Common Bricklaying Mistakes to Avoid

If your property needs a retaining wall or some edging around a landscaping feature, you can often do your own bricklaying work for these jobs. However, properly laying bricks is much more complicated than it looks, and people often make some common mistakes when trying to build brick walls or other structures. Note a few of those mistakes here so you can avoid them yourself or decide that it might be good to hire a commercial brick;laying professional to do the job for you.

Rust

When laying bricks, you might add rebar or another metal along the structure, in order to give it more support and keep the bricks from collapsing. While aluminium doesn't rust and corrode, other metals might, even if they're coated or treated in some way. You may not think that bricks can rust, but this rust can spread over the surface of the bricks and cause them to weaken or split. If you do add rebar or another metal, opt for aluminium so you avoid this risk and ensure the bricks are strong and secure, and that they won't be damaged by eventual corrosion.

Incompatible mortar

Brick mortar may look the same to you, but as with any compound that is used for adhesion, it will have different raw ingredients for different uses. Some mortar will be softer for lightweight bricks, and different blends of mortar will expand and contract at different rates. If you're repairing a brick structure, you need to use the same type of mortar as was used originally, so that the structure doesn't swell or shrink in different areas, and also need to ensure you're using the right mortar for concrete bricks versus clay bricks, and the like. This will ensure the mortar sticks properly and doesn't come loose or brittle, and pull away from the bricks over time.

Waterproof coatings

It's not unusual to add waterproof coatings on bricks before they're used for any structure, as this will help to keep out moisture that could cause the bricks to weaken and crumble. Adding this coating to older bricks or those that have not been properly dried can be a mistake, as this can actually lock in moisture. While using reclaimed bricks is an eco-friendly choice and can save you money on raw materials, you need to exercise caution about putting an added coating on them. Your brick supplier can note if those bricks have been thoroughly dried or already coated so that you don't actually cause damage with this type of coating.