Masonry is a structure that consists of stones or bricks, laid in a specific or chaotic order and fastened together by a mortar. It is used for the construction of external or internal walls.
To date, there are separate types of masonry:
- Of ceramic bricks. This type of structure is mainly used in the construction of underground premises, walls, retaining posts, etc. The main advantages of this type of masonry are high strength, frost resistance and moisture resistance.
- Masonry of stones - this design is a stone laid on a mortar in a specific or chaotic order. It is mainly used to increase sound and heat insulation in a room. When working with such masonry, several types of mortar are used, for example, cement, lime mortars or mixed.
- Masonry made of concrete stones. It is mainly used for the construction of the foundation, basement and other premises that are underground.
- Masonry made of silicate brick and silicate stones. It is characterized by very high strength and a long service life in comparison with hollow brick masonry . The main application is the construction of walls.
- Hollow brick masonry. It is mainly used for building walls and can reduce their thickness by almost 75%.
- Masonry made of silicate and dry brick. The main disadvantage is the inability to use for the construction of buildings that are on damp ground, and for rooms with high humidity.
- Masonry made of ceramic hollow stones. It is mainly used for the construction of external walls. Due to the properties of the material, the wall thickness can be significantly reduced, as hollow ceramic stones have very good thermal characteristics.
Solid stone for laying walls is more laborious to work, so it is mainly used for non-residential construction - cladding of external walls, ground floor, supporting structures of bridges, etc. Concrete and rubble masonry have high thermal conductivity, so they are used, as a rule, for the construction of the foundation.
Technology
Before proceeding directly to the construction, it is necessary to prepare the foundation, to note the exact contours. The location of the wall must be fixed with even slats or boards.
The basis for masonry, as a rule, is concrete. The base should be horizontal, without bumps. After cleaning, the surface is treated with an aqueous solution so that it does not absorb the mortar.
Masonry should be carried out from the corner to the end of the wall, from left to right. Bricks are laid so that the connecting seams of the previous layer overlap. On the brick, you need to lightly press and tap the handle of the trowel. To prevent leakage of mortar from the seams, it can be held by a bucket.
Particular attention should be paid to the brickwork of chimneys. First you need to lay the foundation of a brick up to 30 cm high. Then you need to make a small hole for cleaning and only after that start laying the duct above it.
The inner surface of the pipe duct should be smooth, for this it is plastered. After laying the stone, the joint seams and gaps between the masonry and the wooden formwork are poured with mortar.
Masonry has good technical properties, such as strength, high density, as well as resistance to weathering, high fire resistance, chemical resistance and durability of the structure.