Brick line sag

23vc · 21 Mar 2017

Hi
I'll never claim to be a bricky so go easy on me

I've started the brickwork up to dpc on my extension and although I'm generally happy with it I've messed up a bit by not realising my line sagged a bit over a 10m run
Basically it's down in the middle by about half an inch to an inch, which although I don't think is a massive issue, when you put a level on it at either end you can see it's not spot on (although the bubbles not touching the line but nearly if you know what I mean)
Anyway I'm more bothered about what people to do avoid this, I've got a plastic packer which works great as a twig/tingle or whatever the correct word is, but sorry if I'm being thick but how do you know if the lines sagging before you start? I guess I should have done another datum peg Mark half way along the run and checked against that by bedding a brick down?
Anyway sorry I know it's a really basic question but any advice really appreciated

Cheers
John

stuart45 · 21 Mar 2017

23vc said:
I guess I should have done another datum peg Mark half way along the run and checked against that by bedding a brick down?

John

Thats one method. Often the bricklayer on the corner eyes it through and tells the tingle man if it's high or low. Really long runs might need more than one tingle.

23vc · 21 Mar 2017

Thanks Stuart
I did try and look at it to tell but I couldn't see it, obviously doesn't help that it's at ground level but do you reckon I should be able to do that by pulling it tight then looking along it? If so I'll try harder

stuart45 · 21 Mar 2017

A tight line helps, but an inch in 100ft is an average drop in the line. Datum pegs at the tingle points are used on higher class work.

stuart45 · 21 Mar 2017

Sorry, forgot to tell you that you lay the tingle brick and set the line first and then eye it through.

23vc · 21 Mar 2017

Thanks again. To be fair I'm not sure how much I've messed up here or whether it's worth doing it again. It basically means the floor slab which I'll tamp off this course will dip up to an inch in the middle of a 10m run, which I personally am not too bothered about. But not sure what's acceptable. I can't say it's noticeable looking at the face work.
Yeah the line was as tight as I could get it wrapped round 7n blocks etc but it seemed to sag no matter what
Cheers

23vc · 21 Mar 2017

When you say eye it through is that literally just looking at it along the line from one end to see it it looks like its sagged? As said that's what i failed to do I think

stuart45 · 21 Mar 2017

23vc said:
When you say eye it through is that literally just looking at it along the line from one end to see it it looks like its sagged? As said that's what i failed to do I think

That's basically it.

stuart45 · 21 Mar 2017

You often see on site when the line gets dirty and slack it drops, and after 5 courses or so they flick the line and tighten it up and you get a really thick joint in the middle.

23vc · 21 Mar 2017

Cheers. Doesn't sound like I've messed up too badly but I'll learn from it and try and eye it better. It's a shame as all my corners were spot on using the water level but didn't see this one coming but you live and learn!

noseall · 21 Mar 2017

I tune my line to a E-flat. Pull the Bejeeuz out of it until minimum sag.

23vc · 21 Mar 2017

Cheers

By tying the end round some heavy blocks? I'd assume the line pins that you stick in the mortar joints wouldn't pull very tight. I'm also pretty crap with the line blocks that you pull against the end, they always ends up dropping off when I forget and let the line loose.

^woody^ · 21 Mar 2017

We're old fashioned and just gauge the tingle brick

23vc · 21 Mar 2017

^woody^ said:
We're old fashioned and just gauge the tingle brick

Yep that's where my issue started as I gauged the tingle brick but didn't realise the row below had a dip anyway, so the tingle was still too low, if that makes sense.

themiddleagedun · 21 Mar 2017

You shouldn't get much of a sag over a 10m length. You just need to get the line as tight as you can.

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Brick line sag

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