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Homeowner Jim Howard assisted in the installation of his outdoor kitchen.
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In this segment of Build an Outdoor Kitchen, host Jay Baker and homeowner Jim Howard mix the mortar they'll need for the brick installation around the outdoor-kitchen counter and begin laying the bricks to form the trim.Materials: bricks
string line
level
mortar
trowel
cinder Blocks
brick tongs
concave jointing tool
wheelbarrow
- Mix your mortar following the manufacturer's directions. In our case, we made the mortar mix with sand, mortar, and water, and followed the manufacturer's instructions for the proportions of each. For brick-work, mix the mortar to a consistency where it looks like cake frosting (figures A and B). A concrete mixing hoe is the ideal tool for this job.
- Once the mortar is mixed, you're ready to begin. To protect the surface that you will be working on, lay out some old plywood to cover the area (figure C).
- Lay out a small amount of mortar on a flat surface, and check if for proper consistency using a bricklayer's trowel (figure D). You should be able to form ridges in the mortar that stay stationary. If the mortar is so soft that the ridges disappear or fall, you've got too much water in the mix, and you'll need to thicken your mortar.
- We began work on the "high" end of the slope, installing the first three "short" bricks first.
- Apply a small amount of mortar for installing the first three bricks. You can control the height of each brick by the amount of mortar that you use underneath.
- With the mortar in place, install the first brick.
- Note: The brick installed at the corner should not have any holes in it since it will be seen from two sides.
- Tip: As you place the bricks, a good technique for keeping track of how each brick is installed is to keep your thumb on the face of the brick the face that will be exposed (figure E).
- Put in the next two bricks adjoining the first one (figure F). The technique of applying mortar to the sides of bricks is called buttering the bricks, and you'll find that it gets easier with practice.
- Once the first three bricks are installed, check to ensure that they are level and plumb. Check the level both vertically and horizontally (figures G and H), and be sure to check both vertical axes. Because the bricks are cut to different lengths to account for the slope, pay close attention to making sure that the top of the bricks are installed so that they are level and flush.
- You'll install the next three bricks at the opposite end of the slope. This allows a string line to be run from one end to the other. This will help them all be level and plumb.
In the segment that follows, work continues on installation of the brick trim around the outdoor cabinet and counter unit.Next: Next: Brick and Mortar Basics, Part 2
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