Name: ______Date: ______
STUDYGUIDE CHAPTER 5: LAYING BRICK TO THE LINE
CAREER INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
MR. BRIAN IASIELLO
Procedures for Laying Brick to the Line:
1. Before the Main Steps:
· Dry Layout- Space the brick according to the measurements
Four Main Steps to Brick to the Line:
1. Comply with all safety standards.
2. Pick up brick with face out.
3. Lay to the line without touching the line. (About 1/16” away from line)
a. Face the brick- Align the bottom edge of each brick face on the course below it.
b. Proper bonding- Aligning head joints of alternation courses in a vertical, plumb alignment.
c. Crowding the line- A person touching the mason line, or a brick unit too close to the line.
d. Slack to the line- A brick set to far from the line.
4. Fill head and bed joints full with mortar
a. When cutting mortar add to the head joint.
Terms for Laying Brick to the Line
1. Bat- another term for half of a full brick.
2. Closure Brick - the last brick laid in each course.
3. Crowding the Line - an expression describing brick that are too close to or possibly touching the line.
4. Dry Bonding - the process of establishing brick arrangement and the
width of head joints.
5. Facing the brick - Aligning the bottom edge of each brick’s face with the top edge of the brick faces on the course below it.
6. Hanging the line - attaching a mason’s line to the leads at opposite ends of a wall.
7. Holding Bond - maintaining a plumb-aligned bond or brick pattern.
8. Jack on Jack – the laying of one masonry unit over another without any overlapping.
9. Layout - the brick pattern and joint spacing to satisfy the intended wall construction.
10. Lipping - a condition where the bottom of a brick extends beyond the
face of the brick below it.
11. Racking - the process of setting back the brick from the wall line below.
12. Raising the Line - repositioning the line to the next course of the lead upon completing each course of brick.
13. Running Bond- a brick pattern where every brick is laid in the stretcher position and the brick of alternate courses forms a uniform overlap with the brick below.
14. Set-Back - a condition exhibited by a brick when its bottom edge is back of the face of the brick below.
15. Shiner- the position for a brick having its face side or back side bedded in mortar with its top side or bottom side oriented with the face of the wall.
16. Twigging the Line - Clipping a twig, also known as a trig, onto a mason’s line and positioning the twigged line above a brick bedded in mortar that is aligned level and plumb with the leads.
17. Mud - Trade term for mortar
18. Head Joint - Mortar that is placed vertically between the ends of the bricks
19. Bed Joint- Horizontal bed of mortar on which a brick is laid.
Outline
The process of aligning brick in a wall with the aid of a mason’s string line
attached to and guided by brick leads or guides at either end is known as
laying brick to the line.
1. Dry Bonding:
A. Dry bonding permits arranging the brick in the intended pattern
bond with a desirable head joint width.
B. Adjusting the width of the head joints within an acceptable range
changes the length of the wall, sometimes eliminating the need for
brick pieces.
C. Joint widths no less than 1⁄4” or greater than 1⁄2” are acceptable in most cases.
D. A brick at the end of each course needs cutting if adjusting the head joints within an acceptable range does not permit using full brick.
E. The brick nearest the end of the wall laid in the stretcher position is
cut to permit a plumb bond.
2. Choosing Course Spacing Scale:
A. Where leads have been built at the ends of walls, the mason’s line is attached and course spacing is governed by each course of lead.
B. Where the line is attached to a corner pole or masonry guide, the
mason’s scales permit uniform course spacing.
3. Hanging the Line:
A. Line blocks are usually used to attach lines at the edges of leads or
corner poles.
B. Line pins secure lines to inside corners having nowhere to hook line blocks.
4. Twigging the Line:
A. It may be necessary to twig longer lines to eliminate sagging lines
between leads farther apart.
B. Line interference from other masons
C. high winds
D. Using a builder’s level or rotary laser level ensures that the twigged brick is level with the leads at opposite ends of long walls.
5. Laying Brick to the Line:
1. Aligning the Running or Stretcher Brick Pattern Bond
a. For the first course, the head joints are aligned with the
marks made to establish the pattern bond when dry bonding.
b. On the second course, each brick is centered above the two brick below it.
c. Brick on the third course and all odd-numbered courses thereafter are positioned so that their head joints are aligned plumb with those of the first course.
d. Brick on the fourth course and all even-numbered courses
thereafter are positioned so that their head joints are aligned
plumb with those of the second course.
e. With variations in the length of common building brick, the
widths of the head joints vary if the brick pattern is to remain
plumb.
2. Facing the Brick:
a. Facing the brick refers to aligning the bottom edge of each brick’s face with the top edge of the brick faces on the course below it.
b. Brick that are not faced exhibit conditions known either as lipping or set-back.
3. Aligning the Brick Level:
a. A brick is considered to be aligned level once the top edge of its face is level with the line.
4. Aligning the Brick Plumb:
a. A space no less than 1⁄16” or more than 1⁄8” should be maintained between the line and the brick’s face.
b. Some brick are intentionally made having crooked and uneven faces. While parts of such brick may be more than this distance from the line, no part of the brick should be permitted closer to the line than 1⁄16”.
c. “Crowding the line” is an expression describing brick that are too close to or possibly touching the line.
6.Laying the Closure Brick:
a. To ensure full head joints between the closure brick and those
adjacent, mortar can be applied to the ends of the two adjacent
brick as well as each end of the closure brick before installing it.
b. Another method is to apply a full head joint as usual to one end of
the closure brick and to fill the remaining joint with mortar after
laying the closure brick.
7.Holding Bond at Openings:
a. When an opening interrupts the brick course, it becomes necessary
to cut the brick to fit.
b. The bond pattern should not be altered because of the opening.
8. Holding Bond When Racking a Wall:
a. Maintaining a uniform bond, brick are cut shorter when racking
reduces the length of a wall.
b. Cutting the brick laid in the stretcher position nearest the wall’s end
preserves the vertical head joint alignment of alternate courses
throughout the wall.
CAUTION!
Always wear eye protection when pulling lines to tension, working near
or in the presence of tensioned lines, or removing tensioned lines from walls.
CAUTION!
Remove twigs from lines before repositioning lines to successive
courses, tensioning, or removing lines from walls. Do not stare into the laser
light of a rotary laser level. Post warnings in the area for the safety of
others. It is not recommend using one’s eyes to sight the length of the
twigged line from one end to the other to confirm a straight and level
line. Having one’s eye aligned with the mason’s line exposes one to serious
eye injuries and the possibility of the loss of vision should the tensioned line
break or become dislodged while sighting it.
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