How do i plumb the wall?

[carlosdeanos]

Beginner here, attempting to build my extension. All blockwork but 3 courses of bricks at the bottom to match existing.

 

I have two profiles (exactly plumb) set at each corner and i run a line across the two. I lay to the line. When i put the level against each brick none of them are actually dead plumb. I have been  watching a lot of videos and they never seem to check the plumb on each brick when laying to a line. I can see the bricks are not completely square, some are really curved actually. So does laying to the line, keeping it level and checking the range mean it will end up plumb?

 

At the moment its taking so long checking each brick and messing about with it. As i say, in the videoes they just run along the line.Cheers.

[JFDIY]

You don't, you get each brick to look 'about rightc, but generally a spirit level when placed across the face of several bricks will be plumb.

 

If you're using engineering bricks it would be easier, but don't sweat it too much about individual bricks.

 

Build the corners plumb, work to a line and the rest should follow.

[carlosdeanos]

@JFDIY Thanks, i needed to hear this. I have been walking around checking random walls and i thought this was the answer. Should make it easier for me!

[JFDIY]

If it's a long run, you might want to bed a brick in the middle, then use an old credit card cut in two places to create a three pronged fork, use this with your line weaved through the prongs and a brick placed on top to support the line and stop it sagging at mid span

[Declan52]

1 hour ago, JFDIY said:

If it's a long run, you might want to bed a brick in the middle, then use an old credit card cut in two places to create a three pronged fork, use this with your line weaved through the prongs and a brick placed on top to support the line and stop it sagging at mid span

No brickie would ever use a credit card for this method. It's a £50 note or nothing.

[Declan52]

2 hours ago, carlosdeanos said:

Beginner here, attempting to build my extension. All blockwork but 3 courses of bricks at the bottom to match existing.

 

I have two profiles (exactly plumb) set at each corner and i run a line across the two. I lay to the line. When i put the level against each brick none of them are actually dead plumb. I have been  watching a lot of videos and they never seem to check the plumb on each brick when laying to a line. I can see the bricks are not completely square, some are really curved actually. So does laying to the line, keeping it level and checking the range mean it will end up plumb?

 

At the moment its taking so long checking each brick and messing about with it. As i say, in the videoes they just run along the line.Cheers.

The worst thing you can do is check each brick. If your profiles at each end are plumb them the string will be plumb. Just lift the brick and when you set it down it will only need a single tap or 2 to get it down to the line. And then lift another and so on and so on. Just don't build till it's fouling the line or you will be moving the bricks further and further out each time.

Only check with your level on your 3rdand last course. You will still have the line at the top edge so just go along every 4th brick, if your using a 900mm level, and plumb up then use your level across the brick run to straighten it if you need to. 

Same applies when you start the blocks. Don't plumb every block. Depending on how fast you are you might be quick enough to do every 2 course high. Plumb up every 2nd block then used the level across. 

Don't fret to much they will never be sheets of glass. Bricks and blocks aren't perfectly square .

[joe90]

When I did my first bricklaying extending an old cottage with similar old bricks, I mentioned to by BI (who was a great guy) that I was not very pleased with the result (up and down a bit) and he pointed to the original cottage and said my bricklaying had “character “ ? As said above, get your corners upright and work to the string between them

Edited July 14, 2020 by joe90

[JFDIY]

9 minutes ago, Declan52 said:

No brickie would ever use a credit card for this method. It's a £50 note or nothing.

 

?  True, but it was the wife's credit card.....

[JFDIY]

One thing that stand out once you've done a bit is when the purps start drifting, never noticed it before I did a bit of bricklaying, but a house behind my brother-in-laws now makes me feel like I'm falling over, they're all over the place.

[Declan52]

3 minutes ago, JFDIY said:

One thing that stand out once you've done a bit is when the purps start drifting, never noticed it before I did a bit of bricklaying, but a house behind my brother-in-laws now makes me feel like I'm falling over, they're all over the place.

That's how you can tell the difference between a bricklayer and a block layer.

[Vijay]

If you're a complete bricky newbie, consider buy the bricky tool - makes getting the mortar beds so so easy

[Onoff]

1 minute ago, Vijay said:

If you're a complete bricky newbie, consider buy the bricky tool - makes getting the mortar beds so so easy

 

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