Thankyou for the excellent instructions.

Rob, this is a great series of videos. "Level, gauge, plumb, range" has been consigned to memory and I feel empowered to tackle my home extension. I exaggerate of course, but feel ready to tackle the garden steps! Thanks for sharing.

You are the BEST! I really appreciate your attention to detail and your philosophy of learning to do things the right way from the very beginning in order to develop good habits. One question: Why do you dip your bricks into water?

Excellent videos Rob greatly appreciated

Excellent video Rob, thanks for sharing

Rob ur the best in the world at buttering a brick! So precise!

Brilliant videos! So much hard earned knowledge being passed on - thank you!

excellent video! you're pointers on where the place your fingers when adjusting bricks and the sequence of steps when laying bricks really helps. do you plan on doing a similar video on laying brick on the edge? i would love to see it!

Very detailed. Very professional. Thank you for sharing your hard earned experience sir 👍👍👍

Another great tutorial. Nicely paced for learners. Thank you!

Hey Rob, great video with a lot of details that took me years to develop.

Great work Rob! 🧱

Great Video series Rob, highly educational and very enjoyable, great stuff!

Great, patient and steady bricklayer.

Best teachings on the topic. Thank you Sir Rob Songer.

Thank you for sharing your knowledge

Back in the old days when l did my apprenticeship we learned this first I did gauged work massive inspection chambers lots of lovely bonds and technical work - working on site was like a war zone by comparison Its a lovely craft and watching you reminds me of the neat clean college

You’re work is very clean rob from a fellow canadian brickie

Thanks for taking the time to film this................Cheers

Well done. Learned a lot.

Jeez after 35 years as a plumber your brilliant videos have made me want to retrain as a bricky, thanks for your knowledge.

I love these teaching videos, although I'll never use the new knowledge as I'm retired. But, they're entertaining as well! ....13

That was a test given test given to Me when I was 20 years old, only it was a bet with Our then teacher. The bet was who could get it correct, without using the the standard square template, gauge rod and level. The rack back coin, as We used to call it. It was done with 5 bricks though. I remember the pressure was on? Needless to say, I beat Him, it was near as damnit! Done by hand and eye! Brings back Memories! Bricklaying is a fine art, but does help if You have that natural eye for levels! Excellent video! 😁

Brickwork is all about using your eyes . If it looks right , it is right . 👍

Thank you for posting these videos. I was looking for advice on how to lay a brick wall to rest GFL floor joists on and found your channel. It is incredible watching you work. Like everything else years of experience make it look easy. Thank you

I like the way Style U are using Level Gauge. Thank U excellent Job.

Great teaching

Excellent, thanks Rob, a very informative series

Your getting a good response to this lesson rob . Top job .

Had a bricklayer do some work for me once upon a time. I asked him what tolerances he works to and he said as long as he's in the right garden that'll do lol

bricklayer from Belgium,different style from here but the best what i have seen from england love your work and videos amazing…

What a great teacher,thank U.

Sir Robert Songer In my humble bricky opinion a true Master Mason ye be

amazingly simple and very well explained. Thank you.

Great video as always. One trick I was taught - when plumbing those initial courses a thin lath is useful to support the top of the level in the form of a "prop" making a triangle with the vertical level. This helps steady the level in the vertical plane and you can then concentrate on observing the relationship of level to brick. Hope that all makes some sort of sense.

Bloody hell Rob this episode must be on early release as expected lesson 4 today or tomorrow but bringing back memories of 1992 in as much as the hydrated lime mortar and the triangle build last week as it was the first thing i built at college never used a tape in them days always told to use a gauging rod,the only bad memories of them days was taking down the walls after and cleaning of the lime mortar to reuse the bricks on the next project or phase test but have to say you are a exceptional teacher and you should open up The Rob Songer Bricklaying Training Centre

Once again very informative video from you Rob. I learn a little bit more every time. 👍🏻 I was actually watching this wondering if your were going to mention about using the level on the diagonal to check for bond and boom there is was right at the end.

Excellent step by step video

Love the tutorials, of course I’ve never laid a brick but want to learn and that’s why I’m here. Can someone explain what distance in the level, plumb, measure, range how far the bricks should be apart !!

In response to a few questions below the normal mix used by bricklayers these days is 4 sand 1 cement but don't forget the mortar mix to make it easier to use

Hi Rob on walls do u guage at both end of wall And do u use a straight edge on every coarse and transfer the level on every coarse

I wish the guys who taught me years ago showed this much patience and technique and me nick name wouldn't be smudger now. Nice clean work mate.

Do you only need to level the brick one way? Or do you need to level it up both ways?

Hi Rob, I love the content and quality of your videos & always look forward to a new one. Is it possible to buy your "twisted pier" former as one of my customer's would love a pair of twisted piers as gate posts. I'm up in Norfolk so could collect if you have a pair. Best Regards Tim

Great videos rob really enjoying watching them and the little things that make a big difference . Do you do training schemes for people wanting to learn hands on so to speak ?

Rob, thank you. I plan to match four existing brick pillars that hold up our 100yr old house covered front porch. We are adding to the porch to wrap around the left side of the house and need two more pillars. They will be about 8 feet tall. What is your advice on the best method for ensuring plumb? They will be square and about 30 inches wide. I will be setting a concrete footing with re-bar down below frost line (required by code here) and bring it up to level with the ground, then bricks. The concrete will extend out past the bricks two inches on all four sides (code). I am thinking I should use a vertical temporary wall that is U shaped to do three sides at a time with the wall on the outside (working from the inside), and then filling in the fourth side as I go up. I have all the tools and have building experience including a lot of concrete work, and am confident I can do a passable job. So any quick advice is appreciated. Thanks. I also plan to fill this in with concrete after it cures. I'll have some tabs on the inside so that the concrete can hold the bricks in place.

What do you make of the bricklayer 500

Hi. First of all I want to say thank you very much sir for having this much patience with in and second is that I want to build a brick fence at my home in Romania and need it someone to show me how it's done well. I'm not a constructor felow but the idea of paing 8 grand just for a contractor's work,has made me look for a differrent approach. Can't thank you enaugh sir. May God bless u.

I'm a tidy brickie and used most Rob's techniques for 30 years, but, I HIT MY LEVEL, just quicker. haha

A very helpful video ever! May God bless you. Btw, what's your ration of mixing cement and sand?

Hey Rob. Thanks for all the great vids. I'm planning on building a wine cellar underground with a semicircle arch roof on top of a sleeper wall. I'm having trouble finding how much I can span with different types of construction. For example, I've found some vids where they are doing the arched roof with a single layer of bricks laid on edge, ( 4" thick roof ), and I've seen others where they are alternating direction of the bricks to tie them together in effect making an 8" thick arch. Can you point me to any guidelines about this, or do you have a feel for how big I can go on the span before I have to double up? Thanks much in advance.

Its great seeing whole thing. One question, do you recommend using proper mixed mortar for practice? Just thinking in terms of cleaning up and take practice pieces down, cos i will have ago in my yard. Thanks for the effort once again

With the level along the centre of the bricks tapping the bricks off centre tilts them out of plum, plenty of bricklayers tap the level as they are pretty robust.

Rob. Please can you do a video of how on how to stop my bricks hitching and grinning when running the line or any tips would be good ..I'm an apprentice and this would really help me out..

Rob I’m addicted your videos I think I might need counselling. You should have a donation link on your videos there just so good. I’ll gladly donate, I’ve learnt tonnes from your videos. Even all your comments are so professional, even when someone is talking utter b@ll@cks

Very informative and technical content unlike best bricky who seems very ego driven great stuff 👍

Once again Rob a great video. Thank you for your time and effort in helping out us beginners. One question I have is would it be possible to level the first row of bricks across their width rather than trying to plumb them off of such a short side? Thanks again and keep up the great work.

the master

Hi Rob! Great videos, thank you! I am just in the middle of watching these, so I have one quick question, when you say your a couple of mil out, how high should the bricks and mortar be? Thanks

Plumb and gauge is what I'm focusing on at the moment

Really nice clean work rob. I'm an elektrician my self so not much expirince in brickwork and I'm from Yhe Netherlands (my technikal English is not so good). I'm now bilding a "shed" for fire wood I want to bild a 1 stone pilars on withs the roof is gone rest can i use the marine level to level the top brikes ? thnks for all the info I allready learned a lot, thanks again(especally went you explane in words how to bild)

Nothing nasty meant, but is there an "adjustable level/plumb frame" you can use for the first few courses to get the corner on plane, then just remove and work off the "pre-set"? Seems like most of the work is making sure the plumb/square/90 is correct. Thanks for the info man!~ G>

which material use in mortar

Hi Rob. Me again. Another absolutely excellent video. Thank you, but maybe I missed something. Why did you only dunk the first brick? Was it only that one that looked particularly dry? Regards Mark in the UK

well, the boss doesn't like the bed spread technique but it's working for me. less holes. Thanks Big Guy.

Nice, thanks, rob. I noticed on 2nd and subsequent layers you don’t check the horizontal bond length or vertical alignment of end bricks to lower joints. Only that the face of the bricks are vertical. Why not?, is that normal? Is it just that because you are only running in 6 layers the amount out you’d be is so small that you’d sort that out as you run in? Also is 6 the normal amount you would build up a corner in one go?

So you build 2 corners and run a line to build a wall? But then how do you know if it will be level? Do you need to level the first two bricks of a corner or what?Can someone help me out?

Keep up the good work Rob - I think this is the biggest teaching workshop in the world - probably ( I know you drink ale )

Rob I have a question .For block work what ratio is good if I want to use lime . I need a strong mix . thanks mate

Just wondering , When the mortar is setting does it move the brick.!!

What’s the max number of courses you’d raise a corner in one go?

So why do we level first then gauge? Gauge means height of the brick so what is the point of leveling a brick that might be too high or too low? I was always taught gauge, level, plumb and range. Once the bricks have been laid never go back on a check, such as ranging a wall then going back to level it. Each brick has a tolerance of +/- 3mm over 1m which is same as a pound coin under your level

Hi rob i would like to ask about the correct mortar mix, I was told 4/1 for brick and maybe 6/1 for blocks, also your mortar is very pale in color, so what sand are you using, just very curious Ps ime a retired plumber, but always loved watching and laboring for the brickies,it always seemed more interesting to me .

Is there any particular reason or method why you didn't use any half bricks here ? Just wondering if its coincidence or something to it? Thanks again for the knowledge and your time .

I'm no expert but isn't a long level more accurate than a short level - nothing to do with the accuracy of the particular level?

i guess hes happy now

What if you can't get an outside gauge on bricks?

How do I get lesson

Hi does it ever happen the corner brick is level but no plum as you get higher ..👍

Why can't you use a boat level to plumb first course?

How many miles must be between corses? Thank you

Can anyone tell me what the purpose of checking the range on the bricks diagonally is when the bricks have already been plumbed ?

Reminds me of college at Colchester institute back in 1988 your a suffolk lad Ipswich?

Hey rob i dont know how to read bubble for when plumbing my bricks. Maybe u show in quick video. As always good video learnin heaps

Hello Rob, are you going make any videos on double or triple wythe walls. Does the UK build any solid masonry houses anymore or is it only veneer? Thanks

Another informative video, I thought a boat level would be easier to use on the first course. Thanks

If you you haven’t got a square the 3,4,5 the corner 👍👍

never lay brick on your knees

Hi Rob. I'm hoping there's no such thing as a stupid question! I had assumed the advantage of a hollow brick is that excess mortar has somewhere to go when you tap the bricks level etc. My question therefore is why are they laid hollow side up? It strikes me at first thought that you surely end up using more mortar; filling the hollow before the next course is laid, than you would if you were to have the hollow side down, thereby giving a flat surface to trowel mortar onto? I'm sure there's a good reason! Cheers.

Шов внрхний толще получился.

ارجو ترجمة الدروس إلى اللغة العربية لتحقيق كامل الفائدة مع التقدير والاحترام

using them in your video then

Real life 1st coarse gets layed to a range line

no new videos up

If you think you are a good brick layer, try to built an entire roof from brick only: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/e8qIrKRpmtW6mmQ.html

why frog up....???

they would have been just giving u a hard time mate. apperntices get ribbed out for anything and everything

Why the hello are u spinning the brick upside down to joint the rear end dear God u be there all day to make any money

Stay at school kids .. mugs game.

Ur supposed to use the tip of the troul to make the bed suck the brick tighter to the mortar