Afternoon all,

Have a retaining wall type arrangement of old railway sleepers in my garden. They're laid 3 deep with a sunken paved path one side level with and retained soil + lawn the other. The sleepers have done well for probably 15 years, but started to rot away in places.

Rather than replace with more sleepers I'm tempted to have a go at removing them and building a brick wall instead. Several courses of bricks, topped with either a soldier course of bricks or maybe capping stones.

Not attempted brick laying before, but happy to give it a go.

Any advice welcome as are links to useful websites.

Thanks,
Nick


This is the kind of result I'm after


brick-retaining-wall

Interested to follow the replies as I may end up doing something similar. Not sure if you picked the picture deliberately, but the curve is a specific style of wall that gets its strength from the curve so only needs a single course with no piers. It's harder to build but cheaper on materials

Hi Mike,

No I didn't pick the picture deliberately. In fact my wall will be straigh, with a set of steps set in at one end. The steps will involve lifting the existing paving off the sleepers to remove the sleepers. I'll probably have to rebuild the steps underneath with blocks and face with a skin of brick. The relay the paving on top to reform the steps. No big deal, just a bit more time and effort really.

Given my wall will be straight and retaining I may have to allow for a run of blocks to form the structure and face with brick for appearance I suppose. I don't fancy piers and there isn't really space either.

Something learnt already!

My biggest tip would be to buy/hire a cement mixer and perfect the mix….

Mixing by hand is backbreaking and hard to be consistent.

I watched a load of YouTube videos and took it slow. Really rewarding if you take your time

did it once, it,s not easy to get a nice looking job, i would 100% get a pro to do it

A good friend has used some interlocking blocks to do just that. You just dry lay them, and they grip but can also move a bit. Very simple and probably better than using conventional brick/mortar.
Example:
https://ag.uk.com/outside-rooms/services/resources/how-to-guides/how-to-build-walling/

quote:

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Originally posted by theconrodkid
did it once, it,s not easy to get a nice looking job, i would 100% get a pro to do it

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I replaced a garden retaining wall (and added three piers and some steps) about 17 years ago - it's fairly neat but took a lot longer than a pro.

At the end of the day, it's just measuring, spacing bricks evenly and using a spirit level.

If you've built a car for £250, a wall should be easy

I'm building a wall at the moment. A few tips off the top of my head...


If you use a mixer make sure you have a hose pipe. Absolute pain to clean out without. Always clean your mixer out well. Keep your trowel clean. Take your time to measure out. When it comes to pointing I'd often do it too soon, be patient.

In terms of websites, a bit of an odd place you might not think of is TikTok. If you have the app just search for 'bricktok' and scroll through the videos. Lots of brickies showing projects they're working on from small to big sites. I've picked up the most handy tips from there!

Many years ago when I wanted to build a garage I did a bricklaying course at the local tech with several others with their Own projects. It was fun and very useful, subsequently I’ve built single, double garages, walls etc. if you can get on a course with a real instructor you’ll learn so much.

Yep, if you can get somebody who knows to show you then it'll help much more than youtube videos.
I taught myself years ago (after a few tips from a brickie) and although I only pick up my trowel every five years or so it still comes back.
My advice:
1) The number one most important thing is to get the mix right - use plasticiser (or lime) as the mix will be horrible to use without it. Make sure it is nice and "fatty" and flows well but not too wet. Practice picking up and laying/spreading the mortar on a board until you are comfortable holding the trowel and getting the mortar to go where you want it. Use a sand that isn't too sharp but also not "muddy". Some sand sold as building sand is too fine and rounded, others are too sharp and angular. If you can't get a sand that is somewhere between, mix the two extremes together.
2) put just the right amount of mortar on the previous course so that when you lay the brick just a little squeezes out but not enough to fall off/run down the face. If the mix is right and the quantity right you should be able to push the brick down to the right level with your hand without tapping but the joint needs to be full too (especially in a retaining wall). Aim for all joint to be 10mm.
3) strike off the mortar squeezed out with the trowel at around 45 degrees so you don't smear the face.
4) butter up the perps (ends) away from the wall, over the spot (board where you keep the mortar) and again, just enough so when you push it into the previous brick only a few mm squeezes out.
5) for a gravity retaining wall (no reinforcement) it should be no higher than four times its width so for a 100mm wide brick leaf max height is 400mm. If you go with additional thickness make sure they are tied together.
6) in a retaining wall you need to leave drainage holes (open perps at the bottom every fourth brick are fine for a low wall) to let any water behind drain out. Also, back fill the gap at the back with gravel with no fines so it'll allow water to drain.
7) Take a lot of care building the ends up stepped back, using a spirit level/plumb stick in every direction and when that has gone off a bit you can then stretch a string line between the two end and lay the rest to that.
8) be patient before pointing up the joints. Use a suitable tool to smooth the joints around 3hrs after laying so the mortar is dry enough to fall off without streaking the face but still workable.

[Edited on 25/8/22 by Sanzomat]

People

Thanks for all the feedback and advice.

1. Have access to a mixer, don't intend to mix by hand.
2. Have a hose for cleaning mixer. Worked as a building labourer some years back and got told repeatedly about cleaning the mixer properly.
3. Have a bricklayer friend for advice.
4. Considering the interlocking blocks without mortar (could be quicker and easier).
5. Also considering the option of getting my bricklayer friend to take on the job for me and I'll labour.


Scale of current sleepers wall = 3 sleepers tall (375mm) x 1 sleeper deep (250mm)


Options to consider and today it's peeing it down with rain after weeks of blistering sun!

[Edited on 25/8/22 by nick205]

I've done some small bricklaying jobs - Looks OK but my aim was 'rustic'!

On the cement mixer I bought a new one and sold it afterwards for pretty much what I paid. Far cheaper than hiring one and no rushing to get the job done to save on hire fees.


Always thought these looked like a good idea for the amateur.

Bricky tool

They were available in the UK whgen I last checked

quote:

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Originally posted by SJ
I've done some small bricklaying jobs - Looks OK but my aim was 'rustic'!

On the cement mixer I bought a new one and sold it afterwards for pretty much what I paid. Far cheaper than hiring one and no rushing to get the job done to save on hire fees.


Always thought these looked like a good idea for the amateur.

Bricky tool

They were available in the UK whgen I last checked

---

quote:

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Originally posted by SJ
I've done some small bricklaying jobs - Looks OK but my aim was 'rustic'!

On the cement mixer I bought a new one and sold it afterwards for pretty much what I paid. Far cheaper than hiring one and no rushing to get the job done to save on hire fees.


Always thought these looked like a good idea for the amateur.

Bricky tool

They were available in the UK whgen I last checked

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Instead of plasticiser, you can use a squirt of washing up liquid, it works wonders when managing the motar.
Reclaimed bricks would be a good choice. Apart from looking good with new motar they hide any manner of sinns from a newbie brick layer.
I've worked with bricklayers as I'm a carpenter by trade. I've always struggled to lay bricks. It is more difficult than you think to achieve a neat finish.
Just take your time

quote:

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Originally posted by roadrunner
Instead of plasticiser, you can use a squirt of washing up liquid, it works wonders when managing the motar.
Reclaimed bricks would be a good choice. Apart from looking good with new motar they hide any manner of sinns from a newbie brick layer.
I've worked with bricklayers as I'm a carpenter by trade. I've always struggled to lay bricks. It is more difficult than you think to achieve a neat finish.
Just take your time

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I've done a couple of small walls and thanks to my Dad previously showing me how, it seemed very simple and the hand mixing wasn't a problem. Both walls have lasted a decade without showing signs of deterioration so far.

Re the washing up liquid thing, up to you but I wouldn't. I worked in construction for nearly 40 years. Started out on the tools and ended up as technical director for a region of a national contractor. I used to think it was the same but a while ago (probably over 30 yrs!) a structural engineer visiting one of my sites saw washing up liquid being used in a mortar mix and then insisted on all the walls being taken down again as the specification didn't allow for it. The bricklaying contractor went ape and refused saying he'd always used it and never had a problem. Sample cubes of mortar to spec and mortar using washing up liquid were made and after curing sent away for crush testing. The ones with washing up liquid were 20% weaker. The walls were all taken down and we never used that bricklayer again. Other issues include worse frost resistance and more effloressence (the white bloom you sometimes see on finished brickwork). Most big project these days use either ready mix mortar or silo mixers so very little gets mixed on site but since then we've never allowed washing up liquid. I get that if you are just doing a small project it doesn't seem worth buying a 5l bottle of the proper plasticiser but given the relative cost compared to the bricks, sand, cement and time involved it seems crazy to me to take the risk.

Edit - just checked - 5l of proper plasticiser is only £3.99 - probably cheaper than fairy liquid?

[Edited on 26/8/22 by Sanzomat]

[Edited on 26/8/22 by Sanzomat]

Also look out for the BRE guides on brickwork walls

The BRE good building guide 27 is helpful if you are building retaining walls. You could probably find a copy of the pdf on the net for free.

Gives you an idea of what you're looking for

https://www.labc.co.uk/news/how-building-regulations-may-affect-garden-walls

There's little point in speaking to a structural engineer unless you have a good old one. The new (probably 20 years old now) eurocodes don't allow any tension in masonry and so they will insist on massive gravity walls or bed joint reinforcement.

If the above link is good enough for LABC, is fine. It's a garden wall at the end of the day. get the first course in level and you're away. Don't get it level and it'll fight you forever.

Buy a mixer, and be consistent with your motor measurements, randomly pick up bricks, get a huge trowel.

Straight wall, notch bits of wood to set the height of the rows then you can just lift the string up a notch
The motar will need to be surprisingly wet!
Just use a bit of old hose pipe to point up

It’s not that hard, it is tiring it is however very satisfying

I'd agree to buying the right plasticiser and doing it right given the price difference.

I have seen structural walls built with fairy last for 40 years, have no bloom problems and no other problems. But why take the risk when it's so cheap.