks usually come in 2 sizes, queen and king. In a wall, these bricks because of their size, will cover a larger area than the same number of common bricks.

Modular bricks: For our purposes they are almost the same height and depth as oversized brick, but they are not as long
Common bricks: Common bricks (in my rough estimate) measure about 8 1/2 inches long, 2 ½ inches tall, and 4 ½ inches deep.

Jointer: A hand tool used to smooth out the joints

Building larger walls requires the same principals as building small walls. First of all you must have a good foundation upon which you will lay the bricks. After a good “footer” is in place, ensure that the wall will be as close to plumb as possible. Plumb is the term used describing the vertical accuracy as determined by a level. Since no one can handle the level and lay bricks simultaneously, you can ensure the wall will be plumb in two ways.

1. Lead Building: Building up each end of the wall by laying a few of the first course of bricks (usually enough equaling the length of your level, then straightening that row utilizing your level; tapping them both into level and aligning them. Then, start the next course with a half brick. After the course is laid and leveled plumb the courses by placing a level vertically against each end (one at a time) while slightly shifting the bricks as necessary into plumb. Then, hold your level horizontal along the two courses and tap as necessary, either the bricks out to touch the level, or tap the level to move each course of bricks into alignment with the ends. These steps will then be repeated until you only have 2 or 3 bricks on the top course. Although this sounds complicated, I think that with a little practice and a little common sense you will have these steps figured out in no time.

2. If veneering an existing wall, the other Way to ensure your wall will be plumb is to set up lead poles. Lead poles are strait 2X4’s or angle irons attached to an existing surface via metal or wooden brackets. The brackets (if wood) should consist of 2 – 1 foot lengths of 2X4’s nailed together roughly forming a right angle, then nailing a cross support across the top of said bracket ensuring it doesn’t hang over which would impede the bracket being nailed flat against the wall you are veneering.

After the brackets are nailed to the wall, a lead pole will be placed vertically against it and secured with a c-clamp. The bottom of the lead pole can be secured by laying a brick (temporarily) against it or by driving a wooden stake into the ground beside it, attaching it to the lead pole with another c-clamp. Note, while securing the lead pole to the bracket, hold a level against it to ensure it is plumb in 2 directions/ meaning toward the left and right as well as front and back.

Now the lead pole needs to be marked for course heights. To do this, the professionals use a brick ruler: A wooden folding ruler with traditional ruler markings on one side and a brick scale on the other side. There are at least 3 different types of these brick scale rules you may come across: One for modular bricks, one for common bricks and one for oversized bricks. To simplify things for you, let me suggest you make a story pole instead of worrying about which ruler you need.

Story pole: a 4 to 6 foot length of wood (such as a 2”X2” that you will use as a kind of template to mark the heights of each course on both ends of the wall.
Let me explain: First, draw an arrow on one face of the 2X2 indicating which end of the story pole is the bottom. Now, take one of your bricks holding the face of it against the bottom of the pole then put a mark about ½ inch above the top edge of the brick’s face. This indicates the top of the first course. Now hold the bottom edge of the brick’s face against that mark and place another mark about ½ inch above the brick’s face. Move the brick up placing the bottom edge of its face against the mark and draw another mark about ½ inch above the face… repeat until the story pole is marked all the way up.

Now, take the story pole, holding it vertically against your lead pole and transfer the marks you made on the story pole to the lead pole. With the same story pole, repeat this process on the other lead pole.

Regardless of what kind of lead system you’re using, lead poles or lead building, a mason’s line and a couple of “line blocks” will be needed to accurately lay the bricks in a strait line. The line blocks are small “L” shaped blocks of wood with a groove running along the center of each of them. Masons line is passed through the groove, then wrapped a number of times around the block; securing it.

After securing line to the block, attach the block to the end of the brick lead, or lead pole and run the line over to the other end securing the line there by utilizing another line block. Ensure the line is as tight as possible. (Hint: hooking the line block to the bottom of the built lead will ensure you don’t pull the bricks out of alignment when securing it to the other built lead. Moving the line up is a simple matter of getting it to stay in line with the top of each course as the bricks are laid. Accomplish this by folding a dollar bill around the line at the points where the end of the leads stops. Just pull the line upward to the top of the course you will be laying then set another brick (on end) on top of the dollar to hold the line where it needs to be.

When using the marks you made on the lead poles, all you have to do is ensure the mason’s line is even with the marks prior to beginning the laying process. Do this by hooking the line block behind the mark, then accurately adjust the line right over the mark.

The preparation for laying the bricks is about 90% of any brick job. After the wall is ready to lay, you should have your bricks stacked within reach as well as a few mortar boards. Mortar boards are 2 foot square pieces of plywood that will temporarily hold mortar within your reach. They will be set up on 5 gallon buckets, or stacks of bricks so you (the layer) won’t have to reach to the ground for the mortar which will wear you out quickly.

Granted there are “stands” and other equipment that the professionals use, but for our purposes I don’t think it would be cost effective for the do-it-yourselfer to buy these for little around-the-house projects.

Prior to putting mortar on the above mentioned mortar boards, you’ll want to wet the boards with water. This will help keep your mortar from drying out too quickly.
Laying the bricks begins with laying a bed of mortar where the bricks will be placed. Scoop from the mortar board and place mortar where the bricks will go, then furrow the center of the bed. That is, run the point of your trowel down the center of the mortar bed while moving the trowel in an up-and-down pattern. This will create a void that the mortar can squish into.

When laying the bricks, professionals almost always work from left to right. To do this, your left leg will be closes to the wall. With your left hand, you will reach over, grab a brick from the stack nearby, and scoop a little mud (mortar) from the board with the tip of the trowel in your right hand, in two quick swiping motion mortar the end of the brick that you are laying against as well as the end of the brick in your hand. Set the brick into the mud bed squishing it even with the line. Now, in a clean swipe, cut the mortar from the wall that squishes out from the brick. Use this mortar to swipe the leading end of this brick, and Repeat the entire process. As you continue working at this, you will undoubtedly get better and faster, so don’t fret if this seems a little confusing at first.

For the beginning layer, I recommend that the jointing be done after 5 courses are laid. There are several types of jointers used to finish the mortar, which for simplicity sake, I’ll discuss 2: Rakes and barrels.

Rakes remove mortar from the joints (rake it out) leaving a modular appearance, while barrels and the type leave a slick concave finish while packing the mortar tightly into the joint. For most people this is a matter of personal preference. However, I like the concave joint better because it is a lot more water resistant.

When using the barrels, you should do the head joints (all the short vertical joints) first. Then do the bed joints (the long horizontal joints). Finally, after a few minutes, brush the wall with a soft bristled brush.

You can, by all means, adjust and modify any of these steps to suit your personal preferences.

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