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DIY PAINTING TIPS, TRICKS, AND A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE

admin — Fri, 16 Feb 2018 11:03:00 +0000

DIY PAINTING TIPS, TRICKS, AND A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE

My dad was a handyman, and I grew up helping him. I’ve painted my home from top to bottom, as well as the houses and apartments of countless other people. I’ve learned a thing or two over the years and I’m happy to share my tips and a step-by-step guide with you! It looks like a lot of information (because it is), but don’t worry or get overwhelmed. Painting a room is an easy, inexpensive DIY project and you can do it!

PREP WORK FOR PAINTING:

Fill any holes or imperfections with spackle, wait for it to dry, and then lightly sand the patches. If you have a crack, you must first widen it slightly before spackling or the spackle will just sit on top.

Scape away any peeling, cracked paint, then sand the area smooth.

Clean the walls if they may be dirty (especially in a kitchen or bathroom), and always take a damp cloth to clean the dust off of trim and the tops of doorways.

Use paintable caulk to fill any gaps between the walls and trim before painting the trim. Fill any dings and divits in the wood with wood putty, wait for it to dry, then sand smooth.

When in doubt, prime. Using a primer can hide dark colors, block stains, and help your new paint job last longer. It’s also a must when painting exposed woodwork, and there are many primers that adhere to glossy surfaces (allowing you to skip sanding first).

Stir your paint before you begin, and don’t paint straight from the can. Obviously you would pour the paint into a roller tray if you were about to use a roller, but consider using a small bowl when painting with a brush. Its easier to hold, and decanting paint will keep the can free of the impurities (dust, wood particles, etc.) that your brush may pick up as you work.

If you want to use tape, buy painter’s tape (it’s usually blue or green, and marked as such). Apply it in short, overlapping strips, and press down firmly along the edge to ensure a crisp line.

PAINTING TOOLS:

You will need the following tools to prep for a typical room: Spackle, putty knife, fine grit sandpaper, and a damp lint-free rag. You may also need paintable caulk and wood putty if you’re working on the trim.

Tools to paint a typical room: Paint, a tool to open the paint can, stir stick, angled paint brush, small bowl (I don’t recommend painting straight from the can), roller, roller cover, roller tray, and a roller extension pole (if you have high ceilings). Painter’s tape is optional, and a drop cloth to protect the floor is a good idea. You don’t need any funny little gadgets to paint edges.

A 5-in-1 tool is a painter’s best friend. You can use it open the paint can, open cracks in the wall for repair, spread spackle (takes the place of a dedicated putty knife), scrape loose paint, and clean rollers.

Use a good quality brush. I like a 2.5″ angle brush for most projects (painting trim, doors, cutting in), and a 2″ sash brush for windows.

Use a good quality roller cover. Cheap ones leave a messy edge and can shed little fuzzies all over. I use a fresh cover for each paint job, but they can be cleaned. A 3/8″ or 1/2″ nap is good for most walls.

CHOOSING PAINT:

I’ve tried many brands and I’ve been happiest with Benjamin Moore, though Behr impressed me as well. If you find a colour you like from another line, a paint store can match it for you in the brand you like.

Choose a finish that is appropriate for the room and application. I like semi-gloss for trim, eggshell for kitchens and bathrooms, and flat for all other rooms. Glossy finishes are the most durable, but flat finishes help to hide imperfections. Most paint finishes now, even flat, will hold up to a little cleaning. Porch paint is the most durable option for painting wood floors.

Oil or latex? I always use latex (water-based) paint. It dries quickly, there are less fumes, and it cleans up with water. You can still choose latex if you are painting over oil paint, but you must prime first with an oil-based primer. You can test what kind of paint you have by rubbing it with a cotton ball soaked in rubbing alcohol. If the paint comes off, it’s latex.

Get a low-VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) paint if you’re concerned about paint fumes (in a nursery, for example). Many brands offer a low or no VOC option, including Mythic, Benjamin Moore, and Behr. Consumer Reports ratings are available to CR subscribers.

(Paint chips from Martha Stewart’s line at The Home Depot.)

CHOOSING A PAINT COLOR:

Choosing colours is a bit of an art, but here’s a “rule” that I think you can ignore: Don’t pick a colour and then ask for a half-strength or lighter version. Some people swear by this, but I’d suggest choosing a lighter colour instead if you feel like the one you’re considering will be too dark.

Most people prefer slightly muted (tinted with grey or brown) colours, as opposed to a pure or primary colour.

Your ceiling does not need to be white! If the wall colour is not too dark, I use it for the ceiling too. If you do choose a dark wall colour it may be a little much to use everywhere, you can have fun choosing another colour for the ceiling that will work with the rest of the room.

Most paint companies are offering sample sizes now, so it’s easy to try a few colours out before buying a gallon. If you don’t want to paint the samples directly onto your wall, paint each colour on a board of foam-core (paint stores sell them).

Choosing a paint colour should come at the end of the decorating process.

The worst thing that can happen if you hate the colour you choose is that you’ll have to repaint. It would be unfortunate, but not catastrophic.

PAINTING TECHNIQUES:

Keep a wet edge, and always paint from dry to wet. This will minimize brush strokes and roller marks.

Don’t stretch your paint. You don’t want to glop the paint on, but scrimping will leave you with a patchy, blotchy paint job.

Taping is optional, especially if you have a reasonably steady hand. Using an angle brush, start slightly away from the edge and then curve in to meet it. This will help you avoid leaving a big blob of paint where you begin.

Holding the brush the narrow way (not the way you would naturally hold it) makes it easier to get a crisp line when painting trim.

Painting a room is best accomplished by first cutting in (painting along the trim, ceiling, and corners) with a brush. After that has dried, you can go in with a roller for the walls.

I find that it doesn’t matter whether you paint the walls or the trim first. My preference is to paint the trim first because I find that I can get a cleaner line when I cut in to paint the walls. If you like to tape off your edges, you may find it easier to paint the trim last.

Wet your brush and then blot out most of the water before you begin. This will help to keep paint from creeping up into the ferrule (the metal part where the bristles are attached) and save your brush.

Only dip your brush about a half or quarter of an inch into the paint, then wipe off one side on the edge of the paint container. This will help you avoid paint runs (from using too much) and keep your brush in good condition.

Paint in long, continuous strokes. Not doing so is one of the most common mistakes.

When painting with a roller, aim for covering a three foot wide section at a time. I typically go from the ceiling to a midway point, load more paint, and then go from the midway point down to the floor. Then I move left or right to the next section, always remembering to keep a wet edge and working from dry to wet.

When painting with a brush, don’t dab the paint on or move in a short back and forth motion. You can paint with the brush left and right (or up and down) to get the paint on, but then take one long finishing stroke from the dry side and tapering off into the wet edge.

Put on a second coat. Your paint job may look OK after just one, but it will look better after two. If you’re using a dark or vivid color, you may even need three (or more) coats.

Let your paint fully dry between coats. The paint can should tell you how long to wait.

Painting

(That’s me “cutting in” while painting my library.)

CLEANING UP:

You can keep your brush or roller wet between coats by covering it tightly in plastic wrap or using a plastic bag. And don’t forget to put the lid back on the paint can right away.

I use a fresh roller for each paint job, but you can clean them with water and a 5-in-1 tool.

Remove painter’s tape as soon as the paint is dry.

If you taped off your room’s edges with painter’s tape and the paint is peeling as you remove it, score the edge lightly with a razor for a clean line.

If you notice a paint drip while it’s still wet, you can wipe it away with a damp cloth. If it has already dried, you will have to take more drastic measures.

Stop cleaning your brush if you’ve been painting for more than an hour or so. Otherwise, the paint will start to dry towards the top, gumming up your paint job and ruining your brush.

Clean your brush with a little dish soap (assuming you’re using latex paint) and a brush comb until the water runs completely clear. A quality brush can hold a lot of paint, so give the bristles a little squeeze to wring out the excess water when you’re done and make sure there is no more paint in the brush. Smooth the brush into shape and then let it sit to dry completely.

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15 Quick Fixes to Make Around Your House

admin — Tue, 16 Feb 2016 12:35:44 +0000

15 Quick Fixes to Make Around Your House

Fifteen-minute projects that won't put a dent in your weekend.

By Adam Bluestein

Squeaky Door Hinges:

Spray a little WD-40 onto the hinges, moving the door back and forth to work in the lubricant. Or try rubbing the hinges with petroleum jelly. If these tricks don’t work, lift the hinge pins about halfway and lubricate them with three-in-one oil, using a rag to catch drips.

Squeaky Floor:

For a temporary fix, sprinkle talcum powder over the noisy area and sweep it into the cracks. Be sure to remove any traces of powder if you’re ever going to refinish the floor

Peeling Wallpaper:

With a knife, smear wallpaper paste onto a piece of writing paper. Rub the paper against the underside of the peeling section. Press the wallpaper against the wall. Slide the writing paper out and smooth away bubbles with a clean cloth.

Worn Caning:

A little sagging over time is natural but reversible. To tighten caning back up, use a sponge to wet the underside with warm water. Let dry slowly overnight. Repeat if necessary.

Dusty Chandelier:

Allow the fixture to cool. Wear a pair of white cotton gloves―one dry, one dampened with glass cleaner. (For crystal, use one part rubbing alcohol to three parts distilled water.) Wipe each prism with the damp glove, then the dry one.

Stained Tub:

Combine equal amounts of cream of tartar and baking soda with enough lemon juice to make a paste. Rub the mixture into the stain with your fingers or a soft cloth. Let sit for a half hour, then rinse well with water.

Stuck Sliding Windows:

A little silicone spray lubricant (sold at hardware stores) will grease the skids. Spray it onto a rag, then wipe along the tracks, whether they’re metal, wood, or plastic.

Hard-to-Remove Decals:

Spray the decals and the surrounding areas with WD-40, lifting the edges to get underneath, if possible. Let sit, then gently scrape away the decal with the edge of a credit card. Degrease the tub with liquid dishwashing soap.

Slamming Door:

Soften the slam of a door by affixing a few pieces of peel-and-stick foam weather stripping around the doorstop. Or get a wide rubber band and wrap it around the doorknobs on both sides, stretching it across the edge of the door. Don’t cover the latch.

Hard-to-Remove Lightbulb:

Press the center of a foot-long strip of duct tape onto the middle of the bulb. Fold each loose end in half so it sticks onto itself. Gripping each end between your thumb and index finger, give a counter clockwise twist to loosen the bulb.

Dry Cutting Board:

Revive your board by gently warming a bottle of pure mineral oil (available at drugstores) in a bowl of hot water, then wiping the oil onto the surface with a soft cloth. Wipe off the excess four to six hours later.

Flattened Down Cushions:

Put them outside in the sun for a few hours, flipping them halfway through. (Be careful―leaving them out too long may fade the fabric.) The sun will help evaporate the moisture that gets into the filling over time, and the cushions should plump up nicely.

Scuffed Linoleum:

Rub the spot with white toothpaste and a dry cloth or with an eraser. Or spray WD-40 on a towel and rub lightly, making sure to degrease the area afterward with liquid dishwashing soap and water.

Tangled Extension Cords:

Cowgirls and sailors alike know the benefits of storing ropes neatly coiled. Follow their lead and keep extension cords tangle-free and contained inside a large plastic bucket when they’re not in use.

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7 Tips for Building Your First Home

admin — Tue, 16 Feb 2016 12:20:38 +0000

7 Tips for Building Your First Home

by Lauren Busser

Some home building goofs, like spilled paint or a hole in the drywall are easy to fix as things move along. But you've got to be careful to avoid major, costly errors when building your first home. No one wants to spend their hard-earned cash, time and energy building a home only to later discover that there's been a major oversight which needs correcting. Here are a few things to think about to help you avoid builder's remorse.

It’s all in the Planning

A house is an investment that is meant to last, theoretically forever. So it's wise to plan well into the future when you build your first home. Is your family growing? Do you want a place to entertain? Is it in a location where you'd consider spending the rest of your life? Your answers to these questions will determine what kind of home you are looking for.

The Clairmont house plan works with the landscape outside and has excellent planning inside. With an open floor plan and a separate Great Room this house also allows for future expansion on the lower level.

Work with the Landscape

These days, owners of smaller homes are dedicating less time and resources to initially developing and maintaining their landscapes. But a house that simply sits between block walls or fences obviously isn't going to be very appealing in the long term. So when you’re planning your build, leave ample space around the house for future gardens or outdoor living spaces.

Safety First

It’s extremely important to feel safe and secure in your home. Planning for things like fire exits, exterior lighting and a security system go a long way in improving the safety of your new home.

The Morrison house plan is a small cottage with a design allowing it be expanded into a two-story home relatively simply. Not only does it have plenty of amenities but it is also part of our energy efficient house plans collection.

Green is Key

A big trend in today’s market is the green home. There are a lot of green, water-saving technologies in a range of prices. Take a look at the ENERGY STAR® website to see a wide variety of energy-saving building products and appliances that you can use in your home.

Keep it Affordable

Size is an important consideration when building your first home. If you are building a larger home you can obviously expect to pay more in mortgage payments, property taxes, maintenance and utilities but you wouldn't want to build so small that it leaves you without options for redesign or expansion later. Really think about the spaces you'll need and what you can afford when planning your house and you won’t have regrets later on.

When you are planning to build your first home, you should really plan to allocate half to two-thirds of what you can actually afford towards building it. No house comes in at or under budget, and sometimes quite a bit over. This results from a variety of factors, some of which may be due to your upgrading specifications, fixtures or materials as you go along. Sometimes it's an oversight, or increase in building materials costs, or even weather delays. You can reduce overages with diligence and planning but some will always sneak by.

In the Details

It’s easy to think about how many bedrooms you need or what you want in your kitchen but don’t forget other details too. For instance, there should be a bathroom on each floor if you are building a multi-story home. You'll also want to consider amenities like extra closet space for any guests you might periodically have staying with you.

Leave it to the Professionals

The best advice anyone can give you when building your home is to make as many preparations in advance as possible and let the professionals execute your dream. You should visit the site often to observe what your contractor and subcontractors are up to but making lots of changes during construction will hinder the timeline and ultimately cost you more money. So don’t be afraid to hold off on breaking ground until you are really happy with your design on paper.

Building your first home is a rewarding experience but while you are planning take some time to consider these points and make your home something that will stand the test of time. Remember, your home is likely to be the biggest investment you'll ever make, so planning and doing it right the first time is the way to assured satisfaction in the final result.

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How to Lay Concrete Blocks

admin — Tue, 16 Feb 2016 11:47:18 +0000

How to Lay Concrete Blocks

While some might find laying concrete blocks down an easy task, it can be overwhelming for beginners. It requires time and a good bit of supplies. If this is your first time, plan the task out with a friend. It is essential to use materials that both suit your project and the land you build on.

Method 1 of 4: Gathering the Supplies

Step 1:

Understand the available blocks. There are many different varieties of concrete blocks used for modern construction. You'll typically use standard 8" units, which will create the bulk of the foundation. Other types you might consider are single and double corner units, which provide a smooth square or rounded corner. Then you also have jamb blocks used for creating a doorway.

Other special blocks are available for nearly every requirement you can think of.

Sash blocks can be used when you want to create casement windows with an opening. Put header blocks at the top of a wall if you need to create space for roof supports or other construction supports.

You can buy specialty blocks or even customize your building blocks to add a personal touch to your project.

Step 2:

Purchase footing. Footing is the concrete base that is used as the base’s structure. You can either use dry footing that requires you to mix it with water to activate, or purchase prepared footing.

Step 3:

Gather the basic tools. This type of project requires a lot of supplies that can be found at your nearest hardware store. Be sure you can afford the time it'll take you to construct, and weigh the price difference of hiring professionals. Collect these supplies if you decide to continue:

Trowel
Garden Hose
3/8" and 5/8" Plywood
Work Gloves
Level
Wheelbarrow
100' of Chord
Mortar
Masonry Chisel
2x4 for Framing
Tie-in-Bars
Mortar Boards

Step 4:

Ask a specialist. If you're unsure about the specifics of what you should use for your project, consult a specialist at the hardware store. Typically the employees at the hardware store are knowledgeable about the needs of your project. It never hurts to ask if you're unsure.

Method 2 of 4: Preparing the Footing

Step 5:

Understand footing. Every block of wall needs to be placed on a secure footing, which is made from concrete. Footing should be poured twice as deep as the thickness of the wall and twice as wide. If you're using standard blocks (8"), then your footing should be at least 16" wide. Footing is formed by using a frame of 2x4s and wooden stakes.

Step 6:

Prepare the 2x4s. Double the width of the concrete block with two strips of 2x4s. Hold the 2x4s in place using wooden stakes along the outer wall. The 2x4s should be positioned so that they're secured by the stakes.

Step 7:

Be aware of the area. Make sure you aren't preventing natural run-off water from the position of the footing. Observe the land in question for a few days prior to doing any work. Pay special attention to the area after it rains. You don't want to disrupt the flow of water so that it floods into your neighbour’s property.

Step 8:

Pour the base concrete. This will secure your potential wall firmly to the base. Fill the frame up to the edge. Level the freshly poured concrete by running a 2x4 across the top. This will spread the concrete in an even manner. Fill any spots that are low with additional concrete.

Step 9:

Wait for the footing to dry. Before you can begin building, you'll need to give the concrete ample time to dry. If you expect the footing to hold a substantial amount of weight, wait up to three days for it to dry.

Method 3 of 4: Preparing to Lay the Concrete Blocks

Step 10:

Plan and section off the corners. Before you begin laying the blocks, visualize all the corners of your frame. Section off the corners with wooden stakes. Use a cord or string to tie off exactly where the corners’ edges will be. Attach a chord or string to the wooden stake used to mark the corners. The string should create a circumference around your work space.

Step 11:

Determine the number of blocks. Lay out your blocks along the dried footing and see how many you'll need for the first layer. Don't seal these down. Use a 5x8 to separate the blocks to account for the mortar.

Use corner blocks on the corners if available.

After testing, remove the blocks and prepare for the real event.

Step 12:

Prepare the cement mortar. Take the bag of dried concrete and measure out one dosage. Look on the bag's specifications for the brand you choose. Prepare a container to mix the dried mortar with water. Use a five gallon bucket that you don't mind damaging.

Never mix more mortar than you can use.

Method 4 of 4: Laying the Concrete Blocks

Step 13:

Spread the mortar along the corner. Use your trowel to spread a few slabs of mortar around the corner's base of the footing. Spread the mortar 1" deep and 8" wide in the marked area. Continue to spread the mortar to account for the distance of about three to four blocks.

Step 14:

Set the corner block. It is important to lay the corner block down first. Again, use a corner block if they're available. Setting the corner first will ensure an even dispersal of the rest of the blocks.

Step 15:

Apply mortar to the side. Apply mortar to each side of the concrete block using your trowel. You'll need to apply at least an inch to each side. Once applied, position the stone in the desired location. Try to align the corner to the string set up earlier.

Don't apply mortar to outer edge of the corner.

Try not to leave any gaps when applying mortar, or it’ll weaken the bond between the blocks.

Step 16:

Continue to lay the concrete blocks. Start laying blocks from the corner or edge of the wall so you can work in one direction.

Apply mortar at the end of the block before you place the block adjacent to it.

Step 17:

Check the alignment. Before stacking more concrete blocks on top of your initial foundation, check if everything is aligned. Use your mason's level by laying it on the first set of blocks. Check both the outside and center section of the bricks.

Tap the blocks for any alignment adjustments while the mortar is still wet.

Do not try to move a block after the concrete has set.

Measure the length and height every two or three layers.

Step 18:

Apply mortar to the top. Place the mortar 1 inch (2.5 cm) deep and use the same width as the width of the block. You can then spread the mortar so it covers the length of about 3 blocks in the direction that you are laying the bricks.

Step 19:

Stack the blocks. Lay the block down on top so the edge of the top block aligns with the halfway mark of the bottom block. You'll recognize the pattern as a standard among the construction sites. The top block will fit in between two bottom blocks.

Step 20:

Add reinforcement. If you built fairly high walls, consider adding reinforcements. You can also use reinforcements if the ground pressure on the site is not stable. Place the 1/4" reinforcement rods into the openings with the ends overlapping about 2" or 3".

Warnings

Laying concrete blocks can be heavy labour that can cause blisters. Wear construction gloves to protect your hands.

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Choosing Bricks

admin — Tue, 16 Feb 2016 11:21:32 +0000

Choosing Bricks

The humble brick has been around for centuries, but how do you go about choosing the right one for your building project?

By Daisy Jeffery

Bricks

Selecting the bricks for your home is one of the most important decisions you’ll face throughout your project – it’s not something you can readily change – so will require serious consideration. Brick and mortar colour, size, texture, and type of bond, will all impact on the aesthetics of the brickwork.

Material and Colour:

Before tackling the technicalities of specifying your bricks, you need to look at the design considerations.

Vernacular

“Your first port of call is to see whether or not brick is appropriate for the area you wish to build in. Planners will have a big influence on what materials are acceptable to the region and you could find that if the area is predominantly built up of stone, then a new brick home is unlikely to be granted permission,” says Mark Laksevics from York Handmade Brick Company.

He goes on to say that this means you need to look at what colours of brick are indigenous to the area:

oranges are typical of the Lincolnshire region
red bricks are common in the north
creams and yellows are common around Cambridgeshire and London
blue bricks are seen on properties in the Midlands

House Style

Your choice of brick will also depend on the style of your home.

“Try to select a brick that is right for the character of the house you are building,” says Stephen Blagbrough of Furness Brick. “If you are building a Georgian-style property then you don’t want anything too malty, whereas if you are building in a farmhouse style then you’re not going to want a brick that’s too mechanical and precise with tight joints.”

This will also dictate what ‘type’ of brick you choose

. “Clay is an efficient, cost-effective and sustainable option for modern construction,” says Richard Brown at Wienerberger. “Its natural properties provide complete, long-term sustainability, not only offering increasingly sophisticated low-carbon product manufacture, but giving a building life of up to 150 years with little or no maintenance." Cement and lime can also be specified as materials.

Machine or Handmade?

Another key choice is whether you opt for machine-made or handmade.

“There is a common misconception that handmade is the best you can buy,” says Stephen Blagbrough of Furness Brick. “In terms of authentic appearance, handmade can be considered the best, however there is nothing technically different about the product.”

If you wish for a cleaner, smoother finish then opt for extruded or wire-cut bricks. These machine-made bricks are more uniform in shape and are cheaper by the thousand.

Handmade bricks on the other hand have a rougher, open texture and feature an attractive creased face. You can also achieve a more bespoke look with a range of colours and sizes — but this is reflected in the price and they cost around four times as much as machine-made.

Sizing up

The standard size for bricks in the UK is 215mm (length) x 102.5mm (depth) x 65mm (height), with mortar joints of 10mm.

In order to calculate how many you need, the standard method is to work out the size of the facing walls in square metres and multiply by 60 (the standard number of bricks per metre square of stretcher bond brickwork). Note, too, that there are several calculators available online (brickability.co.uk has a useful one).

Brick Standards

Bricks are tested under British Standards to ensure they meet the necessary criteria in terms of water absorption, frost protection, strength, etc.

As clay facing bricks are subject to freeze thaw, it’s advised that you choose a brick with a minimum rating of ‘F’, with F1 being for bricks subject to moderate exposure to the elements (i.e. under the eaves), and F2 being the highest, meaning that the bricks are resistant even under severe exposure to continuous saturation and freezing.

Brick bonds

The appearance of brickwork will be primarily down to the pattern in which the bricks are laid, also known as ‘bonds’. The style of home you are building will depend on the type of bond you select. Older properties, before the introduction of the cavity wall, were typically laid in one of the three traditional bonds (Flemish, English, or English Garden Wall), and were often two or three bricks’ wide.

In modern construction, the simple stretcher bond has gained favour with developers as it is easy and cheap to lay. But it can only be used as the outer face of a cavity wall as the courses of stretchers are only one half-brick thick and too thin to support the structure alone.

“If you’re after something more traditional and in a period style, then one of the three traditional bonds can still be specified, however you will need to factor in the cost of cutting the bricks as with the cavity walls of today, the headers for the traditional bonds will need to be cut in half — also known as snapped headers,” explains Stephen Blagbrough from Furness Brick.

Buying Bricks

Once you know the colour, type and bond you are after, you will be ready to buy the bricks for your project. There are plenty of places to buy from, including various brick manufacturers, your local builders’ merchant, reclamation yards, or suppliers such as Jewson, Travis Perkins, and Brickability (bricks can be sourced online from the latter).

“You should expect the bricks to equate to around 2.8 per cent of the overall build cost, and you’ll find you will spend more on a kitchen than you will on the brickwork, even though the bricks are more important,” says Stephen Blagbrough of Furness Brick.

Before committing to a purchase:

request samples
try to see a finished property in the brick you are buying
ask your bricklayer or builder to build a small sample wall (commonly a 60-brick panel, which tends to be 1m2 in size) so you can see the bricks laid, the bricklayer’s standard of work, and it will give the bricklayers a reference of what they are working towards.

“Once you have ordered the bricks, you should receive an invoice around a week before delivery and will pay for the bricks then,” says Stephen Blagbrough of Furness Brick.

“There are, however, some companies who ask for a deposit of around 20 per cent to secure the order and prevent you from going elsewhere while waiting for the bricks to arrive — as this can cause so many problems with the manufacturers, a deposit is the only way of really ensuring that the client is going to go ahead, so don’t be too put off if you’re asked to pay a percentage upfront.”

Brick is the go-to choice for traditional buildings such as this example from the York Handmade Brick Company

Brick Matching

If you are extending your property, you are going to want to match the new bricks to the existing. However, your existing bricks will have weathered and developed a patina. Moreover the bricks specified when your home was originally built might not be available now.

The first way of overcoming this is to speak with the different manufacturers – most of which will offer a brick matching service – whereby tints can be applied. They should also be able to source bricks similar in texture and size.

Specifying pre-weathered bricks is another solution as Stephen Blagbrough from Furness Brick points out: “Our bricks are hand-blended, so the colour can be mixed, which lends very well to brick matching, and we’re also able to weather our products, which helps to match any existing brickwork. We do this by putting the bricks into a pigmented tank after firing and this speeds up the weathering process as the bricks soak up the solution.”

Another alternative is sourcing reclaimed bricks, which, while not the cheapest option, can offer that aesthetic you’re after. Note, however, that reclaimed bricks can rarely be specified in large quantities, so depending on the size of the project and the amount of bricks you require, you should perhaps look to brick tinting or weathering options. In addition, reclaimed bricks have not been made to the established standard (BS EN771-1) which new bricks are made to.

On Site

The lead-in times for bricks will vary depending on whether you’re purchasing from a manufacturer in the mass-developer market or whether you’re choosing a small or Specialist Company.

With lead times varying it makes sense to work according to your build schedule and give suppliers as much notice as possible. The bricks will arrive on the site in batches.

Make sure that the batches are delivered to hardstanding and not on grass as they’ll absorb moisture from the ground.

Note that it is not uncommon for the colours to vary slightly between each batch, so it’s wise to have your bricklayer mix the bricks within each batch to avoid any colour banding within the brickwork.

Ensure that any laid brickwork and/or packs are covered at the end of the day to protect them from rain.

Hiring Bricklayers

Bricklayers most often work in gangs of three (two bricklayers and one labourer), and their work will involve everything from bricklaying to blockwork, installing insulation, wall ties, damp-proof courses, and building in joinery.

The time it takes to lay the bricks will depend on the job in question and what is involved, such as any special requirements like the type of bond and the bricklayers’ familiarity with building in the style you have selected. Stretcher bond work is repetitive and simple and therefore faster to lay, with a typical four bedroom house taking between two to three weeks, whereas a Flemish bond will require more time and detail, as accuracy with this pattern is key.

When hiring bricklayers ask:

what their experience is
whether this is on smaller domestic projects or large-scale developments
the kinds of bricks they’re most familiar with
which bonds they have the most experience in laying

Other Bricks

Contemporary bricks, such as those featured in York Handmade‘s Maxima range and Wienerberger’s Diamond range, offer a more monochrome palette of blacks, blues, purples and greys, which serve well for building modern homes.

“These more linear-style bricks date back to Roman times, and the resurgence in using longer, thinner bricks has started to take hold with a lot of today’s modern architects,” says Mark Laksevics from York Handmade.

Measuring around 327mm in length, with a flat, smooth surface, they help to create the clean, contemporary lines which bode well with contemporary architecture.

The post Choosing Bricks appeared first on ROKR | Construction & building services.

Tips for laying bricks

admin — Tue, 16 Feb 2016 11:02:50 +0000

Tips for laying bricks

As with most trades, when a trades person lays a brick, it looks so easy, and when you (or I ) try it, it doesn't work so easily. So I went to the trades training section of George Brown College in Toronto, Ontario to pick up some of those little tricks that make it all so easy.

First trick I learned immediately. When you want to slide your trowel under the mortar to pick it up, move in a quick jerky motion and you will get a lot of mortar. If you move slowly under the mortar it tends to move ahead of you, or simply fall off.

Second trick: 'snap it on'. That means to simply jerk your trowel up and back down a small distance quickly. The mortar will float a bit then snap back down onto the trowel. That gets rid of a bit of excess, but most importantly causes the mortar to stick well enough to the trowel to allow you to turn the trowel on its side or even up-side-down to apply the mortar to the end of the brick. I have noticed the snapping motion before, but never realized that it was one of the critical tricks of getting mortar properly onto the brick.

Then it is easy to wipe the mortar onto the end of the brick, wipe to one side, wipe to the other side, wipe across the top and you end up almost instantly with the pyramid shape of mortar on the end of the brick that you see in the photo above.

Always lay a brick into a full bed of mortar and then slide that end mortar over to the previously laid brick. As you place each brick you are actually only mortaring the bottom and one end. Using a guide line can actually allow the brick layer to make a straighter wall than with any other construction, as they adjust the top of each brick to the string line. Clean off excess mortar immediately to prevent staining of the brick.

Now still pictures really don't do this snapping and wiping action justice, you really must catch the next re-run of this show. For some interesting information about laying bricks in extremes of weather, check out Working With Mortar .

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