Replacing a single brick

[emptybucketman]

I need to replace a single brick in a brick wall. The wall is double brick, so I don't have access behind it. I have a bag of premixed brickies mud and this is my first time laying bricks. Any tips on applying the mortar and fitting the brick?

[ozwinner]

I assume you havent taken the brick out yet.

You can get a plugging chisel from Bunnies to chip away at the mortar around the brick, or just go for the kill and smash the crap out of the brick and then remove the rest of the brick with the plugger.
I prefer the second option myself.

Make sure all the old mortar and brick is removed before you even think about putting the replacement brick in.
Even the smallest piece of old brick or mortar will cause you grief if left in.

Read the instructions on the premix as how to make the mortar.

Get a small trowel of mortar and put it in the hole as the bed joint, if you put too much in you wont be able to get the new brick all the way back as far as it should go as the mortar builds up behind the brick as you push it back.

Butter both ends of the brick. Have a look here. www.brickwork.net.au (http://www.brickwork.net.au)

Turn your trowel over so the handle is underneath as in the picture, sit the brick on the trowel and insert into the hole, now slide the brick off the trowel.
Make sure the brick is level and flush with the other bricks.

Get a thin stick or even the plugging chisel and use it to ram some mortar into the top bed of the brick.

Simple. :roll:

Al :U

[Grunt]

I wouldn't listen to Al, he knows Jack Sheet about bricklaying. He's a fricken brain surgeon. (http://www.woodworkforums.com/showpost.php?p=456175&postcount=154)

[johnc]

You can tell he is just pretending because that damn trowel has never seen a days action in its life. Or is it your Sunday best trowel Al?:rolleyes:

[ozwinner]

Its still even got the barcode on the bottom of it. :B

Al :U

[DavidG]

Its still even got the barcode on the bottom of it. :B

Al :U
Get it from Bunnies did you?:o

[ozwinner]

I bought it from a local market, the guy had 4 of them for $5 each so I bought the lot.

Al :2tsup:

[emptybucketman]

Thanks Al, I took a look at your web site and noticed that a furrow is created in the bed before laying the bricks. What purpose does this serve and is it required for extruded and common house bricks?

[ozwinner]

Thanks Al, I took a look at your web site and noticed that a furrow is created in the bed before laying the bricks. What purpose does this serve and is it required for extruded and common house bricks?

Good point I shall have to include an explanation on the site.

The furrow allows the brick to bed down into the mortar, rather than just sitting on it, it also makes the mortar go the full width of the brick therefore eliminating any holes.
It also makes laying much quicker and I would assume save mortar.

It is used with all types of bricks.

Al :)

[autogenous]

mix mud like thick toothpaste, borderline dense dog poo.

Place 2 stacks of small pieces of 5 mm CFC at each on bed. 10mmhigh =2 x 5mm CFC

place mud in between small stacks 30mx100 deep. slide brick in

If trowels too dear place cement on top of left over CFC 250mm long by 150mm wide

push mud into joint with a piece of 5mm CFC off the CFC board with cement on it into joints till full and flush

Flush with wiping dry carpet

mess round edges with "damp" not wet T-shirt

[Brickie]

The thread is over 12 months old, so I assume the brick is laid.

BTW, what is CFC? :?

[journeyman Mick]

...............BTW, what is CFC? :?

Either Chloro-FluoroCarbon or Compressed Fibrous Cement (hint, I don't think you can stack the former up as it's a gas:wink::p)

Mick

[autogenous]

My apologies yes compressed fibre cement. I don't like the word asbestos. It scares people.

As long a the CFC = 10mm then placing the brick with the small pieces of CFC for the brick to sit on stops it dropping when filling the mortar joints up. It doesn't matter what thickness of the CFC is as long as it ends up close to 100m You can even split the CFC sheet to get close to the 10mm packing height. Even jamming in above stops the brick moving around when the mud is being pushed into the bed joints.

Flipping a trowel upside down with mud underneath to place in a pug hole isn't everyones cup of tea.

Using CFC helps and even when using as packers above preventing dropping when the mud shrinks. Wood rots, CFC doesn't.

Yeah I didn't realise the post was so old. Got a little excited didn't I. Its always good reference for the future any rate. Someone put the keywords in a search engine and find it.

Are you a Knave Mick?:)

[Ashore]

My apologies yes compressed fibre cement. Yeah I didn't realise the post was so old.
Don't let it worry you good advice on the proper way to do it is worth reading no matter how old the thread, Thanks :2tsup:

[journeyman Mick]

.................Are you a Knave Mick?:)

Dunno, what's a knave?:?

Mick

[autogenous]

Mick: Dunno, what's a knave?

A journeyman :)


The word 'journeyman' comes from the French word journée, meaning the period of one day; this refers to his right to charge a fee for each day's work. He would normally be employed by a master craftsman (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Master_craftsman), but would live apart and might have a family of his own. A journeyman could not employ others. In contrast, an apprentice would be bound to a master, usually for a fixed term of seven years, and lived with the master as a member of the household.
In parts of Europe, as in later medieval Germany (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germany), spending time as a journeyman (Geselle), moving from one town to another to gain experience of different workshops, was an important part of the training of an aspirant master. In later medieval England (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/England), however, most journeymen remained as employees throughout their careers, lacking the financial resources to set up their own workshops<sup class="noprint Template-Fact">[citation needed (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)]</sup>. In France (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/France), they were known as Compagnons (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compagnons_du_Tour_de_France).
The terms jack and knave are sometimes used as informal words for journeyman:) Hence 'jack of all trades, master of none' — someone who is educated in several fields of trade, but is not yet skilled enough in any to set up their own workshop as a master.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Journeyman

[autogenous]

I think German stonemasons do a 6 year University degree then travel as post graduates known as knaves to complete the degree.

[journeyman Mick]

Well, strictly speaking I'm a master but I wasn't about to use "master craftsman Mick" as my name.:p Besides, I like the idea of life as a journey of discovery and learning, you know "like life's a journey, man". :wink:

Mick

[autogenous]

I think Knave maybe mis-interpreted to some extent. The term Jack or Knave may have been referred to someone in Europe to be some form of Gypsy. However many trades are drilled into specialist teams in a modern world.
Many trades were previous somewhat broader in their qualification. Specialisation has allowed faster trades in certain fields.

In the field of carpentry for example specialisation has lead to:

Fixing carpenter
Staircase carpenter
Form work carpenter
Cabinet maker
Roof Carpenter
Furniture manufacturer
Wood Carver
Etc etc

A Journey man or Knave may endeavour to accomplish all these aspects. While it is possible for many carpenters to fulfill this desire carrying all the tools and "mastering" all is quite a task.
Having the capacity to carry out the tasks is one thing but the ability to make good living out of them is another. :)

Hence, Jack of all trades.
In medieval times a knave may have traveled the globe in search of new methods, technology and carried out a medieval equivalent post grad of his field or trade.
While trigonometry sits in common knowledge today in early times many people couldn't read or write. Trigonometry would have been cutting edge knowledge only distributed by means of Knaves etc to the world.:)
The Romans spoilt everything :)

[journeyman Mick]

Until a few years ago I was a "generalist" and took on pretty much any job that came along. I developed a pretty wide range of skills (and a huge array of tools:D). A few years ago, due to a variety of circumstances I started specialising in cabinets. Plain, boring, euro style boxes out of (mostly) 16mm board. Fairly uninspiring, but my customers are happy with them and, more importantly, it's an easy way to make a living with the added bonus of not too much lost time to wet weather and very little heavy lifting.:D

Mick