DIY vs professional bricklaying

cdbe · 7 Aug 2018

stuart45 said:
I've never used the Brickie tool, so I can't really comment on it's use, but the brickwork looks OK as far as I can see in the photo.
However it does look like you have got a split course at the top of the door jambs. Was that because it's difficult to adjust the bed joints with the Brickie tool?

You can't adjust the joints with the Brickie, but cut bricks are more a result of my lack of confidence and experience - I just started on top of the trench fill foundation and hoped for the best!
Part of my next project is to infill the"missing" corner of the house in front of the front door and I'll need to tooth in and match the joints to the existing imperial Accrington's with very thin (about 5-6mm) joints so the Brickie won't work there - I might make my own - it's really only a piece of plastic with a slot in and some guides so easy enough to knock up in plywood with the correct joint thickness.

cdbe · 7 Aug 2018

23vc said:
just bought a speedskim, not used it yet. Any good? also got a plazi last year - not convinced it's too useful apart from a final wipe at the end

Plazi works for me but I don't understand how and when it's "picking up", when it feels like "cheese" etc - is that camonbert or cheddar?? I just slap it on with the metal, flatten with the speedskim, repeat then finish with the plazi straight away - no waiting - to a pro thats brew time, to me it's my only chance to get a decent finish - I've tried with a metal, waiting, splashing water on with a brush etc but just can't seem to do it any other way. I've never skimmed without the speedskim so I'm afraid I don't know whether it's better or worse than any other tecniques.

stuart45 · 7 Aug 2018

cdbe said:
You can't adjust the joints with the Brickie, but cut bricks are more a result of my lack of confidence and experience - I just started on top of the trench fill foundation and hoped for the best!
Part of my next project is to infill the"missing" corner of the house in front of the front door and I'll need to tooth in and match the joints to the existing imperial Accrington's with very thin (about 5-6mm) joints so the Brickie won't work there - I might make my own - it's really only a piece of plastic with a slot in and some guides so easy enough to knock up in plywood with the correct joint thickness.

Accrington bricks were laid with really small joints because they are so dense that with bigger joints you would have problems with building more than a course without letting the mortar firm up. Many of the joints are less than 5mm.
When doing small joints you need the correct sand. Using building sand that's been through a 5mm sieve will be too coarse to work with.

vards01 · 7 Aug 2018

23vc said:
just bought a speedskim, not used it yet. Any good? also got a plazi last year - not convinced it's too useful apart from a final wipe at the end

Speedskim worth it for a quick flatten..........didn't rate the plazi other than for arches and alike.....final polish for me is the nelaflex, cant beat a good steel marshalltown in my opinion to get flatness.

23vc · 7 Aug 2018

cdbe said:
when it feels like "cheese" etc - is that camonbert or cheddar??

Never heard that one before, I’d say it’s when you can flatten it without it still being so wet that you end up with it back on your trowel

23vc · 7 Aug 2018

vards01 said:
Speedskim worth it for a quick flatten..........didn't rate the plazi other than for arches and alike.....final polish for me is the nelaflex, cant beat a good steel marshalltown in my opinion to get flatness.

Cool, looking forward to trying it out. Yeah my next plastering tool if I buy any more would be a supaflex type trowel but that ain’t going to be any time soon having just splashed out on the speedskim

ivixor · 8 Aug 2018

The bricklaying is really the cheapest part of an extension, and the most obvious if you do a cack job. Not worth doing it yourself.

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DIY vs professional bricklaying

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