Bricklaying is still widely used in construction. Bricks are the most common type of exterior cladding in the Netherlands. Bricklaying is a trade that you learn primarily through hands-on experience. It’s a matter of doing it a lot, but also of knowing what you’re doing. These six bricklaying tips can help with that.
Tip 1: Choose a brick with a quality certification mark
Always choose a facing brick with a quality certification; that way, you can be sure of its quality. Tumbled bricks are often chosen for renovation projects. They have an “aged” look and aren’t perfectly uniform in shape, which makes them a bit trickier to work with. With ceramic bricks, the challenge lies in the color. It can sometimes vary slightly from package to package. Therefore, mix bricks from four or five packages together to ensure that no lines or distinct areas appear in the facade.
Tip 2: Choose the right mortar for the brick
It is important that the mortar’s composition is tailored to the brick’s degree of water absorption. The bricks’ water absorption is indicated on the packaging or in the technical specifications as “initial water absorption.” This is divided into four classes: from 1 (very low water absorption) to 4 (high water absorption). If the mortar isn’t compatible with the brick, the bond won’t be strong. Here’s another tip: use clean water when mixing the mortar.
Tip 3: Wet the bricks
Due to their absorbency, the bricks must be wetted before use. This is especially important in the summer when temperatures are higher. Under those conditions, dry bricks would absorb the water from the mortar much too quickly. This prevents proper bonding and compromises the wall’s stability. It’s sufficient to briefly dip each brick into a bucket or mortar tub filled with water. If the bricks are stored outdoors and it has rained, then of course this isn’t necessary.
Tip 4: Work neatly, with an eye for detail
A facade is a big surface. A mistake, a broken brick, differences in joint thickness: all of these are noticeable. So work as neatly and consistently as possible. Stick to the chosen masonry bond. Very often this is half-brick, with the bricks are placed on top of each other lengthwise. But there are many other masonry dressings. Be sure to stick to the chosen joint thickness. In traditional masonry, this is usually 10 to 15 millimeters.
Tip 5: Anticipate potential stress
It is necessary to create expansion joints in the masonry along long walls. This prevents the facade from cracking, for example, due to large temperature differences or wind loads. It may also be wise to use masonry reinforcement, for example, in masonry above a window opening. Masonry reinforcement comes in various forms, such as twisted stainless steel rods or mesh made of fine steel cables and fiberglass.
Tip 6: Protect fresh masonry from rain
Masonry that is not yet fully cured is very sensitive to moisture. If the fresh masonry rains heavily, there is a good chance that some of the mortar will wash out. Also, the bricks themselves may start to "efflorescence. This means that certain substances (such as salts) come out of the bricks. That leaves a white haze that is difficult to get off. So cover the newly bricked wall. After two days, protection is no longer necessary, but masonry is not fully cured until two to four weeks on average.
Another weather tip: go not masonry when it freezes!
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