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In this article, we will discuss how to use a brick jointer.
Brick is a construction material that is used to build walls, pavement, and other elements in the construction field. Bricks are artificial materials made with the help of dried clay, sand, lime, and other ingredients.
It is mainly used to build walls and boundary walls.
According to the Indian Standard size, its dimensions are (19 cm x 9 cm x 9 cm) of the brick when laid flat. In the US generally, Modular bricks are used whose standard size is 194 × 92 × 57 mm. And, the standard size of brick in the UK is 215 mm x 102.5 mm x 65 mm.
The surface on which mortar is placed on both sides is known as a Bed of brick.
1. How To Use a Brick Jointer?
A brick jointer is an equipment that may be defined as a finishing tool used to smoothen the mortar joints between the bricks.
There are a few steps to use a brick jointer mentioned below:
Step 1 – Guide and smooth
Guide the back of the tool along the mortar joint between the bricks.
Use the curved portion of the tool to smooth out the mortar joint.
Step 2 – Work your way down
Start at the peak of the wall and move down, so falling dust & debris doesn’t affect the freshly-jointed work.
a. Don’t cut corners
Extra care has taken when corners are reached so that the mortar joins up neatly and also the regular curvature is maintained.
b. Don’t joint vertically over horizontally:- You should not use a jointing tool to make a straight joint vertically across horizontal joints.
c. Joint internal angles alternatively:- Internal angle joints should be formed alternately from the left & right across the vertical joint. The direction should alternate as you progress down the wall; this may make sure the longevity of the mortar in a region.
Step 3 – Make Sure each line is on level
Throughout construction, make sure that each line of brick is on the level.
Step 4 – Vertical first
Attach vertical joints first.
These may also be referred to as: the ‘end joint’, ‘head joint’, ‘cross joint’, or ‘perpendicular joint’.
Step 5 – Horizontal second
Attach horizontal joints second. These might also be referred to as: ‘bed joints’.
Step 6 – Clean surplus mortar
Cut off the extra mortar with the use of a trowel.
Step 7 – Brush brickwork
Clean the brickwork after jointing with the help of a soft brush or broom.
Hope you got your answer on how to use a brick jointer.
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2. Types of Brick Bonds
Here are 4 widely used brick bonds on the field:
a. Stretcher Bond
Stretcher refers to the long face or part of the brick. A stretcher bond is constructed by laying the bricks in the mortar such that only the stretcher’s face of the bricks remain exposed.
Stretcher bond is also commonly referred to as the Running bond as it consists of a continuous running pattern. This type of bond is the simplest form of bond used in brick masonry. It is most commonly used in the UK.
Stretcher bond is most commonly used as a facade for the main masonry structure and the construction of garden walls, boundary walls, division walls, chimney stacks, etc. It can also be used as outer-facing walls in reinforced concrete framed structures.
Advantages of Stretcher Bond
The major advantages of the stretcher bond in brick masonry can be listed as follows:
a. It is easy and simple to construct.
b. Skilled manpower is not required for the construction of the stretcher bond.
Disadvantages of Stretcher Bond
Some of the disadvantages of the stretcher bond can be listed as follows:
a. Stretcher bonds cannot be used in the case of full-width thick brick walls as they are suitable only for half-brick thick walls such as partition walls.
b. When the structure has a long span or height, the masonry walls cannot be constructed using the stretcher bond as it cannot withstand the loads imposed.
c. For landscaping and architectural masonry constructions, a stretcher bond is not desirable.
b. Header Bond
As the name itself implies, the header bond is formed by utilizing the header face of the brick. The header is the shorter square face of the brick as seen in the elevation.
The header bond is similar to the stretcher bond except that the header faces of the bricks are exposed. Also, unlike the stretcher bond, the header bond is used for walls with full brick thickness.
A header bond is also sometimes referred to as the heading bond. The arrangement of the bricks is done such that the overlap is equal to half the width of the brick. This is accomplished by using three-quarter brickbats as quoins i.e. the offsets are made by half a brick.
The header bond is desirable in the case of curved brick masonry construction such as curved brick walls.
Advantages of Header Bond
Some of the advantages offered by the header bond can be listed as follows:
a. It is easy and simple to construct.
b. Skilled manpower is not required for the construction as in stretcher bond.
Disadvantages of Header Bond
Some of the disadvantages of header bonds can be listed as follows:
a. It does not have considerable strength in the direction of the wall.
b. It is not desirable for the construction of aesthetically important masonry structures.
c. English Bond
English bond essentially consists of alternate header courses and stretcher courses of bricks. The overlap in the English bond is formed by inserting a queen closer next to a quoin header. It is mostly used in Asian countries like India, Bangladesh, etc. It is stronger and more durable than the header and stretcher bond.
Advantages of English Bond
Some of the advantages offered by the English bond can be listed as follows:
a. It offers great strength and stability.
b. It can be used to construct masonry walls of almost all thicknesses.
c. Highly skilled manpower is not required for the construction of such a bond.
Disadvantages of English Bond
Some of the disadvantages of English bond can be listed as follows:
a. It is not very aesthetically pleasing.
b. This type of bond construction is comparatively expensive.
c. There is a higher possibility of moisture ingress through the traverse joints.
d. Flemish Bond
Flemish bond is a brick bond in which each course essentially consists of alternately placed headers and stretchers. The bond is thus developed by laying the header face and the stretcher face of the brick alternately in mortar such that every alternate course begins with a quoin header at the corner. To the next quoin header, quoin closer is placed in alternate courses to develop face lap. In the Flemish bond, the header face is centrally supported over the stretcher below it.
The Flemish bond can be further divided into the following types:
i. Single Flemish Bond:
The single flemish bond is the intermediate bond between the English bond and the Double Flemish bond. It consists of a double flemish bond on the facing side and an English bond on the backing face. Thus, a single flemish bond gains adequate strength from the English bond while maintaining the aesthetic appearance utilizing the Flemish bond.
ii. Double Flemish Bond:
The double Flemish bond consists of a Flemish bond on both the backing side and the facing side of the masonry. It is highly appealing aesthetically and is thus used in architecturally important masonry structures.
Advantages of Flemish Bond
Some of the advantages of the Flemish bond can be listed as follows:
a. It is very economical.
b. It is highly appealing in terms of appearance.
Disadvantages of Flemish Bond
Some of the disadvantages of the Flemish bond can be listed as follows:
a. It requires highly skilled manpower for construction.
b. It is not as strong as the English bond.
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