Bricklaying approaches

[mickbob]

Hi Just wondering if someone could give me some advice on how brick layers in the construction industry go about building a cavity wall. What I have been taught is to rack back corners then use a string line to fill in the middle of the wall with bricks. However I've seen a few different approaches used from people using profiles to laying course by course starting in the corners then filling in the middle using the string and repeating the process to the top of the first lift level. I'm not a professional bricklayer but I aim to be as good as a professional and want to know what is the most accepted method.

 

[^woody^]

Normally, you would start on the external leaf, build a corner, or use a profile to replace the corner and then infill using a line. Then the internal, by building a corner, not with a profile. If using rigid insulation, you would build the internal leaf first.

Laying course by cause leads to uneven facework.

 

[mickbob]

Cheers Woody, can I pick your brains abit more? when building a long wall lets say the length of the average house in the Uk with no door openings to break up the length, how do you ensure that the rack back "teeth" on the corners are level with the opposite corners courses? The guy who taught me is an NVQ assessor so I know how to pass the NVQ as it were but am struggling with real world problems. The way he showed me was to place a box section of steel with a spirit level on top between each course of the rack backs but that was only for 1.5 metre length wall.

By laying single course corners and filling in the middle as you go this isn't a problem but then as you have pointed out this causes uneven facework which is no good.

What I've seen is a lot of guys solving problems as they go on site, but as a novice I don't know who is doing a good job using acceptable methods and those guys who just seem to be doing the bare minimum as quickly as possible to make fast progress (possibly bodging it).

 

[^woody^]

The wall should be level at DPC, so it's a case of building to gauge for the wall above. Traditionally you would use a gauge rod/story rod and set up a little timber datum at DPC level to rest the rod on.

If you use a tape and are just gauging up, always measure back down to DPC, don't just check the last or last few courses

Normally, there would be a door frame to set up and gauge down from, and if it's not near the corner or you can't start the wall near the frame, then you could set a door frame up temporarily at the corner return and use it to gauge down from.

Every level I've had has had gauge tape stuck to it or gauge lines sawn/scribed into it.

And if you tingle the wall, gauge that too in the same way.

 

[mickbob]

Cheers woody, I think I'll start using gauging rods, top tip with scribing the level too. When I started learning brick work one of the more experienced guys told me it is a much under appreciated art, it certainly is.