How hard is it?

We have a huge great patio on two levels which had a pond on the upper level. I really don't want this pond and am considering having some of the upper part dug out. Quotes so far are for �£750 just for the removal of earth/rubble. After that I'd need to build brick walls and lay the flagstones. I've never tried building brick walls and seriously wonder if I could or not and I don't want to start something I can't complete. How difficult is it???

 

Hi Linlin,my advice is to have a go commonsense is the keyword,and the footings are very important these must be as accurate as possible as this will be most important when it comes to levels,if your footings are level with a nice flat surface then its pretty plain sailing from there on,footings are made up of sand and gravel plus cement,not sure of the mix i expect Wiseold owl will know,i think it may be 4 parts sand,1 part gravel and 1 part sand,the depth you go will depend on the height of the wall you wish to build also it might be quicker to have a Mini mix in for the foundations,saves a lot of hassel.what i suggest is to ask again when you start and then we can give a blow by blow on what to do,goodluck

 

If you already have a patio, could you not leave part of it in-situ to form the footings for the new walls?

If you do decide to DIY I'd go along with Macleafs's suggestion and hire (or buy and later re-sell a mini mixer). Mixing concrete by hand is a killer.
Laying bricks isn't difficult but doing it well takes a bit of care and attention. The first step would be to work out the lengths of the walls so that you end up with a size that fits a standard brick (and half brick).
You'll need to buy tools - brick laying trowel, pointing trowel or 'frenchman', spirit level, string line etc. But these won't cost a lot. You can also make a brick laying gauge which will help you space the bricks accurately.
If you "Google" for 'brick laying' you find several sites with advice (I've just had a look). You'll also find some good advice in some of the main DIY manuals.
I'd go for the DIY solution Linlin, there's no reason why you couldn't do it providing you read up and plan carefully. Just think of the satisfaction you'l get in years to come when you look at "your wall".

 

Thanks for the response, I really grateful for your encouragement.

If you already have a patio, could you not leave part of it in-situ to form the footings for the new walls?

Yes I could, but I'd like to see what the possibilities are when part of the upper patio is dug out. There's a wall between the lower and upper levels which I intend to take down, keeping the bricks. I'll need more bricks and have a price of .70p or .85p each for reclaimed bricks. I'm going to accept the quote of �£750 but I don't think work will start until after Christmas (it could take me that long to take down the wall).
In the meantime, how do I cut a brick? Apart from splitting them in half, I may need to cut an angle.

 

You cut a brick with a big chisel (called a bolster or sometimes known as a feather) and a small heavy club hammer. Nick the corners where you want it cut and then place the blade across the brick and give it a heavy whack. It isn't too difficult to do.
An alternative particularly if you want to cut nice clean angles might be to use a stone cutting disc in an angle grinder. Cut a groove around the brick and then use the chisel to split it. You can clean up rough edges with a stone grinding disc in the angle grinder.

 

Thanks Dave - I'll give it a go.

 

thats the spirit have ago some times we can surprise ourselfs when we have ago at things like this.

 

Just to report has started and I'm taking down a wall brick by brick. I'm trying to clean these as I go as I'd like to reuse them but getting the old cement out of the hollows is nigh on impossible. Will I be able to reuse these? I'll need to buy some more bricks (probably reclaimed) so I could mix and match.

 

Hi Linlin. Laying bricks and a patio are really quite easy. I did it for the first time about 5 years ago. But you do need to be a methodical and determined person. If you tend to get bored and give up half way through jobs, it may not be for you. I bought a slim DIY book on brickwork (about �£4). It was useful for bulding confidance as much as anything. Whilst many knowledgeable and good intentioned people will give you advice, its nice to see these things in print. Such as the different cement sand mixes, when to use soft or sharp sand, and how high and how long you can build a wall before you need a support piller etc.

I found the key was careful measurement. I hammered many pegs into the ground and made sure they were all level with a long board (on edge - so it does not bend) and a spirit level. That way you can be sure of getting things absolutely level with a firm reference base. Similarly if you set a brick on a standard spacer (cut up bits of standard wood) about 4 bricks away from one already laid, and lay you board (edge on) to span the gap, you can then lay all the bricks between to that exact height. You will be a lot slower than a professional bricklayer, but you could well be better.

 

Thanks for the replies. PeterS - I'm not yet at the bricklaying stage as I'm still demolishing a wall and hoping the reuse the bricks. It's slow going as I have problems with my right arm and can't work more than about one hour per day.
Once I get to the bricklaying stage, I'm hoping you and others will be around to advise.
Thanks to Wiseoldowl - I'll try the rubber hammer trick but the old mortar is very sandy and sticks like glue.

 

Just seen this thread. I think it wise to ask whether the walls you intend building are retaining walls Linlin, and if so are they more than a few courses of brick high?

I really don't want to curb your enthusiasm in any way, but if the walls are retaining soil (or the upper patio or worse still...water) more than say 40-50cm high then the construction is considerably more important, and the footings must be considered much more carefully than us GCers are doing in this thread..perhaps you could advise us on this point.

 

I am sure when linlin gets to the subject of footings,I can answer this question as well.

I certainly hope so!!

If I can get to the point of demolishing the wall and having the earth dug out, it's probably best if I then take photos to explain how I intend to build other walls, but to answer the question....yes, some will be retaining walls.