How to lay bricks

Bricklaying is a skill that can open up huge possibilities for different DIY projects across your home and garden. Despite this, it’s a task that many people will avoid due to its perceived difficulty. In this guide, we take you through some basic bricklaying skills so you can build your confidence before working on more complex projects.

Practice makes perfect

In this guide, we take you through the basic techniques of bricklaying to help you get started. Before learning to lay bricks around corners or building specific structures, we recommend taking some time to practice and hone these basic skills. A popular option for practicing these techniques is creating a brick 'pyramid' with 5 or 6 bricks at the bottom and fewer bricks on each level.

Before you start creating your pyramid, find a flat surface and draw a straight line on the floor, this can be used as a guide to help you keep the first level of bricks straight.

How to lay bricks:

1. Lay mortar
2. Add mortar to the end of the brick
3. Push the brick into the mortar
4. Scrape away excess mortar
5. Check levels

1. Lay mortar

The first step is laying the bed of mortar. If you're starting from the ground level, you’ll be laying this mortar on the ground. If you’re laying on top of other bricks, you’ll lay this mortar on top of them.

Scoop up a sausage shape of mortar that’s roughly the size of your trowel blade and lay it on top of the ground or bricks. Use the back of your trowel to spread this roughly the length of 5 or 6 bricks. You can then create a furrow, which is a groove, in the mortar using the point of your trowel.

If you’re laying on top of another set of bricks you can now scoop up any mortar that’s overhanging.

2. Add mortar to the end of the brick

If you’re laying the first brick you can skip this step. Pick up a brick with one hand and use your trowel to spread mortar across one end of the brick.

3. Push the brick into the mortar

You can now push your brick into the mortar. If you’re laying any but the first brick, make sure the side of the brick with mortar is pushed next to the previous brick. You can now tap the brick into place with the end of your trowel handle.

You’re looking to achieve 10mm joints horizontally and vertically. If your brick is too low, take it off and add more mortar.

4. Scrape away excess mortar

With the brick laid, you can now scrape away any excess mortar on the side of the brick with a quick upward movement of the edge of your trowel.

5. Check levels

Regularly place your spirit level across the bricks to check that they are level. If any bricks are too high, use your trowel to tap them down. Don’t move onto the next level until you're completely confident that your bricks are level. It’s easier to correct mistakes here than when you’ve laid more bricks on top.

Once you've laid your first bricks, start laying more and more levels until you become confident with these techniques. If you're ready to start a bricklaying project, take a look at our guide to building a garden wall, building a brick planter, and building garden steps.

Bricklaying tools

If you're just starting on your bricklaying journey, here are some of the most essential tools you'll need.

In conclusion, laying bricks is a skilled craft that requires proper planning, attention to detail, and patience. It may be challenging and time-consuming, but the end result will be a beautiful brick wall or structure that will stand the test of time. With the right tools, techniques, and guidance, anyone can learn how to lay bricks and create a stunning addition to their home or landscaping project.