Inserting into concrete

[TexMex]

I am halfway through another one now. Shall I start doing them the right way up? This means at one point there will be two beds together.

If it were me laying the remaining bricks, I'd be inclined to lay the rest up the right way. Mainly because I can lay them about four times as quick that way. But I haven't had your wealth of experience of laying them inverted have I

When you're laying them up the right way, once you've laid the bed joint, you can lay the course of bricks on top of it without returning to the spot board. Each brick you lay, you cut off the excess and use this to put the joint on the next brick. Since you will not have enough excess squeesed out of the joint to fill the frog, you must be going back to the spot board for every brick, just to fill the frog.

Mastering this technique of using the excess squeesed out of the current brick to joint the next brick is the key to getting your speed to really take off. I can assure you, it will halve the time it takes you to build a wall. It also makes you a very clean worker by necessity. You're less inclined to drop or smear that excess mortar, when you see it as the material for your next joint.

 

[masona]

With solid or perforated bricks, the orientation of the brick doesn't matter, but with frogged bricks, the frog should always be laid uppermost. This ensures that the loading of the wall is evenly spread across its width, rather than being concentrated onto the edges, and that there are no voids within the brickwork that could be weak spots.
Frogged or perforated brickwork should always be covered over if left unfinished for any period when rain is about, to prevent the frogs or perforations filling with water which would make a mess of the bed mortar when bricklaying resumes.

 

[knownothing]

Thank you thank you thank you. I checked this thread before I started this morning, and so have been doing them the correct way up.

Yes, I found it a lot quicker and easier and tidier!

So is this any better? - all tips and comments gratefully received!

 

[masona]

A very neat wall!

I always covered the frog with mortar before laying the next course of bricks so you can continue laying the bricks without stopping.

 

[TexMex]

A very neat wall!

Nah. he's missed a bit

 

[knownothing]

Nah. he's missed a bit

He?!?!?!

 

[Nige F]

If you lived in a 60`s house by most national housebuilders, you would find that most of the bricks are frog down and NOT filled like you`re doing What the others have said is correct, just letting you into a "secret" about past workmanship. Also the joints can vary in thickness . They are called " Christmas Joints" because you always have a big joint @ Christmas Looks like you`re doing a good job..that`s the idea of DIY.