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Explaining the spirit level.
The bricklayers need many tools to do their
job well, and they should know how to use them properly. The two most important
tools are the trowel and the spirit level, without these two tools the
bricklayers cannot work. So, let us explain how to use them properly and above
all let us check the spirit level, as I have seen some DIYS make mistakes,
because they do not know, how to check if their spirit level is right.
So, in this article let us assume that anyone
can easily learn how to use the trowel, since the trowel is like a big flat
spoon that picks up the mortar and lays it on the bricks or sticks the mortar
to the bricks, it is also used to tap the brick to the right level and the
right place and a good bricklayer can use it also to cut the bricks, all these
action of the trowel are easy to understand and slowly one can learn how to use
it, but the spirit level is not as simple, therefore, let us see how to use the
spirit level, and above all how to check that your spirit level is working properly.
Most bricklayers use a 4-foot spirit level,
most of these modern levels have three bubbles in it and they are very
accurate, the two end bubbles are for plumbing (reading if the walls or posts
are exactly vertical) the central bubble is for reading if the walls or
whatever are level. But what about if these bubbles for some reason have gone
out of their proper settings and when you read them, they give you a false
reading?
Any good tradesman that uses these levels must
know how to check if they are right or not, but let us assume that our readers
are not tradesman, so, they want to know how to check if the level they are
going to use is okay? To check if your level is okay, you should do the
following:
First let us check the plumb bubbles; to
check the plumbing bubbles, pick up your level, chose a post or wall that you
think is strait and plumb, put one side of you level right against it and while
lightly pushing against it check that the level touches evenly the surface you
have chosen, if it does then without moving it look at the bubble level if it
is right in the centre, if it is right in the centre then it is plumb, but to
make sure that it is plumb you need to turn your level around 180 degrees in
such a way that the face of the level that is now against the wall is away from
the wall and the other side is against the wall, if here again the bubble is
exactly in the centre then you know that that part of the wall you have chosen
is plumb, and you also know that the bubble in your level is set right since
you have compared it to the other side of itself.
Now that you have done that, turn your level
upside down, so that you can check the other plumb bubble, if this bubble is
also set right, the bubble should again be in the centre just like the other
bubble, and when you turn you level around as before it should again be in the
centre; but if it is not then this bubble is out and should not be used for
plumbing.
Okay, we have checked the plumb bubbles and
we are now going to check the level bubble, to check the level bubble, pick up
your level, chose a wall or a bench that you think is level and do the
following, place the level on it and if it the bubble level is in the centre
then it is level, now you need to check that this bubble is really right; so,
you need to make sure that you check this bubble against itself; in order to do
this mark exactly where your level is; then turn your level around 180 degrees
so that the end that was on the west side is now on the east side and the end
on the east side is now on the west side, if the bubble reading is again in the
centre as before your level is set right and you can use it. But if it is not
then you might have to buy a new level. What we have written above is common knowledge
to good tradesman.
Before you start work on a stand alone house or any other building, it is necessary to erect the profiles and mark them according to the plan measurement. above is a typical profile.
This is a typical main floor house plan, this is the plan where most of the measurement are shown, even if there is another floor below or above, you need this to take your measurements.
Getting ready to lay bricks.
Anyhow, when you start building a stand alone house, on a blok of land, the first thing that is necessary to do is to set up a profile, to make sure that the house is set where the house plan says it should be, therefore, a profile must be there before you start laying bricks. Now to make things easier let us assume that the profile is already in place.
So, let us explain the procedure when we
start working on this brick base. First, we bricklayers go to the profiles and
tie the end of the bricklayers’ line, on the outside alignment of the house,
then walk to the opposite side while unrolling the line and tie it in the same
position. Here I need to point out to the DIY for the first time that the line
must be stretched very tight, so that it stays in a straight line even if there
is a wind blowing. Now that we have set the first line, we are going to set
another line right across the first line and where these two lines meet, is the
very first corner of the brick wall of the house.
Now with a plump bob or a spirit level mark
on the foundation where the outside corner of the first brick is going to be
laid, and you are ready to lay the first brick. Of course, it is necessary to
repeat this procedure for every corner of the house. It is also necessary or
helpful when the foundation of the house is not level to mark all the steps, so
that you know that the wall is exactly in the right place; you see to start
laying bricks in the foundation is a very hard and demanding job for the
bricklayers, let us imagine that you have to lay bricks below the level where
you are standing, and where you are standing is uneven ground and if you are
unlucky it might even be wet. So, if you can make everything easier by marking
all the critical points it helps. This of course, is only step one to ensure
that the brick walls are going to be in the right place, and step two is about
levels, so, let us see how these two critical things can be done together.
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How to start the brickwork level.
Now that we have marked all the corners, we
can start building this brick base on the right alignment, but we need to think
about the levels; you see 99% of the bricks must be laid level and plumb,
unless there is a specific reason for the walls to be leaning, but this does
not happen when we build houses.
Anyhow, to start the brickwork level, we need
to know if the two opposite corners are level, and if they are not, what is the
difference between them, so that we can start the brick walls at the right
level. With short walls it is enough to use the spirit level to do everything,
but with longer walls we need to use other sophisticated levels. Therefore, it
is necessary to mark the levels on every corner, so that the difference is
known to the bricklayers before he starts laying bricks, because most of the
difference must be rectified well below ground level and if possible, on the
first course of bricks that we lay on the foundation.
Today there are several types of level that
we can use, some of these levels are very expensive like surveyors level and
other types, they also need an expert to use them and a helper at the other end
to mark when instructed to do so, therefore, it is very helpful if one of these
levels is being used on the site to mark all the levels around the house base
for all the trades that are working on the house, but there are times when the
bricklayers are left to their own devises, and they have to work out their own
levels.
Now the bricklayers have many tools to carry
around including the mixer and wheelbarrows, therefore, they try to avoid
carrying expansive levels with themselves even when they know how to use them.
So, some bricklayers use even today the water level, because it is a simple and
cheap level, as it is only a clear hose filled up with water and it is easy to
use, all you have to do is to fill up this hose with clean water and at the
same time make sure that there are no air bubbles in it and you have a very
accurate level ready to use.
Let us explain how the clear hose water level
works, when you fill the hose up with water, make sure that there are no air
bubbles left in it, if there are no bubbles, then the water in the two ends of
the hose should always be level, whether they are beside each other, or when
they are far apart. So, if you mark the top of a brick on a corner that you
have already built you can mark this same level on the other corner, therefore,
you know that this two marked points are level; then, you should stretch a brickies
line between these two points making sure that the line sits exactly on the
mark that you have made; now all the level below this line can be worked out
easily from the bricklayer, using a type measure or a gauge rod.
The bricklayer can work out what to do if
there is any difference on the foundation, and make sure that it is the same
course of bricks by running a full course of bricks between these two marked
points, at this stage the bricklayer not only has to take care that the wall is
at the right alignment, he also has to make sure that the brick are laid level,
and at the same time he needs to make sure about the bond, therefore, the
easiest way to achieve that is to start from the lowest corner and lay a full
course of bricks until he reaches the other corner, this will make sure that
the brickwork is started level and with the right bond. This procedure should
now be repeated also on the other walls until all the walls are set up, if
everything is done properly we should end up with the last wall being the
easiest to start, since we have set both corner to build the other walls, but
be careful here that there is not a pig in it, which sometimes can even happen
when we are not careful enough and the line is set on the wrong course of
bricks.
Explaining what is meant that there is a pig
in it and how to make sure that everything is set right from the very
beginning. To make 100% sure that everything is level and that there is no pig
in the brickwork, it is necessary that you run a full course of bricks all
around the building at the same level, if that can be done and there is no
brick sticking out it is okay. Now let us see how this can be avoided when we
are working on a sloping site and the foundations have several steps in it,
because this is the most likely place that a mistake can be made.
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Photo showing, a five course brick corner, on a cocrete slab, this is one of the easiest coners to build.
Laying bricks on a sloping site.
As we have said, the most important thing in
bricklaying is that the bricks must be laid at the right alignment, straight,
plumb and level, and when building a face brick wall, the bricklayer should pay
particular attention to these details, beginning from the first course of
bricks that we lay on the foundations, therefore, it is better to concentrate
on this single issue, because it is very important to start the brickwork right
from the beginning.
Now, to lay bricks on a level site it is
easy; also, to lay bricks on a level foundation is easy, you see, you can build
another corner as the one shown here at the other end, and by using a brickies
line, with line blocks you can stretch a tight line and lay bricks in a
straight line easily. Of course, here we have assumed that the foundations have
been laid level, but on a stepped foundations it is not that easy, because even
the concreters may not have been able to lay the foundations level, because the
concrete moves until it sets, therefore, the bricklayers need to check and
recheck the levels when they start bricklaying on a sloping site. One of the
easiest ways to do that is to mark levels on the profiles all around the
building site; then you can stretch a bricklayer tight line between these
levels and measure from the line down to check your levels, ether with a type-measure
or a gauge rod.
I know that you are saying, what is a gauge
rod? Okay, a gauge rod is usually made from a long-marked piece of timber that
the bricklayer marks himself, once he knows what sort of bricks he is going to
lay and how thick these bricks are, and what is the best thickness of the
joints for this brickwork. I know that the gauge rod sounds like a strange
devise for those that are not used to work with bricklayers, but really it is
only a straightedge that has been marked with the space of each brick including
the joint, so that you can quickly know how many courses of bricks must be
laid in the space that you are measuring.
Let me explain, to decide the spaces on the
gauge, the bricklayer Forman measures the thickness of four bricks that have
been laid with an average and attractive joint, and from these measurements he
makes his gauge rod for this particular job; here it follows that when the
gauge rod is not handy, we bricklayer talk about this space as the gauge that
is supposed to be kept on this building site, which is four course of bricks.
Anyhow, I believe that this article is
becoming too long, and difficult to understand for DIY for the first time, as
there are too many things to keep in mind, and since there is a lot more that can
be said about bricklaying, I think that it is better to write another article
or two about it; which we are going to call, Building a brick base, or
Bricklaying on a sloping site, where we are going to explain in more details
how the work must be done and how to avoid to make mistakes.
Please note: these DIY building articles
should be read one after the other to make sense, so, here is the link of our
next building article. Building a brick base.
To see more click on this link, DIY brickwork.
See you soon.
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