How to Brick a House Up

Remove any windows or doors, and their frameworks, from the portions of the house you wish to brick up. Impediments left in the wall will only weaken the structure of your brick fill, and can cause it to fail completely.

Use a hammer drill with a chisel bit to knock out bricks from the walls around the openings you wish to fill. Knock out every other brick on either side of the opening. These alternating spaces will serve as anchor points for the new bricks you plan to install.

Use your hammer to drive one masonry nail into the mortar just above the first brick on both sides of the bottom of the opening. Tie a string between the two nails and pull it tight. This string will serve as your guide in keeping the first row of bricks level with their surroundings.

Use a trowel to apply mortar to the bottom of the opening. Try to make the thickness of the mortar match the thickness of the existing mortar in the joints around the opening.

Apply mortar to both ends of one brick, and lay the brick into the opening at one side. Lay a full row of bricks, making sure to keep them in line with your string guide. Use a level to check the straightness of the first row. Move on to the second row and repeat the process.

Use a mortar rake to scrape away excess mortar from the joints, and to create a finished look. Allow the mortar to dry for the amount of time recommended by the manufacturer.