How to Build a Brick Wall

Build a brick wall to create some privacy in your yard, contain soil, divide property lines or as a retaining wall for a plant bed. It can be challenging to build a brick wall, which is why in most cases they're only built by those people trained and experienced in masonry. However, if you would like to build a smaller brick wall, you can certainly do so by following these steps.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Bricks 8 1/2 inches long, 2 ½ inches tall, and 4 ½ inches deep
• Brick trowel
• Mortar
• Water
• Jointer
• Plywood
• Saw

1. Check local codes to find out if you can build a brick wall without any permits. Most areas allow you to build a brick wall of up to three feet without filing permits. Check with your city or town municipality, as well as your home owners association, to find out for sure.

2. Create a good foundation. You will be laying your bricks here, so you need to make sure the foundation is as level as possible.

3. Cut two-foot square pieces of plywood to act as mortar boards. Prepare the mortar. Mix it by hand in a wheelbarrow. Mix it in halves to make the job easier. Put the mortar on a few mortar boards and place them near where you'll be building your brick wall so that they're within easy reach.

4. Stack bricks near the mortar boards and within easy reach of where you'll be building the brick wall.

5. Place a layer of mortar where the bricks will go. Use your trowel to furrow the middle of the bed by moving it in an up-and-down pattern. This pattern gives the mortar room to move once the bricks are placed on it.

6. Lay down your first layer of bricks from left to right. Straighten the bricks, as needed, using your level as a guide. Hold the level vertical against the bricks to make sure they are square and level. Use the trowel to remove any mortar that squeezes out from under the brick and stick it underneath the next brick you'll be putting down.

7. Repeat Steps 4 through 6 until you've finished your brick wall.