Bricks are the universal unit of building, and have been for centuries. They come in a quite bewildering array of sizes and types. The project outlined here is a good introduction to bricklaying but the subject has filled many books and you are encouraged to refer to other books for additional information. Your brick supplier is also a helpful source of information about quantities and other basics.

Although there are hundreds of different kinds of bricks, all with different names, most are descriptive. Important names to get to know refer to the types of bricks. For instance, commons are average quality bricks used for work that does not show, as they are seldom uniform in color. Facing bricks or facings are used where they can be seen. They are well shaped and even in color. Engineering bricks are hard, waterproof and usually used underground. Bricks are further divided into categories of special, internal, or ordinary to indicate quality.

There are two sizes you must deal with when planning a brick structure. They are the actual size and the nominal size. For example, metric standard bricks are the equivalent of the old imperial standard bricks. They measure 230mm long, 76mrn high and 11Omm from front to back. Metric modular bricks measure 290 x 90 x 90mm. The nominal sizes are these sizes plus an allowance for the mortar joints between the bricks. To get the nominal size, add 1Omm to each of the dimensions of the actual size.

You should try to plan your wall so it is in multiples of the nominal size. This will give a neater result with less cutting of bricks needed.

Basic tools.
• 25cm pointed trowel for buttering mortar onto the bricks.
• Broad bladed cold chisel called a brick bolster and club hammer for cutting bricks.
• Hawk for holding small amounts of mortar. Make it from a 23cm square of plywood screwed or nailed to a short length of broomstick.
• A board for mixing the mortar. A 60cm square of old plywood raised on bricks is ideal.
• A story rod or gauge to ensure the rows of bricks (called courses) are rising evenly. Make a story rod by sawing marks at intervals up a straight piece of timber. Make them every 10Omm for modular bricks and 86mm for standard.
• To ensure that all work is level and true, you will also need a 60cm spirit level for checking vertical and horizontal planes, a plumb-bob and a length of line and pins for building up even courses.

Bats on your stretcher?
Bricklaying has almost a whole language of its own. You can get by if you know a few of the common terms, and you can learn the meanings of others as you go along.

Course - a horizontal layer of bricks as long and broad as the wall, including mortar joints.

Bond - in a brick wall the joints are never one above another. The bricks always overlap by at least a quarter of their length and usually half their length. This gives the wall strength and stability. There are many ways of achieving this pattern or bond. The simplest is called a, stretcher bond. The arrangement is made up of identical staggered courses of stretcher bricks. Using half bricks at the ends of courses evens out the pattern

Bed - refers to the mortar on which each course is laid.

Stretcher - a brick laid with its length showing on the face of the wall. Hence, stretcher bond

Header - a brick laid at right angles to the wall so its end shows on the face of the wall.

Bats - parts of bricks used to complete the bond. Cutting bricks may make half or three-quarter bats.

Closer - a quarter brick used to complete the bond in courses, which start with a header. A half brick cut logway is called a Queen Closer.

Piers - they are thicker sections of half or one-brick thickness projecting at intervals along the length of a wall. A wall that is very long or high needs piers built into it at intervals, from the foundations up to the top.

Cutting bricks.
This takes practice but is an essential skill for successful bricklaying. To cut, place the brick face down on a bed of sand, mark the cutting line all around it in wax crayon and score along the line with chisel and hammer. Then strike the chisel hard with the hammer to cut through the brick- Allow for a few failures until you get the hang of this.

Keeping things level.
It is very important that all measurements be taken with care and that you check levels in all directions to ensure the wail is rising evenly and straight. Use the spirit level to check both the plumb and the level of the wall. You will also need to use a line and guide for every course. There are masonry lines that attach to the corners or you can attach the line to nails poked into the wet mortar. Move the line up each time and you will end up with a straighter wall.

Building a simple garden wall.

Now you can put your basic knowledge to work building a simple garden wall. Check first with your council regarding permissible heights and any other conditions, which might affect you.

Step 1.
Dig a trench to take the concrete foundation for the fence. Use a spirit level to get the trench base level. Set up wooden planks beyond the two ends of where the trench will be and stretch four string lines taut between nails hammered into the tops of the boards. The two inner string lines mark where the fence will go and the two outer ones mark the edges of the trench. Foundations should usually be as deep and at least twice as wide as the planned thickness of the wall. Pour concrete into the trench up to the top and ensure that it is level.

Step 2.
Mix the mortar- Mortar is a mixture of cement, lime and sand in various proportions. A good mixture for most jobs is one part lime. Six parts clean - sharp builders sand and one part cement. To make the mortar easier to work with, you can add a product called liquid ball bearing, sold under various brand names. This can be added direct to the cement, or diluted in water and added to the mix. Follow the directions on the product. You can also use household liquid detergent as a substitute for liquid ball bearing. Only mix as much mortar as you can use in an hour, as it cannot be made workable again once it sets. First mix the lime and water to a thick cream on your mixing board then add the sand and finally the cement. Test the mixture by squeezing some in your hand. It should retain the marks of your fingers without being runny or too crumbly.

Step 3.
Next lay out the wall with stakes and lines to establish where the corners will be, Mark them carefully then spread a thin layer of mortar about 60-80cm beyond each end of the concrete foundation strip. On the mortar, mark in the lines for the corners, extending them a few meters in both directions from each corner. Use a straight edge and spirit level to get the angle exactly right. Use your trowel to mark the line in the wet mortar. Hose the bricks down and keep them damp while you work. If too dry, they absorb moisture from the mortar and weaken it. Wear gloves to prevent the mortar drying on your skin and keep a bucket of water handy to clean tools as you work.

Step 4.
Now start in one corner and lay a 2cm bed of mortar, enough for about six bricks. Ensure the mortar doesn’t cover your building lines. Lay the first brick, indented side upwards, exactly against the line drawn in the mortar. Check it with a level using the trowel, butter the inside end of a second brick with mortar and press it against the first so there is a 6mm join between them. Lay a few more bricks this way and check that the line is aimed directly at the marked corner at the other end of the wall Bring the string line down to check this.

Step 5.
Put a bed of mortar on top of the first course of six bricks and lay about five bricks in the same way, checking the level. If you started with a full brick on the first course, start with a half brick for the next course so the joins are staggered, forming the required bond. Continue until you have built a sort of pyramid in the corner that is about four courses high.

Step 6.
Now build the same sort of pyramid in the corner at the other end of the wall, using the level and string line to ensure they line up.

Step 7.
Now lay the bricks in between the corners, starting with the first course. Work from both ends towards the centre, laying down a bed of mortar first. If the bottom course is not quite level, use the mortar to compensate Then check the bricks in the first course to ensure they are level. Use the last brick in the centre (the closer) to complete the course, varying the joint to compensate if necessary. Collect mortar as it oozes out of the joints and put it onto your hawk for re-use.

Step 8.
There are a number of decorative finishes that can be used to make the joints neat and weather-proof. For beginners, the most common is the rubbed joint made by rubbing a rounded tool such as a piece of pipe or dowel over the mortar joint. This must be done before the mortar hardens so you may have to work fast on a hot day. Do the vertical joints first then the horizontals.

Step 9.
After jointing, brush the wall to remove any burrs or leftover mortar. Ensure the bristles do not leave marks in the mortar joins. Any mortar you overlook can be removed later with a wire brush.

Step 10.
If masonry has discolored the bricks, clean it off later with a dilute solution of one part muriatic acid to 10 parts water. Apply the solution with a stiff brush, working from the top down. Wait a few minutes then flush off with water. Handle the acid with care and follow the precautions on the product. Wear gloves while using.