SOLAS Bricklaying common mistakes
SOLAS Bricklaying · Understand the traps and how to avoid them.
Mixing mortar by eye, adding water or sand until it 'looks right' instead of measuring sand and cement to a stated ratio and gauging water in a measured container.
Candidates learn on site where mortar is often judged by feel, and under exam pressure they skip the measuring step because it feels slow and unnecessary.
What to do instead
Practise batching to a fixed ratio (for example 4:1 sand:cement for general brickwork) using a gauge box, and record the ratio and water quantity in the working method before starting.
Laying the first course without setting out from a datum, so the wall drifts off line and level and the error compounds over subsequent courses.
Candidates want to start laying bricks quickly to save time, and underestimate how a 5 mm error at the base becomes a large cumulative error higher up.
What to do instead
Set out the full footprint with a line and gauge, check diagonals for square, establish a level datum, and build corner profiles before laying the first brick.
Failing to check or maintain the gauge (course height) so joints vary in thickness and the wall is out of level at the top.
Candidates focus on individual bricks rather than the cumulative course height, and do not use a gauge rod or storey pole consistently.
What to do instead
Mark a storey pole with course heights including joint thickness, check every fourth or fifth course against it, and keep bed joints within the specified range (commonly 10 mm nominal).
Producing inconsistent or excessively thick/thin bed and perp joints, or failing to fill perp joints fully.
Speed pressure leads to 'buttering' one end only or tapping bricks down to save time, and candidates do not appreciate how voids reduce strength and weather resistance.
What to do instead
Fill bed joints fully, butter both perp ends or use a full bed, and check joint thickness with a rule at regular intervals; finish by tooling joints to the specified profile.
Losing line and level when transferring the line around corners or over long walls, resulting in a bowed or stepped face.
Candidates rely on the line alone without checking against profiles and do not re-tension or re-check the line after moving it, and long lines sag.
What to do instead
Build accurate corner profiles, check the line against them at intervals, use line blocks and a mid-span support on long runs, and verify face alignment with a straightedge.
Building a wall or pier beyond the permitted height in one lift without allowing mortar to set, or leaving fresh work unprotected.
Candidates try to finish quickly and are unaware of stability limits, and do not consider wind loading or the need to tie in.
What to do instead
Limit the height of fresh work per lift to what is stable and permitted, protect unfinished work from rain and frost, and check stability and tying requirements before continuing.
Setting out openings incorrectly, so lintel bearings, reveals, or cavity widths are wrong and the opening is out of square.
Candidates measure from the wrong reference point, forget to allow for joint thickness in the setting-out, or fail to check diagonals of the opening.
What to do instead
Set out openings from a fixed datum, mark both sides, check the diagonal dimensions for square, and confirm lintel bearing lengths against the specification before building up.
Poor bonding at junctions, returns, and stopped ends, with continuous vertical joints or missing tie-ins.
Candidates concentrate on the face appearance and overlook bond continuity at corners and internal walls, especially when changing bond pattern.
What to do instead
Plan the bond around the whole structure before laying, use a gauge rod and dry-bond layout at junctions, and install wall ties and reinforcement at the specified spacing and laps.
Ignoring damp-proof course, cavity, weep hole, and ventilation requirements, or installing them at the wrong height and laps.
These details are hidden once built and candidates deprioritise them under time pressure, and they misremember lap and height requirements.
What to do instead
Include DPC, cavity trays, weep holes, and vents in the setting-out plan, check DPC height relative to external ground level, and lap and seal the DPC correctly before covering it.
Poor finishing and cleaning down: smeared mortar on the face, incorrect joint profile, and failing to protect the work at completion.
Candidates rush the final stage and do not realise that tooling and cleaning affect both appearance and weather resistance, and that late cleaning is harder.
What to do instead
Tool joints when the mortar is thumb-print hard, clean mortar off the face before it sets, use the specified joint profile, and leave the work protected and tidy at handover.