Brick laying

brick laying and retaining walls

This article will dissect two elements involved in construction, namely: brick laying and retaining walls.

Brick laying:

The most essential items/tools when it comes to bricklaying are:

A shovel, for mixing mortar

Cement

A brick layers trowel

Spirit level

String line

Sand

Profile

Tape measure

The correct ratio when mixing is 4 parts Sand and 1-part cement. What to do:

1)  Set up profile

2)  Set up level line

3)  Lay the first course of bedding mortar, buttering up the end of the brick mortar and abutting it to the first.

4)  Create brick Pillars

5)  Keep the pillars one course ahead

6)  Move the string up as you are building up

After completing the wall clean up any mortar that has fallen on the wall before it dries.

Retaining Wall

-What is a retaining wall?

A retaining wall is a rigid wall used for supporting soil laterally. They are basically structures used to retain soil on the slope.

There are different types of retaining walls: Gravity Retaining Wall, Crib retaining wall etc. depending on your goal.

What to do

1)  Plan and layout the site

2)  Excavate the site

3)  Tramp the soil level and laydown a paver base

4)  Lay the foundation

5)  Use coarse sand and level on the layer of blocks

6)  Clean the first layer

7)  Add drainage pipes

8)  Add topper stones

9)  Place topsoil in the basin created by the retaining wall

That concludes our mini guide to bricklaying and doing retaining walls. We hope who ever is reading this will find it helpful.