Bricklaying usually requires a bit of practice in order to ‘gain the knack’ (Most DIYers, myself included usually ‘ jump in with both feet’ and start the project straight away), if you have never laid bricks before it is good practice to build a sample wall first, e.g.  a four brick course, three bricks high, the bricks can always be cleaned and re-used later. When you are happy with your ‘practice’ wall finish, you can start your DIY project with more confidence and know how.

Have a ready supply of bricks near the work area, mix the mortar (see post), using four parts sand to one of cement (4 : 1), add a plasticiser to the mix, this makes the mortar easier to trowel and it adheres better to the bricks. Don’t make the mortar too ‘wet’ as the weight of the bricks will push it out of the seam when you start bricklaying and only mix sufficient for say one hours bricklaying (even less if the weather is hot), as it will dry out before you can use it. Don’t add water to a mortar mix if it becomes too dry / stiff to use, throw it away and mix again. Place the mortar as near to the work area as possible.

Safety tip :- Use gloves when mixing / using cement as it can irritate and burn skin, use gloves / safety goggles when handling / cutting bricks.

Always lay bricks so the vertical joints are staggered, this gives the brickwork added strength and support. If the bricks you are using don’t have holes through them but have an indentation (known as a frog), lay the bricks with the ‘frog’ at the top. The last course of bricks can be laid with the ‘frog’ at the bottom to give the brickwork a smooth finish on the top.

Lay one brick at each end of the course with a string line stretched between them along the top edge, this will give you a guide as you lay each course of bricks. See fig 1.

fig 1

When you place the mortar on the foundation or next course of bricks make a V shaped trough along the mortar with your trowel, this allows the bricks to be tapped into position / level more easily, spread (butter) mortar onto the end of each brick as you lay them for the vertical joint. Once you have laid the first course of bricks check the level along the top of the course and along the face or outside edge (it isn’t necessary to check each brick as you lay them). With your spirit level in position on the brickwork, tap each brick level, either using the edge of your trowel or by hand. Remember most bricks aren’t always square when manufactured so they may not line up perfectly level with each other, use your judgement as minor discrepancies won’t be noticeable when you ‘step back’ and look at the finished brickwork.

You will no doubt have to cut some bricks to size (e.g. half bricks to obtain the staggered vertical joints), to do this mark the cut on the brick (allowing for the mortar seam) and place it on firm ground or a solid base, align the cutting edge of your bolster chisel with the mark and give it a sharp blow with your lump hammer, any rough edges can be chipped off  using the bolster and lump hammer. Don’t forget the safety goggles.

Lay each course of bricks using the string line as a guide and check the levels as each course is completed. Don’t forget to strike / point the seams on each course before the mortar sets, fill any holes in the seams then strike / point them with either the piece of pipe or the trowel to give your brickwork a professional finish, brush the brickwork down with a soft hand brush to remove any excess mortar from the brickwork face.

Remember you can always add a colouring agent to the mortar mix if you think it would improve the finished look of your brickwork. Colouring agents are simple to add, just make sure you note the quantities of sand, cement and agent that go into each mix. Use the same sand for each mix as different ones can produce variations in the shade of colour. The agents come in various colours. (See post)

Building your own barbecue requires a bit of planning before you start. It needs to be built a safe distance away from anything that is flammable, and where the smoke won’t fill yours or your neighbours house. To get the dimensions for your brickwork you will need your grill set, this will determine the internal width of the brickwork. Place the grill on the ground and place the bricks around it in what will be their fixed position as shown in fig 1 below.

Safety tip :- Use gloves when mixing / using cement as it can irritate and burn skin, use gloves  / safety goggles when handling / cutting bricks.

Make a note of the measurements allowing a little space for the grill rack and coals tray to be lifted out and removed for cleaning etc. If the ground is soft then you will need to dig out a small trench around 250 mm wide and 250 to 300mm deep, this can then be filled with concrete to form a foundation for your brickwork. Try to get the foundations as level as possible.

Once the concrete has hardened (this may take a couple of days) you can start to lay the first course of bricks, don’t make too much mortar as it may ‘go off’ before you have time to use it. A little tip here is to remember the ratio of sand and cement you mix so the mortar colour is uniformed throughout the brickwork, I would do a mix of 4 parts sand to 1 part cement, a little squirt of washing up liquid helps the spreading of the mortar. Butter (spread) each brick with some of the mortar on the bottom and on one end of each brick, try to guess-timate the same amount of mortar each time, you want to end up with a seam of mortar approximately 10mm deep across each course of brick.

Check the bricks are all level and square using a spirit level and tape measure. Build up the corners first up to the fifth course of brick overlapping the previous course each time, see fig 2, use a length of timber and the spirit level to check the level across the corners, take your time checking all levels both horizontally and vertically. When you are happy with the levels lay the rest of the bricks up to the fifth course, use a plumb line stretched across each course to give you a guide line for laying the bricks, you will have to use half bricks which you can cut using a bolster chisel and lump hammer and don’t forget those goggles. At this point I would strike all the mortar seams with a metal or rubber tube and using a soft brush remove any unwanted mortar to give your brickwork a more professional finish, see fig 3. Let the mortar set and then continue the following day.

Have a look at the basic bricklaying tips and advice post, which includes a helpful video on laying bricks.

Before you carry on decide what height is comfortable to use the coals tray and grill rack, at this height on the corresponding course of bricks you will have to lay three bricks each side inwards to support the coals tray and then three more each side one course up for the grill rack, see fig 4. When your brickwork is complete you could finish it off by cementing some ornamental coping stones on the top. Again don’t forget to strike the seams and clean off any unwanted mortar. Wait a day for the mortar to set then break out the beers, burgers and steaks.

You can of course build variations of this barbecue to suit yourself, check out the barbecue designs and ideas section,  maybe you want a stone worktop at one side or a double grill, now you can lay bricks the possibilities are endless, the main point I would make is to take your time and keep checking those levels.