Hi All

Subject: Jane finds her garden:brick wall question
From: Jaques d'Alltrades
Date: Sat, 29 Nov 2003 22:50:17 GMT

The message
from Jane Lumley contains these words:

Thanks so much to all for your help - we've found a house with an acre
of land.... but I'm not saying any more in case one of you gazumps me!
.
Good luck with the new garden.
I've looked at several
websites and the art of bricklaying seems very jargon laden. Does
anyone know of a site in plain English? And has anyone ever done one of
those night-school bricklaying courses?

I did. Found it very useful, although I have not practiced the skill very
much. There are 2 types of course. The full blown C & G type, and a simple
bricklaying. I went on the latter. Not really jargaon laden and when you
understand the relationship betwen bricks and bonds it is beatifully simple.

Oops! Got a bit ahead of myself there! Old Bob taught me properly, using
matured lime mortar and having the frogs in the bricks on the underside
so water doesn't seep into them and freeze during the winter. Nowadays,
because it's easier and quicker, brickies tend to lay courses with the
frogs upwards. "Oh, that's all right as long as you point them
well....." Pah!

I was taught that it is 'fogs up'. This is in the text books. It allows more
mortar/brick. 'Frogs down' is the economy method - les mortar.

Peter Bridge