Is this wall clean enough to lay new course of bricks?

[adobemm]

Hi,

I am replacing top row of bricks in garden wall, old bricks were damaged and splitting.
I have removed old mortar and everything is looking like per photos.

Does my prep look ok, is the wall clean enough to lay new bricks on top? I am planning to vacuum this once more time before I put fresh bed of mortar and wet the surface.



Thank for your help.

 

[jj4091]

Given that footings are never that clean I can't see there being a problem structurally but obviously the joint will probably be noticable

 

[adobemm]

Thank you, the brick on top will be different to rest of the wall, so should be good, and visible joint won't be an issue for my eyes

I will put another photo when all is done, generally this project is coming well on!

Thanks again.

 

[noseall]

Hi,

I am replacing top row of bricks in garden wall, old bricks were damaged and splitting.
I have removed old mortar and everything is looking like per photos.

Does my prep look ok, is the wall clean enough to lay new bricks on top? I am planning to vacuum this once more time before I put fresh bed of mortar and wet the surface.



Thank for your help.

Sterile.

 

[catlad]

Might want to mist the old brickwork if its a dry day before laying your new bricks.

 

[adobemm]

Hi,

Job is coming on well.

Last preparation before I start laying bricks.

Could you please let me know if my idea is best case scenario for my wall? I need to bould extra few corses, wall is next to stairs in a garden. I will have to change brick bond as I want blue brick to follow nicely all the way to the top. The highlighted green brick wall will be changed to same bond as per my photos.



Do you guys have any other suggestions, maybe there is a better way to do this?

Thanks!

 

[jj4091]

Tidy up before you start, you will curse when you keep tripping over things.

 

[stuart45]

Hi,

Job is coming on well.

Last preparation before I start laying bricks.

Could you please let me know if my idea is best case scenario for my wall? I need to bould extra few corses, wall is next to stairs in a garden. I will have to change brick bond as I want blue brick to follow nicely all the way to the top. The highlighted green brick wall will be changed to same bond as per my photos.

View attachment 422219View attachment 422218

Do you guys have any other suggestions, maybe there is a better way to do this?

Thanks!

Are you happy with a straight joint of 3 courses plus the brick on edge joint? You could tie in with the blues instead. You could also mitre the corner brick on edge.

 

[adobemm]

Thank You, earlier this morning, I realised the the long joints by looking at the photos again, so came with final solution, I hope. I was thinking about mitring the incline, but then I liked my latest brick layout, and it is simpler for me to do. What do you think?



The blue brick on top will go all the way to the foundation (together with the rest of the wall), the blue brick inside the wall ignore, just run out of red bricks.

 

[stuart45]

I meant mitre the corner like this.

S

Post in thread 'Are these bricks rejects?'

29 Aug 2026

When doing a brick on edge with Staffs I'd have 2 separate mixes. One slightly drier for the bed joint, and a slightly wetter one for the cross joints. It's harder to butter up the bricks with dryer mortar, but easier for lay them on a dryer bed joint.

• stuart45

• 

 

[stevie888]

To my eye the stepped end (left) lookks wrong and why 2 random blues down low?

 

[adobemm]

Stevie, the end is not 100% correct on photo, I had to put one brick to stabilise for photo purpose, but it will carry on as per this edited photo, basically it will be stretcher bond all the way to the foundation. So 4 top courses will be stretcher all the way, not including blue ones which will sit on top. The random blue bricks are there because I don't have any more red ones at the moment.



Stuart, do you mean mitre like this:



Also, check this out, few bricks were just lying on dirt, the block closer to foundation is something I did yesterday, but after removing old wall today, I did not expected to see just a dirt under the removed wall!



Thanks guys

 

[adobemm]

Update, 20cm concrete poured, much better!

 

[stuart45]

Stevie, the end is not 100% correct on photo, I had to put one brick to stabilise for photo purpose, but it will carry on as per this edited photo, basically it will be stretcher bond all the way to the foundation. So 4 top courses will be stretcher all the way, not including blue ones which will sit on top. The random blue bricks are there because I don't have any more red ones at the moment.

View attachment 422253

Stuart, do you mean mitre like this:

View attachment 422254

Also, check this out, few bricks were just lying on dirt, the block closer to foundation is something I did yesterday, but after removing old wall today, I did not expected to see just a dirt under the removed wall!

View attachment 422255

Thanks guys

Yes, it's an alternative method of doing a brick on edge at the corner.

 

[adobemm]

Yeah, I like this method, I might try it, need to get diamond blade for my saw. Thanks a lot Stuart.