In this article, we’ll discuss some basic masonry techniques that will help you get an idea of ​​how to tackle any masonry job you want as an avid handyman.

Some masonry tips To take into account for a nice, neat and resistant finish, it would be to put the mortar well, use a trowel and place the bricks.

Make the mortar right:

• The sand should have a bit of clay in its consistency to give it body in the mortar.
• The sand should not be fine.
• Clean sand, without foreign matter, helps the quality of the finish of your joints.
• For a light colored mortar finish use a lighter colored sand, and for a darker finish use orange brick sand.
• To get the best consistency from your mortar, follow the directions on the bag of cement for the best proportions. that is, how many shovels of sand per cement. (Whenever possible, use measuring equipment such as buckets.)
• The water in the mix is ​​crucial, it mainly depends on how much moisture is already in your sand. The mortar must be moist enough to stick to the trowel and dry enough to hold its body.
• Applying a small amount of lime is used to make the mortar collapsible.

TROWEL USE

• Before using the trowel, familiarize yourself and feel how to hold the tool correctly.
• Positioning yourself when laying bricks is very important for a neat, clean and tidy job. A skilled mason should have the left side of the body (brick hand) toward the face of the wall and the right side (trowel hand) toward the materials. Reverse this position if you are left-handed.
• A skilled mason should place their feet with the right foot slightly in front of the left, feet slightly apart to assume a well-balanced stance. Reverse this for left-handed brick layers.
• Maintain a position at all times that prevents clothes from dirtying the line, approximately 100 to 150mm from the wall. Your head should continually move to a position that helps with hand-eye coordination.
• The best way to apply the mortar to the trowel would be to take out a full trowel and double it once or twice, then pick it up and apply it to the brick wall repeating to cover about 3 bricks away. Once applied with the tip of the trowel, cross the mortar bed.

Laying the brick:

The most important thing to keep in mind when laying bricks is to take your time and not rush.

• Pile your mortar in the center of your wet mortar
• Collect enough mortar on your trowel
• Brick bed spread with mortar for 2 – 4 bricks
• Spread and groove the mortar bed, making sure to trim excess mortar from the bed
• Select your brick with your brick hand
• Butter brick on each face of the header for its cross joints
• Lay the brick on your brick line making sure to cut off any excess mortar to keep the surface clear and clean.