Ways of Installing Brick

Build Walls with Mortar

• Brick walls, whether structural or decorative, must be built with mortar. This applies to any brick structure, whether it's a house or lawn element. All brick walls and structures must be set on a solid and level concrete surface. Bricks are installed on walls by putting mortar on the bottom and one end of a brick and setting it in place, then adding another brick, mortared the same way, to the side. Standard bricks are roughly 2 by 4 by 8 inches. Wall bricks normally are laid with the 4-inch edge flat and a 2-inch edge exposed.

Use a Pattern

• The most common installation for wall bricks is called running bond, in which the second course or layer of bricks overlaps the first, so its joints are in the middle of the brick below. Bricks can be cut with a mason's saw or mason's chisel to make half-bricks. Vary the bond by adding half bricks on every third or fourth course to make a row with the ends out. On freestanding brick walls or structures, such bricks can be used to tie two wall segments together, going from one side to the other.

Finish the Joints

• When you set bricks in mortar, you must finish or smooth the joints. You can do this with a steel finishing tool, shaped to press the damp mortar into a form. The best joint is concave, a sort of half-circle between the bricks that will allow any water to drain out the bottom. The next best joint is a v-shape, formed with a similar tool. Some combination tools have one convex end and one triangular end. Avoid making joints where the mortar is recessed between the bricks or is flush with the edges.

Install Pavers on Sand or Mortar

• Install bricks for paving in mortar or on a bed of sand laid over a gravel base. The techniques are similar. Both installations start with an excavation, which is filled with compacted gravel. The gravel is topped either with a layer of sand or a layer of concrete or mortar. Bricks are set into the sand or mortar, tapped into place with a rubber mallet and leveled. Finish sand installation by sweeping fine mason or polymeric sand into the joints between bricks. On a mortar installation, sweep dry cement into the joints.