spreading version 2

Watching a professional bricklayer at work is an impressive sight. The mortar practically flies off the trowel and always seems to end up in perfect position to accept the next brick

Image and text from: Black & Decker (1997)
Masonry Essentials pg 60

Spreading mortar is an acquired skill that takes years of practice to perfect, but a beginner can easily learn the basic techniques

Load the trowel with mortar then position the trowel a few inches above the starting point.

In one motion, begin turning your wrist over and quickly move the trowel across the surface to spread mortar consistently.

'Furrow' the mortar by dragging the point of the trowel through the centre in a slight back-and-forth motion. Furrowing helps distribute the mortar evenly.


Note: The Americans call spreading mortar, 'throwing' and bedding a brick is called 'setting'

Welcome

This Unit is about basic bricklaying skills and includes the following:

Identification of different brick bonds

Purpose of Bonding

Buttering a Brick

'Buttering' is a term used to describe the process of applying mortar to a brick or block before adding it to the structure being built.

For bricks, apply a heavy layer of mortar to one end, then cut off the excess with a trowel. For concrete blocks (inset), apply a mortar line on each of the flanges at one end

Image and text from: Masonry Essentials (1997) by Black & Decker pg 62

Spreading Mortar

Watching a professional bricklayer at work is an impressive sight. The mortar practically flies off the trowel and always seems to end up in perfect position to accept the next brick

Image and text from: Masonry Essentials (1997) by Black & Decker pg 60

Spreading mortar is an acquired skill that takes years of practice to perfect, but a beginner can easily learn the basic techniques

Load the trowel with mortar then position the trowel a few inches above the starting point.

In one motion, begin turning your wrist over and quickly move the trowel across the surface to spread mortar consistently.

'Furrow' the mortar by dragging the point of the trowel through the centre in a slight back-and-forth motion. Furrowing helps distribute the mortar evenly.


Note: The Americans call spreading mortar, 'throwing' it and bedding a brick is called 'setting'

Laying to a line

Scoop up a sausage shape of mortar and shape it to roughly the size of the trowel blade. Slide the trowel underneath the mortar and transfer it to the top course of bricks

Brick Bonds from NLN

This learning package introduces common brickwork bonds and contains the following:

Stretcher Bond

This is the most ubiquitous bonding arrangement for brickwork