When choosing a brick, in addition to color, size and voidness, it is necessary to take into account water absorption, frost resistance and strength. It is also necessary to remember that during construction almost 20% of the volume of masonry is made up of mortar. Therefore, he also needs to pay attention. Usually a solution is used, which is prepared by mixing cement with sand and adding water. As a rule, four parts of the second are added to one part of the first component, since the correct ratio affects the plasticity of the mixture. And in order to improve this characteristic of it, clay, lime and special plasticizing additives are added to it, which are necessary in the winter season to ensure the hardening of binders.
Mobility
How to lay brickwork and determine the mobility of the building mixture? This procedure is carried out using a reference cone, which is lowered directly into the test solution, and then look at how deep it plunged into it. For hollow bricks, a mixture with a draft of about 8 centimeters is suitable, and for corpulent brick - from 10 to 14 centimeters. If the solution is too thick, it will likely crack after a while, and too liquid will fill the voids of the brick and impair its thermal insulation properties.
Quality
How to lay masonry and evaluate the quality of the masonry material? The main properties that determine the characteristics of the mortar mixture are uniformity and ductility. For a better consistency, it is better to mix it with an electric mixer or an electric drill with a nozzle. A correctly prepared mortar is perfectly placed in a thin layer, and the brick adheres to it with its entire surface. The presence of clean places on the building material indicates insufficient mobility of the mixture and its inability to dissolve.
Thickness
There are several options for carrying out work, on which the thickness of the brickwork depends - from 12 to 64 centimeters. However, a thick wall is economically disadvantageous and difficult to build. In this regard, to reduce the weight of the structure, the load on the foundation and reduce the consumption of bricks, the outer walls are often built of hollow bricks, or if work is carried out with solid material, voids are left between them, which are filled with insulation.
Seams and corners
How to lay brickwork and correctly draw straight vertical angles? This question is the most difficult, especially for beginner builders. It is also very important to lay the building material in a straight line and at the same level. A very important point is the correctly laid first row of bricks with the help of a rail or a long cord. The flatness of the corners is checked by a square, and the vertical surface - level and plumb. As soon as several rows are laid, the joints are stitched before the mixture hardens. The correct brickwork also depends on this . Work on the alignment is to seal the solution between the elements and give it a clear picture. It is divided into two types: a wasteland, when there are gaps between the bricks, and an undercut - a solution fills the entire space between the building material and aligns with the front face. There are also decorative, concave and convex seams.
Masonry Methods
How to lay brickwork and in what ways? Let's consider several options: in a clip, end-to-end and end-to-end with cutting. The first method is more suitable for working with a hard solution and consists in pressing each subsequent brick to the previous one. The option is applied end-to-end on the moving mixture, while the seams are formed into a wasteland. And the third method - end-to-end with pruning - combines the two previous ones. In this case, very mobile material is used, and the seams are framed. You can improve the quality and strength of the masonry using the desired consistency and uniform application of the mortar.