The 6 best masonry tips

Masonry is still widely used in construction. Bricks are the most common cladding material in the Netherlands. Bricklaying is a profession that you learn mainly in practice. It is a matter of doing a lot, but also of knowing what you are doing. These six masonry tips can help.

Tip 1 Choose a stone with a seal of approval

Always choose a facing brick with a seal of approval to ensure quality. Tumbled bricks are often chosen for renovation projects. They are "old" and therefore not super smooth in shape. This is a little more difficult to work with. With ceramic bricks, the challenge lies in the color. This can vary slightly from one package to another. Therefore, mix bricks from four or five packs so that at least no lines or planes are created in the facade.

Tip 2: Choose the right mortar to go with the stone

It is important that the composition of the grout is matched to the degree of suction of the brick. The suction behavior of the bricks is indicated on the packaging or in the technical data as "initial water suction. It is divided into four classes: from 1 (very little suction) to 4 (strong suction). If the mortar does not match the stone, the adhesion will not be good. One more tip: use clean water when making the mortar.

Tip 3: Wet the stones

With the on suction effect, the stones should be wetted before use. Especially in summer with somewhat higher temperatures, this is very important. Under such conditions, dry bricks would absorb the water from the mortar far too quickly. Then no good adhesion will occur and the wall will not get stability. It is sufficient to briefly dip each brick into a bucket or mortar tub filled with water. If the bricks are outside and it has been raining, this is of course not necessary.

Tip 4: Work neatly, with attention to 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. Also, adhere to the selected joint thickness. In traditional masonry, this is usually 10 to 15 millimeters.

Tip 5: Anticipate potential tension

It is necessary to create expansion joints in the masonry on long walls. This prevents a facade from cracking, for example, due to large temperature differences or wind loads. Masonry reinforcement may also be wise, for example in masonry above a window. Masonry reinforcement comes in various forms, such as a twisted stainless steel rod or wire mesh consisting 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!