Good technique! Radius brick used to be made here in the states in various sizes. That's all gone now and 90 degree is the thing because it costs less to get done. Artistry is a thing of the past for most construction unless the owners want talent. Radius stoops and hearth inlays are a real challenge and you've done a fabulous job of reminding us of the old ways. Reminds me of what needs to be done to get a great job done correctly. We here in the states will leave weep tubes placed in the joints of the first course, about every 5 head joints or so, 3 cm above ground level, but even without them a step/stoop like that should last a good 40 to 50 years without maintenance. I have 30 years in the trade and appreciate you showing the younger folk how the Romans did it with sticks and dowels on their ground. Thanks! Bricklayer's Local 5, Cleveland, Ohio, USA!
Good video! I enjoyed watching you work Brought back many memories. I retired after doing a 52 year stretch as a MASON. Built a lot of fireplaces with firebrick. Thank you!
So beautiful, I just adore brickwork! Thank you for sharing your skills! I love watching vids like this, they not only teach me things and inspire me, but give me the confidence so some day I, too, will be able to try something like this.
good job; i like to see videos like this without too much bullshit , cuz remember sometimes we are builders, but no good teachers, i include myself im so bad at teaching people, so that's why is better to watch someone do it, without too much detail of unneeded things to explain, who else agree
That turned out excellent. You make it look so easy. LoL I wish I could work with you for a few weeks, I could learn a lot from you. Greetings from across the pond.
safety tip when using an angle grinder or grinding wheel: NEVER USE GLOVES, if even a small pieces of it get's caught up in the wheel it will end up pulling you whole hand in!
Very nice skillset. The freehanded cutting is impressive. I am a little lazy so I do your miter joint jig setup on a 10 inch tile saw. Really good looking work!
Excellent video with clear instructions - you do incredible work !!!!! I have a brick paver doorstep that is sinking in one corner, I can see that a squirrel or chipmunk has been burrowing tunnels under the stairs as there is the gravel coming out from where the stairs meet the house. Could you possibly show / explain how to repair this - the sunken area involves 12-16 bricks. Thank you!!!
+Glenn Lane Thank you-always pays to keep spar materials from jobs. These slates were from my kitchen. I decided to keep the spars thinking they will come in for another job. They did, helping save my daughter money-:)
And this folks is a product of good hard work mixed with some skill. It's very satisfying to be able to build stuff yourself. Great job! A small note though in wet climates give a bit of a angle for water to run off. Not to worry toss a little salt on the step during the cold months to keep the step from feezing up on you.
ma so happy about the work am wuyeh sarjo from Gambia but am also doing building to my country Gambia, now am living in Italy but am looking for it to continue it as my work thanks
If only apprenticeships were as detailed and as informative as what you have been in a few short minutes, I love landscaping and fencing, i love learning how to do block paving and how to do bricklaying and just learning practical skills in general, thank you for contributing to the knowledge I possess, a smart worker is an efficient one 😁
Great video! What is your process for cleaning the residual mortar from the brick surfaces once they are set in place? My amateur process has been to use a sponge, however even with many passes, rinsing, and elbow grease there's always a grey film left behind. I can never get the brick as clean as your final result.
+Jon Dunn Thank you- I used a 4 sand and 1 part cement...not to wet as thses bricks are a hard fired brick and that would cause problems with running mortar or what we call bleeding over the brick.
Thanks for the video. Another good idea is to put a 90 degree piece on the front of the trammel to make sure all the bricks a lined up square on the front and follow the curve all the way around
You can make a plywood/cardboard semicircle template and use a length of string strike from the centre where the wood trammel was fixed to mark out the bricks positions by drawing the line through and marking the 10mm joints on the outer circle and as you draw the line through you will see the shape it makes! I hope this make sense..all the best
I have a question - can I cover my concrete driveway with bricks using mortar or it's going to be problematic over winter and gonna need reconstruction every few years?
Chris! The mix your using, is that what they call a "Dense Mix" only I'm about to embark on building steps using semi engineering bricks, I was told by a Bricky to use a "Dense Mix" Your video has come in very useful 👍🏻
Tidy. Just wondering why when you are bricklaying you are not putting enough mortar on the bricks to fill the bricks first time round. its so much faster and neat.
I have curved brick steps with slate treads on top (a frenchman did the work). Every winter the slate treads and grout in between treads pop and come loose. What kind of mortar or concrete should I use to get these treads to stick permanently?
Hi Carolyn, sorry to hear about the steps. First of all can I ask how he initially fixed them down ie with a tile adhesive or on mortar! On my steps you can see I cast them "in situ" this way is far better than fixing them with tile adhesive. If he did it with tile adhesive he could have used the wrong type of adhesive which will cause the slates and grout to swell when they get wet. If decide to take them up, I suggest you at least remove a 50mm depth and then fill that space with a semi dry sharp sand and cement mix, at a ratio of 4 parts sharp sand and 1 part cement. If you look on my video thats exactly the way I dit it and I have had no problems with them at all. I hope this has helped- Kind regards and I wish you all the best as you try to remedy your steps. ps please don't hesitate in asking me if you need further information. Chris
The Frenchman came back to fix the popped ones, but he used Liquid Nails(!) to stick them down! We had everything re-grouted by a different crew and we're still having the same issue. Is this a slate issue or a mortar/grout issue?
Hello Chris. Could you please make a video about classic english flat jack arch, I have been trying to find a video tutorial about it for a long time, but unsuccessful. Thank you!
How do you over come the possibility of bridging the DPM of the house? When ever you lay slabs up to your front/back door areas it's recommended to leave at least 2 bricks below DPM. This isn't possible with a step end of the day, its a step, it needs to be of a certain level otherwise it feels very awkward walking out of the house. Many Thanks.
I really love this, thanks for sharing. Have you done a step with the small stones? Also have you built a garden wall with bricks or stones? Thanks :-)
+jsu2511j Well I have been doing this in various forms over the years and I know that the way I cut the brick works. Usually you make a template arch and using string pulled through a dry run will show you the angle of cuts needed
Good technique! Radius brick used to be made here in the states in various sizes. That's all gone now and 90 degree is the thing because it costs less to get done. Artistry is a thing of the past for most construction unless the owners want talent. Radius stoops and hearth inlays are a real challenge and you've done a fabulous job of reminding us of the old ways. Reminds me of what needs to be done to get a great job done correctly. We here in the states will leave weep tubes placed in the joints of the first course, about every 5 head joints or so, 3 cm above ground level, but even without them a step/stoop like that should last a good 40 to 50 years without maintenance. I have 30 years in the trade and appreciate you showing the younger folk how the Romans did it with sticks and dowels on their ground. Thanks! Bricklayer's Local 5, Cleveland, Ohio, USA!
I've been in the building trade for 29 years and learned off my father. your workmanship is just like his...old school and excellent. superb mate.
They don’t teach the old school skills anymore
Good video! I enjoyed watching you work
Brought back many memories. I retired after doing a 52 year stretch as a MASON. Built a lot of fireplaces with firebrick. Thank you!
I don’t know why I love watching people do things I can’t and have no desire to do, yet still find it totally fascinating!
Lol 👍
Chris was my pastor, great guy
Now this is someone i would get along with....I've never seen anyone as precise as me until I saw this man ....I'am not crazy after all.... ....
So beautiful, I just adore brickwork! Thank you for sharing your skills! I love watching vids like this, they not only teach me things and inspire me, but give me the confidence so some day I, too, will be able to try something like this.
Thank for your input, and I wish you all the best-:)
good job; i like to see videos like this without too much bullshit , cuz remember sometimes we are builders, but no good teachers, i include myself im so bad at teaching people, so that's why is better to watch someone do it, without too much detail of unneeded things to explain, who else agree
It seems like there's a lot more work into laying bricks than I thought, this is amazing to watch.
Thank you-:)
All that effort for something that will be taken for granted and barely noticed. Great job mind
You are an artist mate.
You made this look so easy, but I know what it takes to do it now after watching you. So ... I am NOT going to do it. What a great job man .....
Thank you
That turned out excellent. You make it look so easy. LoL I wish I could work with you for a few weeks, I could learn a lot from you. Greetings from across the pond.
Pete Ciallella 👍
A true tradesman a pleasure to watch, at a guess a man who probably started on site at 15 yr old boy ,brilliant tks
16 lol-45 hours a week for £16.00
Very nice!!
Many can do block
Many can do stone but
Very few can master brick. You're a master.
safety tip when using an angle grinder or grinding wheel: NEVER USE GLOVES, if even a small pieces of it get's caught up in the wheel it will end up pulling you whole hand in!
Nice job cutting that brick, you have great patients.
Patience 🙂
@@descollins6616 maybe he's a doctor on the side....
That's fantastic, I've just learned more in the last few minutes than us ever learn from a book. Thank you!
Petals on the Paving Slab
As with all building work...time taken to prep the job properly with attention..pays off well in the end..lovely job mate x
Very nice skillset. The freehanded cutting is impressive. I am a little lazy so I do your miter joint jig setup on a 10 inch tile saw. Really good looking work!
Excellent video with clear instructions - you do incredible work !!!!! I have a brick paver doorstep that is sinking in one corner, I can see that a squirrel or chipmunk has been burrowing tunnels under the stairs as there is the gravel coming out from where the stairs meet the house. Could you possibly show / explain how to repair this - the sunken area involves 12-16 bricks. Thank you!!!
Thank you -:)
Beautiful job. Compliments the Black slate perfectly.
+Glenn Lane Thank you-always pays to keep spar materials from jobs. These slates were from my kitchen. I decided to keep the spars thinking they will come in for another job. They did, helping save my daughter money-:)
And this folks is a product of good hard work mixed with some skill.
It's very satisfying to be able to build stuff yourself.
Great job!
A small note though in wet climates give a bit of a angle for
water to run off.
Not to worry toss a little salt on the step during the cold months to keep the step from feezing up on you.
Finished step looks like artwork. well done!!
ma so happy about the work am wuyeh sarjo from Gambia but am also doing building to my country Gambia, now am living in Italy but am looking for it to continue it as my work thanks
Excellent video by a highly skilled artisan..
If only apprenticeships were as detailed and as informative as what you have been in a few short minutes, I love landscaping and fencing, i love learning how to do block paving and how to do bricklaying and just learning practical skills in general, thank you for contributing to the knowledge I possess, a smart worker is an efficient one 😁
Its quite therapeutic watching you bring back the skills, though I hope by now you have invested in knee-pads and gloves
Great video! What is your process for cleaning the residual mortar from the brick surfaces once they are set in place? My amateur process has been to use a sponge, however even with many passes, rinsing, and elbow grease there's always a grey film left behind. I can never get the brick as clean as your final result.
Beautiful work, work of art.. Thanks for posting your amazing work
meu trabalho preferido no Brasil...excelente acabamento...no capricho!...parabens!
beautiful craftsmanship Chris I'm interested little more detail on what type of mortar you like to use and how you mix it thank you
+Jon Dunn Thank you- I used a 4 sand and 1 part cement...not to wet as thses bricks are a hard fired brick and that would cause problems with running mortar or what we call bleeding over the brick.
that's awesome, this is a art, very nice and very beautiful
Amazing labor of love! Nice job!
Beautiful work - a step that will last for many, many years.
what a art .....proud that earth has so many great creature ........God has given damn good people
.....
Cheers-:)
Great Job! Looks Great and think I'll try it myself.
Nicely done, Chris. If only there was some way to mass produce all those cuts from a standing position. That's really tough on the knees!
your a gentleman and a scholar!!
Good work. Enjoyed every bit of the video
Thanks for the video. Another good idea is to put a 90 degree piece on the front of the trammel to make sure all the bricks a lined up square on the front and follow the curve all the way around
brilliant method Chris, thanks for sharing👍
+Hamid Altubly My pleasure,Thank you
Very nice,question,why not have a slight overhang with the top course for a drip edge?.
Could do, next one_:)
Great job hopefully more to come on the bricklaying side of things....I'm a young trowel myself
+luke medcraft Thank you
you put love into your work .... great work god bless
This method really works I made one of this for my friend sister. Thank you very much for showing how to do it😃
Awesome, glad it helped-:)
fantastic job. i enjoyed watching you work.
Thank you-:)
looks good. Did u put any slope on this for water drainage?
+jsu2511j Yes, forwards
This is brilliant thanks so much. Can you just elaborate on how you got the angle taper for the template?
You can make a plywood/cardboard semicircle template and use a length of string strike from the centre where the wood trammel was fixed to mark out the bricks positions by drawing the line through and marking the 10mm joints on the outer circle and as you draw the line through you will see the shape it makes! I hope this make sense..all the best
Congratulations! Very beautiful job!
+MuriloSwis Thank you
Excellent and making it look easy, and now it is after watching your video.
+Colin Parry - Salford Thank you
Colin Parry - Salford. By
I liked watching your video very much, very interesting. Thankyou
What was the purpose of the plastic sheeting beneath the sand mix? Don't you want any water to seep down versus spread?
I loved the choice of music! :)
I have a question - can I cover my concrete driveway with bricks using mortar or it's going to be problematic over winter and gonna need reconstruction every few years?
The music you added took me for a nice trip to bricko-o-land
Excellent, nice job, you are very good doing this, congratulations👍
Chris! The mix your using, is that what they call a "Dense Mix" only I'm about to embark on building steps using semi engineering bricks, I was told by a Bricky to use a "Dense Mix" Your video has come in very useful 👍🏻
Hi TheAudiostud, thanks for the input...yes, a mix of mortar that is more stiff than the usual consistency would be called a dense mix...
Chris Longhurst thank for your quick reply, I'm really grateful as I copied what you did, I got one corner up before the heavens opened!
Tidy. Just wondering why when you are bricklaying you are not putting enough mortar on the bricks to fill the bricks first time round. its so much faster and neat.
Thank you for sharing. Great job! Now `I want steps like those!
Thar really turned out beautifully. Thank one for sharing.
Thank you! 😊
@@foundationgood123 You're welcome. 🙂
Great tutorial. Thanks for doing this!
nice job.good tip with the stick measure.thanks for sharing.
+thanxx Thank you
Absolutely beautiful!
Action distinctive and very cool ... diligently work
Nice one Chris 👍
Just building mine now and coke on TH-cam foe tips. First video
Very good job, need patience for jobs like this
Nice job but way did you lay plastic under the top layer?
I have curved brick steps with slate treads on top (a frenchman did the work). Every winter the slate treads and grout in between treads pop and come loose. What kind of mortar or concrete should I use to get these treads to stick permanently?
Hi Carolyn, sorry to hear about the steps. First of all can I ask how he initially fixed them down ie with a tile adhesive or on mortar! On my steps you can see I cast them "in situ" this way is far better than fixing them with tile adhesive. If he did it with tile adhesive he could have used the wrong type of adhesive which will cause the slates and grout to swell when they get wet. If decide to take them up, I suggest you at least remove a 50mm depth and then fill that space with a semi dry sharp sand and cement mix, at a ratio of 4 parts sharp sand and 1 part cement. If you look on my video thats exactly the way I dit it and I have had no problems with them at all. I hope this has helped- Kind regards and I wish you all the best as you try to remedy your steps. ps please don't hesitate in asking me if you need further information. Chris
The Frenchman came back to fix the popped ones, but he used Liquid Nails(!) to stick them down! We had everything re-grouted by a different crew and we're still having the same issue. Is this a slate issue or a mortar/grout issue?
Hi, sorry you are still having issues...I don't think "liquid nails" is a good idea. They need to be cast in-situ and the slate will not move.
How do you find the angle to cut the brick so it will fit into the semi circle? Is the angle always the same no matter how big the semi circle is?
Top work.intresting tip on the muck regarding plastersizer..
Glad it was helpful!
really nice brick work!
Nice work for sure, the only thing I wonder about is the height of the step, it seems a bit steep to get up and down from.
When the driveway / path is finished the surface will be several inches higher.
True
enjoying your instruction videos Chris :)
Than you-:)
Nice! Thanks for making this video
nice job man, you have good ideas.
Is there such things as rounded off end bricks
Greatjob, and very good skills.
Did you ever work at Ramsgate fun fair on the sea front.
Thanks for posting, it is a very useful video.
Hello Chris. Could you please make a video about classic english flat jack arch, I have been trying to find a video tutorial about it for a long time, but unsuccessful. Thank you!
How do you over come the possibility of bridging the DPM of the house? When ever you lay slabs up to your front/back door areas it's recommended to leave at least 2 bricks below DPM. This isn't possible with a step end of the day, its a step, it needs to be of a certain level otherwise it feels very awkward walking out of the house. Many Thanks.
How can i get the gutter behind your step. I am interested in the gutter and steel cover
i have 1 question in my mind.... why those bricks were hallow from inside ? if you have any idea tell me please......
i'm from Algeria ,thanks for this job ,
+Kadi Mohamed thanks
How did you know by taking the 5mm off each side it would give you the curve you have set out?
Years of practice
Excellent work!!
Beautiful work!
is that a metal drain running parallel to the house ? what is it called?
Nice work buddy!
Should you only use 3inch of a rise between steps think of it if installing steeps for older people
Nice job,and thank you for using good music.
very clean job and very awesome
+Luis Morato Thank you
LOOKS GREAT!
Precision bricklaying 👍
I really love this, thanks for sharing. Have you done a step with the small stones? Also have you built a garden wall with bricks or stones? Thanks :-)
Cheers
Nice Job Chris....
Excellent work..
You must be a busy man..
+Brian B Thank you
Chris Longhurst VT RX wc
trattori
hi could u please tell me how u work out the cuts? there a rule of thumb cheers in advance adam atb
Nice woke. How did you make the template?
Was there some kind of formula you used to make the cut on those brick.
+jsu2511j Well I have been doing this in various forms over the years and I know that the way I cut the brick works. Usually you make a template arch and using string pulled through a dry run will show you the angle of cuts needed