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Brick and Stonework

Brickwork and Masonry guides, projects and tips. Learn how to build a wall, create solid foundations, cut stone and much more.

repointing brick walls
Brick and Stonework 

Pointing and Repointing Brickwork

October 1, 2018October 2, 2018 DIY Guides bricks, repointing

The natural action of wind and rain will cause mortar between the bricks of your house to loosen, crumble and wear down. This not only looks bad but can also allow water to penetrate the bricks.

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types of lintel
Brick and Stonework Building Guides DIY Spotlight 

Types of Lintel

August 27, 2018August 27, 2018 DIY Guides lintel, lintels, walls

If you are planning to add a doorway or window to a load-bearing wall, you will almost always be required to support the load of the wall above the planned opening with a lintel.

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removing a fireplace
Brick and Stonework 

Removing a Fireplace

April 9, 2015May 1, 2021 DIY Guides fireplace, hearth, surround

There may be one of several reasons why you would want to remove your fireplace, from simply wanting to replace it with another to just wanting to get rid of a fireplace altogether to update the look of the room.

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laying wall foundations
Brick and Stonework Outdoor 

Laying Wall Foundations

April 9, 2015September 5, 2018 DIY Guides garden, walls

Any wall not built on a solid surface must have a firm and level foundation. Standard wall foundations consist of a layer of concrete on a bed of hardcore, but if the ground is particularly firm, you can get away with just a thick bed of concrete.

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building a brick pier
Brick and Stonework DIY Spotlight 

Building a Brick Pier

April 9, 2015August 31, 2018 DIY Guides brick, pier, wall

Building a pier into a wall not only looks good, but it also adds to the structural strength of the wall as a whole, particularly on Half Brick Walls (walls which are only one brick thick).

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load-bearing walls
Brick and Stonework Featured Stud Wall 

Load-bearing Walls

April 9, 2015July 19, 2018 DIY Guides 0 Comments stud wall, walls

Whenever you are planning on doing major work on the walls of your house, you need to know if they are load-bearing or not before you start. Load-bearing walls are holding up your house, and even slight alterations to their structure can cause big problems.

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building a paver path
Brick and Stonework Garden 

Building a Paver Path

April 9, 2015July 18, 2018 DIY Guides bricks, paths, pavers

There are several different ways to create garden paths, but one of the most attractive is to use pavers.

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home improvement safety tips
Brick and Stonework Building Guides Carpentry Guides Plumbing Stud Wall 

Home Improvement Safety Tips

April 9, 2015July 18, 2018 DIY Guides safety

These Home Improvement Safety Tips cover the very least you should think about before even opening your toolbox.

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internal partition walls
Brick and Stonework Building Guides Carpentry Guides 

Understanding Internal Partition Walls

April 9, 2015July 18, 2018 DIY Guides block, brick, partition wall, stud

When you are planning DIY jobs which involve altering or fixing to internal partition walls, it is important to understand

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filling gaps around window frames
Brick and Stonework Featured 

Filling Gaps Around Window Frames

April 9, 2015May 1, 2021 DIY Guides frames, windows

Gaps can appear around any type of window frame, on a house of any age. They may be caused by natural settling of the house cracking existing mortar or just by bad workmanship when the window was fitted.

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repairing a cracked brick
Brick and Stonework Building Guides 

Replacing a Cracked or Spalled Brick

April 9, 2015July 18, 2018 DIY Guides bricks, cracked brick, spalled brick, wall

If you live in an old brick built house, it is inevitable that at some point some of the bricks will need replacing. Assuming that the area to be replaced is not too large this is a relatively easy job.

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cutting bricks and blocks
Brick and Stonework 

Cutting Bricks and Blocks

April 9, 2015July 18, 2018 DIY Guides blocks, bricks

Cutting bricks or blocks cleanly and accurately takes a little practice, but once you have the knack you should be

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building a wall
Brick and Stonework 

Building a Wall

April 9, 2015June 17, 2019 DIY Guides brick, wall

Building a wall is a fairly easy task, building a wall well is a lot tougher. Bricklaying is a job that can only be mastered by practice. Building the odd wall here and there does not make you a bricklayer.

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building a concrete driveway
Brick and Stonework Concrete and Render Outdoor 

Building a Concrete Driveway

April 9, 2015June 17, 2019 DIY Guides 2 Comments concrete, drive, driveway, gravel

Adding a driveway to your property makes very good sense and if you have the room, this is a summer project you should really consider. Driveways are a good idea for several reasons, not least the added security they offer for your car.

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fitting an airbrick
Brick and Stonework 

Fitting an Airbrick

April 8, 2015June 17, 2019 DIY Guides airbrick, walls

Too few or blocked airbricks can cause serious ventilation problems in the home (there should be one airbrick to every 2 meters of wall), but fitting a new one isn’t beyond the Diy-er.

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cleaning brick and stone
Brick and Stonework 

Cleaning Brick and Stone

April 8, 2015June 17, 2019 DIY Guides brickwork, stonework

Before painting or treating the outside of your house, you need to make sure the stone or brickwork is clean and free from lichen, mould and Efflorescence.

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planning a block wall
Brick and Stonework Building Guides 

Planning a Solid Block Wall

June 27, 2014July 18, 2018 DIY Guides block, blocks, concrete, wall

There are several reasons why you may want to build a partition wall from solid blocks, rather than the potentially easier and quicker stud partition wall. Solid walls will give far greater acoustic and thermal insulation than a stud wall (even if the stud wall has insulation fitted) and will certainly feel more solid.

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guide to wall construction
Brick and Stonework Building Guides Stud Wall 

Guide to Wall Construction

February 21, 2013July 24, 2018 DIY Guides brick, stud, walls

A complete guide to the many different types of wall construction you may encounter in your house.

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blocking up doorways in brick walls
Brick and Stonework Building Guides 

Blocking Up Doorways in Brick Walls

February 21, 2013September 19, 2018 DIY Guides brick, doorway, wall

When blocking up a doorway or entryway in a brick wall, it is important to make sure that the new section is tied into the existing wall. This can be done in a variety of ways, as we will show here.

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spanning openings in brick walls
Brick and Stonework 

Spanning Openings in Brick Walls

June 18, 2011July 18, 2018 DIY Guides bricks, lintel, wall

When planning on adding a doorway or window to a brick wall, you need to make sure that the wall does not lose its strength. Window and door frames are not designed to carry heavy loads so you should always support the opening with a lintel.

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building block partition walls
Brick and Stonework Building Guides DIY Spotlight 

Building Block Partition Walls

May 17, 2011June 17, 2019 DIY Guides 0 Comments blocks, partition, wall

Non-loadbearing Partition walls are usually constructed from wooden studs and plasterboard, and in many cases you will not need to look for another solution. If, however, you are planning to build a partition wall on a solid concrete floor, it is worth considering using concrete blocks for the construction.

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Do It Yourself Guides and Projects

DIY Extra is an ever-growing collection of Do It Yourself guides, projects, tutorials and articles covering many aspects of DIY and Home Improvements.

Including guides to carpentry, roofing, brickwork and stonework, stud walls, concreting, rendering, glazing, gardening, home security, plastering, plumbing, tiling and much more. From simple tasks to complete projects, if you want to improve your DIY skills, this is a great place to start.

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