Brickwork Projects for Patio & Garden. Alan Bridgewater

      TOOLS FOR MAKING FOUNDATIONS

       Spade

       Fork

       Shovel

       Garden rake

       Wheelbarrow

       Plate compactor

       Bucket

       Sledgehammer

      Removing turf and digging earth

      Once the area of ground has been marked with string, chalk or paint, start digging and removing earth to create a clean-sided hole of a specific depth. A spade is used to slice through the turf, and a fork is very handy for removing the turf in square chunks. A wheelbarrow is essential for moving earth away from the site, and a bucket is useful for removing small quantities and when working in confined areas. The wheelbarrow and bucket are also employed for moving all other materials. To dig a hole in extremely hard or stony ground, specialty digging tools such as a pickaxe or mattock may be required.

      Compacting hardcore

      Hardcore (scrap brick, stone and concrete) must be compacted in order to form a firm base. A sledgehammer is used to break it up into smaller pieces and to beat these into the ground to make a compact, even layer. This can be notoriously hard work when dealing with large areas (over 20 square feet, or 2 square meters), so either get help or buy broken-brick hardcore, which is easier to break and consolidate. Always wear goggles to protect your eyes from chippings.

      Spreading gravel, sand and concrete

      Use a shovel for spreading gravel, sand, ballast (a mixture of gravel and sand) and concrete. A rake is useful for spreading dry materials evenly over a large area. A screed board is brought in to scrape off excess material to make a smooth and level surface to a specific depth, and is used for concrete, sand and ballast. It consists of a length of wood supported at either end by a frame (see here). Some patio foundations consist of dry materials, laid down without cement, and it is best to rent a compacting machine called a plate compacter to compress gravel, sand or ballast into a firm base (also for firming patio bricks into position).

      Hardcore: Scrap bricks, stone and concrete crushed with a sledgehammer and leveled to provide drainage and support beneath a foundation. Alternatively, drainage rock, gravel or graded base can be used.

      TOOLS FOR MIXING CONCRETE AND MORTAR

       Shovel

       Bucket

       Plywood

       Cement mixer

      Mixing by hand

      Mixing concrete or mortar by hand is hard work. Find a sheet of exterior plywood for mixing on, about 4′ (1.22m) square and ½″–1″ (13–25mm) thick, a shovel and a bucket for the water (see here). If more than 55 lbs. (25kg) of cement or mortar is required, you should seriously consider using a cement mixer.

      Using a cement mixer

      A cement mixer is used for making concrete and mortar, and is a wonderful timesaver that actually does a better job than you can do by hand. Cement mixers can be bought or rented, and are available in different capacities, powered by an electric or gas engine. The small, electric versions are most suitable for DIY projects and mix up to approximately twelve shovelfuls of cement, sand or ballast, producing one wheelbarrow load of concrete or mortar. Follow the instructions supplied with the machine. Remember that at the end of a job, an empty cement mixer can only be left for about five minutes before it needs to be washed out, otherwise the remnants of cement will set solid. Use a hose and a brush to do this.

      TOOLS FOR HANDLING MORTAR

       Bricklayer’s trowel

      Spreading mortar

      The bricklayer’s trowel (the larger of the two similarly shaped trowels) is the one used most frequently in bricklaying. It is used to scoop up mortar and spread it smoothly, to an even thickness, over the top and ends of the bricks, and also for slicing off excess mortar that has squeezed out from between the bricks. It can also be employed to knock the bricks level (using the blade or the handle) or to chop bricks roughly in half.

       Pointing trowel

      Finishing joints

      After the bricks have been laid and before the mortar is dry, the joints between the bricks need to be cleaned up with a pointing trowel or by another method (see here). The pointing trowel is used to fill any gaps in the joints, and also to repoint (see here). Be careful not to smear the excess mortar on the face of the brickwork. The pointing trowel may be used in place of the bricklayer’s trowel if you find that too heavy and awkward.

      TOOLS FOR CUTTING BRICK, STONE AND CONCRETE

       CAUTION