How to Build a Two Brick Wall Using an English Bond

In this video you will learn how to build a wall of two bricks’ thickness using an English bond .

The tools that you will need are:

Mortar pan

String

Trowel

Spirit Level

Straight Edge

Mason’s Square

Jointer

and Plumb Bob

The materials that you will use are:

Bricks

and Mortar

Don’t forget to use Personal Protective Equipment, including:

Safety Gloves

Reflective Jacket

Safety Helmet

Safety Shoes

and Dust Mask

Ensure that you follow all instructions specified in the mix design and method statement.

Before you begin building, set up profiles on either ends of the wall, run a string along its outer boundary and lay a dry bond.

The arrangement of bricks in an English Bond of Two Bricks’ Thickness uses pairs of Headers to fill the interior of every stretcher course, except where the course ends. The interior in the terminal section of a stretcher course is filled using two Queen Closers placed on either side of a centered Stretcher.

Bear in mind the count and arrangement of bricks before removing the dry bond.

Lay a bed of mortar wide enough to accommodate the length of two bricks.

Place the Quoin Brick. This Quoin will serve as a header for the first wall and as a stretcher for the second wall.

Remember to apply mortar on the side of every new brick that will make contact with a previously laid brick.

Place a Queen Closer against the length of the Quoin.

Place a header against the width of the Quoin.

Lay a second Queen Closer alongside the first one.

Now, keep laying pairs of headers for the rest of the course until the penultimate pair of bricks which will be Queen Closers.

Follow the pair of Queen Closers at the penultimate position with a final pair of Headers that will end the first course of the first wall.

Use the Straightedge to check the alignment of the course.

Next, using the Mason’s Square and the Straightedge, ensure that the width of the wall is at a 90 degree angle with the front surface.

Using a trowel, apply mortar on top of the course and insert it into the gaps to fill the joints.

Lay the mortar bed for the first course of the second wall.

Start the course with a row of stretchers in line with the quoin.

Lay a queen closer beside the last stretcher. Subsequently, place a stretcher right next to the queen closer, followed by another Queen Closer and then a final stretcher to close the outer edge of the second wall.

Now, place a pair of headers for every stretcher, to fill the interior of the first course of the second wall.

Lastly, place stretchers along the inside surface of the wall to complete the first course of the second wall.

Use a straightedge to check the alignment of the newly laid course.

Next, using the Mason’s Square and Straightedge, ensure that the width of the wall is at a 90 degree angle with the front surface of the wall.

Using a trowel, apply mortar on top of the course and insert it into the gaps to fill the joints.

You may now remove the profiles guiding the first course.

Lay the mortar bed for the second course of the first wall.

Set up the profile for the second course of the second wall using a pair of headers followed by a pair of Queen Closers at either end.

Lay pairs of headers to fill the space between the profiles.

Check the alignment of the course using the plumb bob and straight edge.

Using a trowel, apply mortar on top of the course and insert it into the gaps to fill the joints.

You may now remove the profiles from the second course of the second wall.

Lay a Mortar Bed for the second course of the first wall.

Now, set up the outer profile guiding the second course of the first wall using two Queen Closers on either side of a centered Stretcher, together filling the interior between two bordering Stretchers.

Lay a course of stretchers along either surface of the wall.

Fill up the interior space with a pair of headers for every stretcher.

Check the alignment of the course using the plumb bob and straight edge.

Using a trowel, run mortar over the course and insert it into the gaps to fill the joints.

Ensure that perpends and mortar beds on all the surfaces are levelled with mortar.

Keep repeating these steps of building alternating courses of stretchers and headers until you reach the desired height.

Once all the courses have been laid, use the Brick Jointer to scrape off the extra bits of mortar sticking out from the sides to provide definition to the bond.

Lastly, clean up the area around the wall.

You have now learned to build a wall of two bricks’ thickness using an English bond .