From DIYinfo.org
[edit] Marking Your First Course
Start by arranging the bricks which go to make up your main wall 'dry' (without mortar) along the setting out line (fig. 7 below). Adjust them until there is a gap of about 10mm between each one.
The first job is to lay a series of marker bricks to which all the others can be aligned and levelled. Take up the brick at one end and in its place, lay down a pear of mortar. Flick it off the side of the trowel to start with (fig. 8 below), then flatten it out to the area of a brick (fig. 9 below). Before you lay the brick on top, trowel a depression in the middle of the mortar to help it spread flat.
Use the spirit level to check the brick for level in both directions, making small adjustments with gentle taps of the trowel handle (fig. 10 below). Stretch the level out along the dry run of bricks so that one end remains on the brick you have just laid. Now lay the brick at the far end of the level. Check it for level as before. Then stretch your spirit level back to the first laid brick and check that the two bricks are level with each other (fig. 11 below).
Follow this by checking them both for line, with your level pressed against the side faces. When you are satisfied that they are in the right position, lay a third marker brick, 'one level length' from the second.
Continue laying marker bricks until you reach the end of the dry run. You should end up with a series of laid, squared, level, marker bricks at intervals along the first course. Make a final check to ensure that they are all level and in line with one another, then remove the intervening bricks.
 7 To start the first course, line up the bricks which will form the base of the main wall in a dry run. Make sure that they fit your plan |
 8 Taking the brick at one end of the run as your first marker, flick a pear of mortar into the exact position you intend to lay it |
 9 Before you lay the marker brick on top, flatten out the pear slightly and make a small depression so that the mortar will spread |
 10 With the brick in place, use your spirit level to check it tor true. Make small adjustments with gentle taps of the trowel handle |
 11 Lay your second marker brick at the other end of the spirit level. Once it is level, match it up to the level of the first brick as shown |
 12 When you have laid all the markers, weigh down your line to touch them. Use the line to align the rest of the bricks in the wall |
[edit] Laying the First Course
Start by stretching your setting-out line tautly along the edge of the marker bricks (fig. 12 above). Use the line as a guide for the positions of the intervening bricks. The procedure for laying them is as follows:
1. lay down a pear of mortar.
2. flatten and indent it.
3. take up your brick, gripping it as shown in fig. 13.
4. draw off another piece of mortar, about the size of a sausage.
5. scrape it hard against one heel edge of the brick (fig. 13).
6. do the same for the other heel edge.
7. lay the brick in position, against the adjoining one.
8. check it with the spirit level for level and see that its top edge aligns with your setting out line.
9. scrape off the excess mortar and return it to the spot board.
[edit] Turning a Corner
On large projects, bricklayers use a builder's square to help them judge corners correctly. For small projects a spirit level will suffice. Having laid your corner brick, butt the level up against the heel of the end brick and then tap the corner brick into line. Alternatively, if you have one, you can use a large steel square such as a carpenter's roofing square to check the corner.
[edit] Laying Subsequent Courses
Subsequent courses of brickwork are laid in much the same way. Before each course, reposition your setting out line one course higher than before. As you lay down a pear, make sure you cover the cross joint between the bricks below. If a bit of mortar slips down, simply replace it with more.
As you work on the second course, take particular care to ensure that the gauge is correct, if you lay your mortar to a depth of 12mm, this should flatten out to the required 10mm when a brick is laid on top. Be systematic with your checking: as work progresses, you will need to check constantly for level, line and plumb (with the spirit level on end) and also that the joints are of the ideal 10mm width.
[edit] Finishing The Joints
Finishing the joints, half an hour after they are set, will improve the overall appearance of the project and protect the mortar from erosion.
For small projects, a round tooled finish is the most suitable. Bricklayers do this by scraping a special tool along the half dry joints and then brushing away the excess mortar. But you can achieve almost as good a finish by rubbing over the joints with a piece of 12mm diameter rubber hose. Do the vertical joints first, then the horizontal ones, which are more conspicuous.
[edit] Trade Tips
Q Every time I do a bricklaying job I find myself having to point up the joints afterwards. This is slow and messy. What am I doing wrong?
AProbably your mortar is too dry. It should be wet enough to squeeze out between the bricks with just light taps of the trowel handle. This lets you make a well filled flush joint just by lifting off the surplus with the edge of the trowel, and saves re-pointing later.
Q My mortar starts drying too quickly, making it almost impossible to tap the bricks accurately into line. What causes this?
A Dry bricks will always suck water from the mortar. Try damping the bricks, either by hosing down the whole pile, or by dunking them all in a bucket of water before you start laying. As you gain experience and speed, you will find this step unnecessary. But it is always a good idea to add a commercial plasticizer to the mortar to improve its adhesion.
