laying out wall brick caps

[colw1]

hi I want to put engineering bricks on the top of my garden wall as a capping between the piers but it is a long run and I am worried that I wont get the spacings right and I will have to smaller space at the end to put the last brick in. Please could anyone give me advice on how to do this or even some links to how to do it with success
thanks col

 

[noseall]

if it is a long run then i should just lay the headers until you are down to the last dozen or so. start laying in from each end then measure the gap.

if they are metric bricks with metric joints then 75mm increments plus one last joint is the measurement you will require.

should the gap be wider than desired then open out the joints slightly, if it is less then close them slightly, whichever is the closest.


12 bricks = (12x75mm) 900mm + 15mm (one joint) total gap needed=915 mm.

the stretcher bricks on the course below should give you an idea, as three headers equals one stretcher plus perp.

if they are larger imperial type bricks, do the same as said in the first paragraph by laying a number of headers first. you can then measure these already laid headers to give you an idea of gap size requirements and what is required to fill the remainder.

 

[^woody^]

Only follow the bricks/joints on the course below if you are sure that they are equally spaced - or you will have lots of different sized joints on the capping, and it will look rubbish.

Either mark you guage every 75mm or evey 900mm, and wiking towards the centre from each end, then when you come to the last 900mm check the spacing again and adjust to suit