Get the most from yourcement bricks & Blocks

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The Basics

BRICKLAYING & PLASTERING

According to general building guidelines.

IMPORTANT: Mix only as much mortar or plaster as you can use in 2 hours. Should your mix stiffen slightly in this period, some water may be added to regain workability. After 2 hours the unused mortar or plaster should be discarded.

1 Wheelbarrow Cement (2 bags) + 6 x Wheelbarrows Sand (390 litres)

This is enough to lay:

  • 600 bricks or maxi-bricks in a cavity or single-leaf wall
  • 500 bricks or maxi-bricks in a solid double-leaf wall
  • 600 blocks (390x190x90)
  • 400 blocks (390x190x140)
  • 300 blocks (390x190x190)
1. Remove any lumps, stones or foreign objects from the sand

2. Measure out the sand and place it in a long thin heap on a flat, clean, hard surface (or mix in a wheelbarrow if making a small batch)

3. Pour out cement on top of the sand

4. Mix cement and sand together until uniform in colour
5. Create a hollow in the centre and slowly add clean water while mixing. The mix is correct when it is like a thick paste, able to stand by itself without collapsing, yet wet enough to be spread easily with a trowel, like margarine
1. Bricks must be laid on a concrete slab or foundation
2. Start by building the corners. To lay the first course of bricks, use your trowel to spread mortar onto the concrete surface. Use a fishing line stretched tight between the corners to lay the first row of bricks. The back top edge of every brick laid must be exactly in line with the fishing line
3. Place enough mortar to lay 2-3 bricks at a time
4. Place a brick onto the fresh mortar and tap it into place until the top edge of the brick lines up exactly with the fishing line guide
5. ‘Butter’ each new brick by slapping mortar onto the end of the brick before placing it hard up against the preceding brick
6. Scrape away any excess mortar that has been squeezed out from between the bricks as you go before it dries and hardens. Ensure that you remove the mortar before it hardens
7. Use a spirit level to check that the row is level and to ensure that the corners are vertical (i.e. straight up and not leaning in or out)
8. Once the corners are built, simply move the fishing line up, row by row, and fill in the spaces between the corners. Because your bottom row is level and your corners are vertical, your whole wall will be level and vertical

1. Try to avoid working in the direct sun or drying winds, as plaster needs to retain its moisture as long as possible.

2. Load your hawk with plaster mix and scoop it onto the steel trowel. Apply to the wall with pressure

3. Plaster small areas at a time. A whole wall should be completed in one operation.

4. Once the plaster starts to stiffen, level the surface by pulling a straight edge over the plaster with a sawing motion.

5. Wet the levelled plaster with water (flicked off a brush), then use a float to smooth the surface.

6. Cover the plaster area with plastic or use a fine spray of water to keep it damp for as long as possible. (i.e. up to 7 days)