How to Build a Brick Wall With Holes in It

Select a Bond Pattern

• 1

  Select a bond pattern that is appropriate for your wall and suits your taste. Select a highly overlapped pattern such as "stretcher" for a wall that's one brick thick. Use a mixture of alternating patterns for a more decorative appearance.

• 2

  Dig a trench where you plan to build the wall at least half as deep as the wall will be high. Fill the trench with mortar. Use a small cement mixer to reduce your work if you aren't using premixed mortar. Level off the top of the mortar with an even, unbowed wooden plank. Use a level, set atop the plank, to ensure that the surface is completely horizontal.

• 3

  Lay the first line of bricks, working from one end to the other. Check alignment regularly, using your level. Use a trowel or a pointed trowel to smear mortar on the end of each brick before you set it into place. Ensure that the bricks are level again after finishing the line. Tap down bricks using your trowel, as necessary.

• 4

  Lay the second row of bricks according to your bond pattern. Use the trowel to cover the previous row with plenty of mortar. Add just enough for a brick or two at a time. Set the brick in place and tap it down gently. Ensure that it is level. Scrape any excess mortar with the tip of the trowel.

• 5

  Identify the lowest point of any holes or windows in your wall. Count the number of brick layers necessary to reach that point. Line up your bricks for the appropriate row so that the end of a brick coincides with the edge of the window. Use the blocking chisel to cut down any bricks as necessary to maintain the pattern.

• 6

  Identify the uppermost point of the window opening and calculate the number of brick layers until you reach that point. Nail together a frame out of 2-by-4 lumber that can sit inside the opening. Make the frame two 2-by-4s thick for extra strength. Add an extra vertical support piece within the frame if the window is large. Set the frame in the opening when you reach the uppermost level of brick along the side of the window.

• 7

  Lay the next layer of bricks according to your bond pattern. Arrange the bricks at each of the opening's upper corners so that they are partially supported by the bricks underneath. Let the wooden frame support the other bricks. Remove the frame when the mortar has set.