Bricklaying basics
By Chuck Lunsford

When you build with bricks you're creating something that can be appreciated for generations. It's not uncommon to find structures in complete ruin except for the masonry such as a brick chimney or wall.

The reasons for do-it-yourself bricklaying vary, but the primary reason seems to be cost. Others include learning a valuable skill for starting a new business, or simply learning a new hobby. Planning a bricklaying project begins with gathering ideas and envisioning the end result. Don't overlook this step. Masonry is permanent so be cautious and remember you need to do it right - the results of your efforts will be on public display for along, long time.

As you begin your planning it's important to consider size and scale, location, material selection, drainage and appearance. make deatiled drawings of the planned project so to eliminate design flaws and aid in estimating building costs.

Visit your local home improvement center or hardware store and collect samples of the material you have in mind and evaluate the way they blend with your existing landscaping. Depending on whether you plan on pouring a small slab or building a brick archway, estimate the dimensions of your project as accurately as possible. This eliminates extra shopping trips. Since your using brick the local brickyard is where you'll find the best supply of bricklayers material. They also carry the tools your going to need.

Speaking of the tools, and to work effectively you are going to have to buy or rent some special purpose tools. I suggest that if this is a one-time project then by all means rent the tools. What follows is a list of tools for doing brickwork:

Mortar hawk - for holding mortar
Wide pointing tool - for placing mortar on brick
Jointer - for finishing joints
Brick tongs - for carrying multiple bricks
Narrow tuck pointer - for placing mortar on bricks
Mason's trowel - for applying mortar
Masonry chisels - fro splitting brick
Mason's hammers - for chipping brick
Maul - for driving stakes
Joint chisel - for removing dry mortar
Shop broom - for keeping the work area clean
Bucket and scrub brush
Stiff bristle brush - for removing loose material
Rubber mallet
Pipe clamp - for scoring large quantities of brick
Circular saw (with a masinry blade) - for cutting brick
Hammer drill with masonry bit
Wheelbarrow - for mixing mortar
Shovel
Cement - for mixing mortar
Particle mask, gloves and protective eyewearv

A helpful hint is to build your project, if possible without using mortar. This allows you to see the finished project, make corrections along the way and decide if the end result is really what you wanted.

The last thing I'll cover is choosing, mixing and throwing the right mortar. Masonry mortar is a mixture of portland cement, sand and water. Other ingredients include lime and gypsum to improve workability and control setup time. Believe it or not the strongest isn't always the best for the job. Gone are the days when do-it-yourselfers had to mix mortar fom scratch, often with disasterous results. These days mortar comes premixed in 50 - 100 lb bags. Today you simply select the correct mix for the job at hand.

Type N mortar is often called on because it offers a good blend of strength and durability. It's commonly used in non-load-bearing projects such as freestanding walls, BBQ grills and chimneys.

Type S mortar is a high strength mixture for exterior use in foundations, brick and block reatining walls, driveways, walks and patios,

Type M mortar is a very high strength mortar for load-bearing exterior stone walls.

There are other types mixes for special purpose but fo the sake of simplicity I left them out o this article.

Mixing mortar is simple these days. I dump one to two bags of mix into a large wheelbarrow, push it to one side and slowly add water until I get the right texture I want. If it's too thick , it will fall off the trowel in a heap and not in the smooth line you want. Add to much water and it's messy and weak. Just follow the manufacturers directions and you should be fine. If you've never mixed mortar before experiment in small batches until you find the mixture that works. Keep note of your mixture ratios to use later.

Don't mix mortar in large batches unless you are willing to use it all in one application. More than one do-it-yourslf bricklayer has ended up with a 200 lb wheelbarrow for this reason. It's best to mix mortar as needed. You can't foresee delays such as bad weather, running out of daylight or worse yet injuring yourself.

Watching a professional bricklayer at work is an impressive sight. I remember as a small child living with my grandparents and watching their new home being built. The mortar practically flew off the workers trowels and the walls seemed to rise out of the ground in minutes. "Mortart throwing" is an acquired skill that takes years to master, but you can use the basic techniques successfully with just a little practice.

Throwing mortar is a quick, smooth technique. Load the trowel with mortar (how much depends on you comfort level), then position the trowel a few inches above the starting point. In one motion, begin turning your wrist over and quickly move the trowel across the surface to spread mortar consistently. Ideally you want ot end up with a line of mortar about 2 1/2 " wide and about 2 ' long.

These are the very basics. There are numerous books and how-to videos on countless masonry projects. Just remember to plan accordingly, take your time and above all ... be safe.

Chuck Lunsford is a successful Webmaster and publisher of www.JustGoDoItYourself.com. You can additional home improvements on his website.

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Fixing Holes and Cracks in Walls
By Donnie Graham

Most walls in a home will develop a crack, or cracks, at some time, including yours and mine. For smaller ones, it’s fairly easy to repair it, a DIY job, but if there’s there’s a large area of damage, it’s probably best to replaster the whole wall, which might entail some specialist help. Whatever you do, don’t rush this kind of job—a bit of patience is required for this work.

You’ll need a filling knife, plasterer’s trowel, hand water sprayer, plastic spreader, an old, wide paintbrush, sanding paper and block, battens, masonry nails, and hammer.

There’s a wide range of materials on the market, which is a bonus for the DIY enthusiast. Use general purpose filler for smaller cracks and holes, and to finish, use a layer of fine surface filler.For the larger areas, use DIY repair and skimming plaster.

Before making a start, remember what I said about patience—it’s needed from the outset, not just when things seem to be going wrong. Make hairline cracks bigger using a Stanley knife or similar, so that the filler will grip. Make sure that you brush out any loose material, and spray lightly with water. Use the plastic spreader or a filling knife to force the filler into the cracks and holes. Even off the edges the edges by stroking the filler with the knife in all directions.

For a larger hole, cut back the edges to the sound plaster, and ensure that you remove all the dust. Apply the first layer of filler up to about 5mm (1/4 in) thick, and press in well. Add more thin layers as necessary. Use a wide plastic spreader for the last layer, making sure it’s flush with the wall surface.

If you have to do an area which is over 1 square metre, you’ll have to level it with a plasterer’s trowel. Chip back any loose edges, and press the new plaster into the hole with upward sweeps. You can get rid of any airholes using a fine surface filler. Load your tool evenly,and press firmly against the surface to save you the need for sanding. Drying times recommended by the manufacturers should be followed.

If corners are damaged, take a straight batten and lightly nail it level with one edge of the corner. Leave the other side of the damaged are exposed. Spread the repair plaster or filler on the exposed edge. Smooth the surface off against the edge of the batten. When the filler is completely dry, remove the batten, and position it on the other side. Apply filler as before, and smooth level with the batten.

To skim plaster, apply the skimming plaster with your old paintbrush, using upward strokes. Do square metre areas at a time, brushing out the plaster as you go along. As the plaster starts to dry out, smooth out the brush marks with a plastic spreader dipped in water. If you think it can still be improved upon, sand it down lightly.

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Stone Foundation Repair
By Ken Marlborough

Stone foundations are not much used nowadays, but in certain old-style houses, they are still existent. Stone foundations are usually difficult to repair and require professionals to handle it.

Stone cracks in foundation could be due to a number of reasons. As in most cracks, the prime cause is of leakage of water. If it is a mortared stone wall, then a leakage crack can be identified as a single thin crack localized around a particular region of the wall, especially where the stones join together. Trees that spring their heavy underground roots through the soil may also cause mechanical weathering of stone foundations. Stone also crumbles under vibrations which may be caused due to vehicles running aboveground.

To repair minor cracks in mortared stone walls, first a little of the mortar is chiseled out (about ½ inch) around the crack. Fresh mortar is mixed in a bucket. The proportion is one part cement, one part lime and six parts of builder’s sand. This mixture is mixed with the correct proportion of water so as just to allow the components to stick together. The thicker the mortar, the better it will stick to the groove. Readymade mortar is also available in hardware stores. Then with the help of a pointing trowel, the wet mortar is embedded in the crack. It is not easy to keep the mortar in the crack and it is a repeated process. Once the mortar is dried, the crack is repaired.

Stone foundations are very vulnerable to leakage problems. If the construction was shoddy, then there remain gaps between the stones where the mortar was filled, which become an entry point for leaking water. If the problem is large enough, then contractors excavate a bit of ground around the foundation and create provision for the water to run off, repairing the faulty part with mortar. This is called as external excavation.

In another process, the affected floor tiles are removed and a drain tile is fitted. So that the problem of water seepage does not recur, appropriate drainage suction pumps such as a sump pump or floor drain is installed. The floor is then replaced. This is called as the internal breakout technique.

Foundation Repairs provides detailed information about foundation repair, do-it-yourself foundation repair, foundation leak repair, and more. Foundation Repairs is affiliated with Roof Shingles.

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Outdoor Fireplace Masonry
By Josh Riverside

Outdoor masonry fireplaces add a classic touch, and create a warm and magical atmosphere to any outdoor space such as garden, patio, backyard, or pool area. Though expensive to build and maintain, masonry fireplaces have an old world charm and romance associated with them. These are ideal places around which a family can gather and share sweet moments.

Traditional masonry fireplaces are built with footing, a firebrick-lined firebox, and a brick-lined or stone chimney. Attractive and durable fireplaces can be crafted out at a reasonable cost by a highly-skilled mason. Brick and sandstone are the raw materials commonly used. Masonry fireplaces may be designed from volcanic pumice stone, high quality marble or attractive natural sandstone. Usually masonry fireplaces are built with hearths matching the stone used. Masonry construction is proof against rain or snow. These fireplaces usually have chimneys to emit hot gases and smoke.

In some designs, flat pieces of rock are installed by hand for custom fit, providing a unique design and style. The bottom part is fixed up to six inches below soil surface. Robinson rock, a natural stone, is also popularly used for fireplace construction nowadays. Fire Rock's pre-engineered fireplace system is a new provision for building a masonry fireplace more quickly and economically than a hand-built, brick and mortar structure. It is cast from masonry material, which does not yield to rust.

Traditional fireplaces use wood to build the flame. If you are looking for a masonry fireplace with gas either natural or propane, you will not have to deal with smoke, sparks, cleaning up ashes or gathering wood logs.

Outdoor Fireplaces provides detailed information on Outdoor Fireplaces, Outdoor Gas Fireplace, Outdoor Stone Fireplace, Outdoor Fireplace Plan and more. Outdoor Fireplaces is affiliated with Natural Waterfalls.

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