When it comes to masonry work, mastering the art of laying bricks around corners is what separates an amateur project from a professional-grade masterpiece. Whether you are building a backyard barbecue pit, a garden retaining wall, or a stunning brick veneer accent wall in your living room, clean and sturdy corners are essential for both structural integrity and visual appeal. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the preparation, techniques, and best practices required to achieve flawless brick corners every single time.
Understanding the Basics of Brick Corners
Before laying your first mortar bed, it is crucial to understand the geometry of bricklaying. Corners are traditionally started first in any masonry project, creating what masons call 'leads.' These corner leads act as a guide for the rest of the wall, ensuring that your courses remain level, plumb, and aligned. To build a corner, you will be working primarily with two types of special bricks:
- Stretchers: The standard bricks laid length-wise along the face of the wall.
- Headers: Bricks turned sideways to span the thickness of the wall and interlock the corner joints properly.
Without proper interlocking headers, your corners will lack structural strength and could easily fracture under pressure.
Essential Tools and Materials You Will Need
Having the right equipment on hand makes the process significantly smoother. Gather the following items before you begin your project:
- Quality bricks (including full bricks and half-bricks or queen closures)
- Type N or Type S mortar mix
- Mortar mixing tub and hoe or a mechanical mixer
- Pointing trowel and margin trowel
- Mason's line and line blocks or pins
- Spirit level and a long straightedge
- Mason's hammer and bolster chisel for cutting bricks
- Stiff bristle brush for cleaning excess mortar
Step-by-Step Guide to Laying Brick Corners
Follow these meticulous steps to construct a durable and visually striking brick corner:
Step 1: Dry Fit the First Course
Start by laying out your first course (row) of bricks without any mortar, commonly known as a dry run. This allows you to check your spacing, measure the layout, and ensure that your full bricks and half-bricks fit correctly to create the proper running bond pattern. For a standard running bond, each subsequent course needs to be offset by half a brick.
Step 2: Mix and Apply the Mortar Bed
Mix your mortar to the consistency of thick peanut butter—not too runny, and not too stiff. Spread a generous bed of mortar on the concrete footing or sub-floor where your corner will begin. Lay down your corner brick firmly, tapping it gently with the handle of your trowel to bed it properly into the mortar.
Step 3: Build the Leads (The Corner Columns)
Build up the corner on both sides, stepping back each higher course by half a brick length to create a stepped pyramid effect known as a lead. Use your spirit level constantly. Every single brick must be checked to ensure it is level horizontally and plumb vertically. If a brick is slightly off, tap it gently into place immediately before the mortar begins to set.
Step 4: Use Mason's Lines for Accuracy
Once your corner leads are built three to five courses high, attach a mason's line from one corner lead to the next. This tight string line serves as your guide for laying the intermediate bricks (the 'in-fill' or 'field' bricks) between the corners, guaranteeing that your wall stays completely straight.
Step 5: Strike the Joints
As the mortar begins to firm up to a leather-hard consistency, use a joint jointer tool to smooth and compact the mortar joints. This not only gives the corner a clean, professional finish but also seals the joints tightly against water penetration. Finally, brush away any loose mortar crumbs with a stiff brush.
Pro Tips for Achieving Professional Results
Keep these expert insights in mind to elevate the quality of your masonry work:
- Keep it Clean: Wipe away any mortar smears immediately with a damp sponge. Dried mortar is notoriously difficult to remove without damaging the brick surface.
- Control Moisture: If you are working in hot or dry weather, lightly mist your bricks with water before laying them. Bone-dry bricks will suck the moisture right out of your mortar, causing it to fail prematurely.
- Take Your Time on the First Course: Every error made on the first course will compound exponentially as you build higher. Invest extra time in getting the base course absolutely perfect.
Mastering how to do corners with brick requires patience, practice, and a keen eye for detail. By taking your time to establish accurate leads, maintaining strict level and plumb checks, and using proper bonding techniques, you can achieve durable, professional-looking brickwork that will stand the test of time.