How to Lay Brick On-Edge Flooring?

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Brick on-edge flooring is developed based on the concept that bricks laid on edge give a better performance than when laid flat. The burnt clay bricks, as a flooring material, have good wearing quality and facilitate quick installation due to which they are preferred for heavy-duty floors subject to rough use and high wear.

Ordinary bricks are used for flooring low-cost temporary sheds, cattle sheds, courtyard, footpaths, etc.

Heavy-duty bricks are used for floors subject to heavy wear and tear, such as in stores, godowns, and platforms.

Base Concrete 

1. The base concrete shall be provided with the slope required to drain the water.
2. Floors in the verandah, courtyard kitchens, and baths shall have slopes ranging from 1 in 36 to 1 in 48, depending upon locations.
3. Floors in the water closet portion shall have a slope of 1 in 30 to drain off washing water. 
4. Plinth masonry off-set shall be depressed to allow the base concrete to rest on it. 
5. If the base concrete consists of lime concrete, it shall be allowed to set for seven days, and the flooring shall be laid in the next three days. 
6. In the case of lean base cement concrete, the flooring shall commence within 48 hours of the laying of the base.
7. If not possible to lay the flooring within 48hrs, the surface of the base concrete shall be roughened with a steel wire brush.
8. Before laying the brick on edge flooring, the base shall be wetted and smeared with a coat of cement slurry, spread over to get a good bond between subgrade and flooring.
9. Where base concrete is not provided, the earth flow shall be adequately sloped, watered, rammed, and consolidated.

Soaking of Bricks

The selected bricks shall be sufficiently soaked before use by spraying with clean water at regular intervals for not less than six hours to keep them wet. (In case the joints are to be filled with sand, the bricks need not be soaked).

Laying of Bricks 

1. The bricks shall be laid on edge in plain, diagonal herringbone bond or other patterns as specified or desired.
2. Bricks shall be laid on edge on a 12 mm thick mortar bed.
3. Each brick must be adequately bedded and set by gentle tapping using a trowel handle or wooden mallet.
4. The inside face of the brick shall be buttered with mortar before laying the next brick and pressed against it.
5. On completion of a flooring portion, the vertical joints shall be fully filled from the top with mortar.
6. The flooring's surface shall be frequently checked with a straight edge at least 2 m long to obtain a true plain surface with the required slope during laying.

Making of Joints

1. The joints formed in the brick flooring shall be full of mortar.
2. The joint thickness shall not exceed 1.0 cm for any class bricks.
3. Raking shall be carried to a minimum depth of 15 mm for all joints by a raking tool during work progress when the mortar is still green to provide a proper key for the plaster.
4. The joints shall be flush finished at the time of laying.
5. The faces of bricks shall be cleaned, and mortar droppings shall be removed on the same day.

Curing

1. Brick flooring shall be protected from rain until the mortar is green.
2. Masonry work in cement mortar, lime mortar, and composite lime mortar shall constantly be kept moist for a minimum period of seven days.
3. Suitable marking shall be done in the brick flooring mentioning the day of laying to keep a watch on minimum curing period.
4. If the mortar consists of fat lime mortar, curing shall commence two days after laying of flooring and shall continue for at least seven days after that.

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