5 Essential Skills in Bricklaying

Successful Brickwork

​Successful Brickwork Requires 5 main PRACTICAL Skills

There are many other: skills and personal attributes, required to be a successful Bricklayer.
But at the moment we are looking at the Practical Skills which need to be mastered.

​The Five Pillars of successful Brickwork.

​Levelling your work.

​Spirit Levels have Bubbles. The Bubble needs to be between the 2 lines.

This is NOT Level !

This is Level !

​The second skill we need to master is "Plumb"

​This is correct. The work is "Plumb"

​This is NOT correct, the work is NOT Plumb !

​This wall is NOT Plumb, it is leaning over?

​Gauge is the height of each brick.
The top edge of each brick should be 75mm.
1 brick = 75mm
2 bricks = 150mm
3 bricks = 225mm
and so on.

Multiples of 75mm

​Using the edge of the Level to make the bricks nice and straight: RANGE

​Measurement.

So, that's it.
The 5 pillars of successful brickwork.
It takes time and patience to learn these skills.
It take dedication, commitment and hard work to get good at anything!

Every Brickie starts with the basics and develops skill over time.

​OK
Lets see how much you can remember.

Multiple Choice

What is this bricklaying student doing?

• Levelling the work.

• Plumbing the work.

• Ranging the work.

• Gauging the work.

Multiple Choice

What is this bricklaying student doing?

• Levelling the work.

• Plumbing the work

• Ranging the work.

• Gauging the work.

Multiple Choice

What is this bricklaying student doing?

• Levelling the work.

• Plumbing the work.

• Ranging the work.

• Gauging the work.

Multiple Choice

What is this bricklaying student doing?

• Levelling the work.

• Plumbing the work.

• Ranging the work.

• Gauging the work.

Measurement.

​Reading the tape measure.

It's really important for you to be able to read the tape measure accurately.
You need to be able to recognise and understand:
Millimetres (mm)
Centimetres (cm)
Metres (M)

​The smallest lines on the tape show Millimetres (mm)

​This line is the 5mm mark.
"5mm is 1/2 a Centimetre. Because there are 10mm in 1 CM"
We would say that the arrow is pointing to the 95mm mark can you see why?

​Here in the UK, we would call this 10cm point "100 mill " we generally only work in Millimetres or Metres (mm or M) Since there are 100 millimetres in 10 Centimetres. We say "100 Mill"

​We would call this 95 mill. This is because is 95 millimetres.

We would call this point 91 mill. Because it is 91 millimetres.

​If you don't understand. Do not guess. Please ask your Tutor for a 1-2-1 Demonstration.

Multiple Choice

How many essential practical skills must be mastered for successful brickwork?

• 3

• 4

• 5

• 6

Multiple Choice

What is this measurement?

• 7.5mm

• 58mm

• 75mm

• 750mm

Multiple Choice

What is this measurement?

• 1mm

• 10mm

• 100mm

• 1000mm

Multiple Choice

What is this measurement?

• 105mm

• 15mm

• 150mm

• 45mm

Multiple Choice

What is this measurement?

• 2mm

• 2cm

• 20mm

• 200mm

Multiple Choice

What is this measurement?

• 25mm

• 250cn

• 225mm

• 23mm

Multiple Choice

What is this measurement?

• 3mm

• 3cm

• 30mm

• 300mm

Multiple Choice

What is this measurement?

• 42mm

• 42cm

• 402mm

• 420mm

Multiple Choice

What is this measurement?

• 41mm

• 401mm

• 410mm

• 16mm

Multiple Choice

What is this measurement?

• 405mm

• 45mm

• 450mm

• 450cm

Multiple Choice

What is this measurement?

• 525 millimetres

• 525 centimetres

• 525 metres

• 525 kilometres

Multiple Choice

What is this measurement?

• 6 mm

• 6 cm

• 600 mm

• 60 mm

Multiple Choice

What is this measurement?

• 1150 mm

• 1115 mm

• 1150 cm

• 11051 mm

Multiple Choice

What is this measurement?

• 1150 mm

• 1115 mm

• 1015 mm

• 1501 mm

Multiple Choice

What is this measurement?

• 1320 mm

• 13023 mm

• 1323 mm

• 1325 mm

Multiple Choice

What is this measurement?

• 134 mm

• 1340 mm

• 1304 mm

• 1304 cm

​Great, well done.

Just remember!


It takes time and patience to learn these skills.



It take dedication, commitment and hard work to get good at anything!