How to lay bricks FAST | The EASY WAY!

[@sgtboz9730]

The thing that blew me away was the brick chair! Awesome 😎

[@benwilliams1172]

hi Rodian i have been laying bricks for 42 years, and i like the pick and dip. i learnt it when i was working abroad . never thought of using it in uk until i saw charlie collison, and thought i would give it a go again. heres a couple of tips . if you can lay bed back hand towards last brick layed, and let mortar mound a little bit. this will help when you drag the brick back. expect the perp to to be 80% full, the remaining 20% will get filled when you lay the next course rolling brick from back to front. dont forget to pick up a brick when you pick up mortar. whole process is 2 movements. last but not least wet up your mortar more, less tapping more laying. hot weather ,2 courses and joint up. you can use this method on english bond aswell, just a different side of the brick. as for people who hate pick and dip, please carry on . last but not least i dont have a bad back and i go home very happy .

[@karanbirsingh299]

cheers mate. been laying blocks 7 years now started laying bricks last year. try to get faster. thank you for the tips

[@richardevans3084]

We use pick an dip in California,as weather gets into 90s all the time.I used to use traditional till i got tired of walling the last few with Hammer. I’m originally from Wales . Thanks for your great videos 👍🏼

[@williamashton-jv5mc]

Never heard of this till I watched your video the other night and used this method today on site and it’s definately quicker. Thanks for the advice.

[@johnwarden4645]

Worked with English ,Irish,and Scottish blokes and they are really good tradesman ... I am a top trowel for 44 years now and love working with you guys .... And you all have great manners .. Bless yaz ..

[@JayKTS]

Hello rodian , the technique is very known where I live .. Here we grab our brick first before we take mortar .. that’s one movement eliminated , so double the speed you could almost say , so when you lay your bed you can place your brick instantly because it’s sitting ready in your hand

[@RodianBuilds]

Thanks for the tip buddy. I'll keep that in mind when laying next time. Makes a lot of sense 🤙🧱

[@markhep]

I pritty much copy you now Jay even got the big buckets 👍👍👍

[@brickbybric]

Mark Hep www.ebay.de/itm/10x-Moertelkuebel-rund-40-Liter-schwarz-Tuppen-Moertelkuebel-Moertelwanne-Zementkuebel-/382962712408 Mark here’s a link to the type of mortar tubs jay uses very cheap from Germany they come in 40 ,60 ,and 90 liter . I got 15 ,60 liter ones from eBay Germany years ago . 10 round and 5 square like the Germans use . worked out at 5 or 6 euros each plus 35 shipping .for the 35 shipping they would have sent me way more than the 15 I got . Very robust tubs . Great as hop ups as well 😀.

[@markhep]

@@brickbybric look solid buckets they do 👍

[@markanderson6969]

@@markhep I couldn't get on with the round buckets when there wasn't much muck left so I got myself rectangle tubs, use them on benches with the bricks

[@olsonlr]

Very smart! Thanks. Love the chair.

[@CharlieCollison]

I’ll go spec mix one year and show em how it’s done 😉 top vid pal

[@JimJimpmjj]

👍👍👍 thanks to both of you great videos 👍👍

[@morganazzopardi2187]

Wow Charlie is here. Nice

[@RodianBuilds]

Yeah bro! I'm surprised they don't use the method. Like I said on the video, I wish I had known about this years ago. So many jobs I've done where this would have saved me A LOT of time! Keep up the good work bud, channel growing nicely 🤙🧱

[@julianwashbourne411]

I do like your videos mate very helpful indeed keep them coming my friend , I'm learning lots

[@Dazza19746]

Love your channel Charlie 👍🏻

[@hotpoker4212]

If you use the excess muck,to joint the brick on the wall,and have your bricks on the inside, stacked at a working level,it's much faster, love your videos,🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪

[@mytubebobbie06h]

I don’t have a preference,at the end of the day, it’s about doing a job well done by not cutting corners. Quality over quantity! Great job on the pick and dip. I enjoyed your video.

[@EffieSwartz10]

This is a great video for people who are not bricklayers. The pick and dip is all right sometime especially if all you're laying is standard brick. I'm all for a bricklayer having a good show. Have at it. And yeah you're right there's a reason you don't see it in the bricklayer 500.

[@toddperrin5847]

Thanks for the knowledge

[@fishermankaidyas6523]

I subscribed and I normally don't Nice easy watching ,my missus is fuming I've found your channel, she always asked is there anything other than fishing I can watch hahah

[@adriandelahay8726]

On the first traditional course you laid you used three trowel movements for your bed,I would of used one trowel full for that bed. So many brickies fuck about with beds nowadays. Been laying bricks for 40 years and organising yourself is key to speed

[@stephenwatson8558]

Rob Sanger (excellent trowel , with a YT channel ) has a variation on the p&d method , if indeed his style can be classed as that . Spread for one , then pick up brick and another trowel of muck , throw muck , lay brick . Rob however still furrows the bed . I was taught that the furrow also creates suction so gives a better key , so p&d might be said not to be as structurally sound as the trad method . Maybe you could see if there's a difference when demoing the wall . Not a dig each to their own but , when laying for 3 trad style you visited the board 3 times to spread , instead of 1 full trowel and spread for 3 at once , also scraping and throwing instead of using the muck for the next perp so 40% increase was easier to attain /Good vid .

[@clementmagee2286]

Yes I agree the pick Nd dip is good method

[@jameshowcroft321]

Awesome video Rob,many years ago they used to teach apprentices pic n dip it’s so much quicker neater and you don’t tap bricks in they are pushed in place. In Europe they all do pic and dip ,guys like Jay in Belgium and Anders danish Bricky and Charlie from England all amazing bricklayer s like yourself. Cheers 🥂

[@brucehare1548]

Awesome! I'm 65 and going to do pnd! Thank you so much

[@ChaarGrilled]

Yes bruce you legend

[@pauliewalnuts7057]

Norwegian and Danish bricklayers always stick to the pick and dip method not only for speed but also because the mortar may dry out if your not fast enough doing the other method which will make the wall you are building weaker. Thanks for a great and informative Channel Cheers😊

[@RonnieMcNutt666]

Did ya hear what i I said tone? I love laying blocks and bricks tone! RIP tony sirico he was my great uncle

[@michaelbroderick527]

When laying the last brick in the gap its a good idea to smear some muck on the bricks either side of the gap as well as the brick being laid... This helps the muck stay in place rather than being pushed up out of the perp.

[@mastersamurai7683]

I agree...the British don't seem too into it

[@lnk3503]

@@mastersamurai7683 those will wash out.

[@jasonveale8560]

Pick and dip ok for a dried ibstock, any thing that allows you to run out a full bed on a course is quicker traditional ! Right to left with only a slight push no tapping, perp the middle and front with slight excess is quicker ! I’m 50 and and think a 33-11 narrow marshalltown leads to not overplaying a spread

[@kalogerosmonkjoshuaandrewb1740]

Ayee congrats ya hit ur goal G 💓 🙌🏼

[@Dylan-ti5zd]

I’ve started a course for bricklaying, definitely going to try this instead of traditional way!

[@thehalfnam4331]

Love to see you shouting out Charlie. Been subscribed to you since 8k and Charlie since 1.4k

[@thehalfnam4331]

And shouts out from BC Canada, many an English brickie where I am.

[@1kbconstruction824]

@@thehalfnam4331 never know that

[@bwilks2916]

Thanks for making this video. I love the different angles and the explanation. I will use this to build a fire pit ☺️

[@chrishopkins307]

brilliant videos on bricklaying. nice youtube Icon

[@PassTahPimpN]

Great Vid. Beginner myself. Not the hardest job on earth but definitely knowledge is all. Time is money. Have laid a few walls but this my first p&d look. I agree. Appears quicker. Depending on project of course. Love the chair!

[@sshumkaer]

Looking good

[@jailbreakgangdj4078]

You make it look really easy sir thanks and i made sure to the the red subscribe button and the tumbs up button

[@LarJgrip]

You asked for our thoughts…here’s mine. I’m retired now but laid brick, block & stone for more than four decades, worked in residential, commercial & refractory laying w/ both traditional and p&d methods. Regarding “pick & dip” …. you’re well on your way with your method, I can see that your learning and I love your enthusiasm. I can still hear my instructor say, “I don’t care if you’re banging these bricks in with your forehead, I want to see you do the same thing every time”. Obviously the point he was making was the consistency of ones technique. That said, here’s a description of my method of p&d… 1. Like you, pick brick and a healthy amount of mud for one brick together. 2. Drop mud into place and immediately drag the back toe of your trowel backward toward the brick laid creating a steep ridge on the front of the mortar and placing some against the brick laid. At the same time the brick should be following the trowel while dragging mortar for the head joint into it final position. (Sometimes the brick is actually touching the trowel as they both move backward). As you can see this requires the loaded trowel and the brick moving to the wall at simultaneously. 3. If possible avoid tapping, always try and set the brick with hand pressure. One of the biggest advantages to pick and dip is that you’re always laying on the freshest mortar. I hope I don’t come across as a know it all Rodian …I too am passionate toward the craft. 👍

[@RodianBuilds]

Definitely not coming across as a "know it all". Thank you for your input and I get what you're saying. I deffo need more practise and this info will hopefully help 😁🤙🧱

[@LarJgrip]

Rodian Builds Thanks for keeping the craft alive Rodian. It seems a dying trade, maybe more so in N. America. A fellow bricky/instructor friend of mine, in his dismay once suggested we start calling it bricksticking. 😔 facebook.com/groups/381770512162719/permalink/1232399190433176/

[@therealestateteacher]

Just want to say, these videos are amazing. Hoping to build a brick wall around my house in Brooklyn.

[@tonystockbridge6007]

Great video. Good to see various camera angles to show the technique 👌

[@therealirishwolfhound4220]

Pick and dip will sure help on the straight . Thanks for that man.

[@EffieSwartz10]

I love this method because not only do I get the jobs for the quality of my work but all the jobs that were done with the pick and dip I also get to tuckpoint because the top of every head joint gets a b hole in a pretty short period of time.

[@bttrinity6336]

Im new to your channel, so I dont know if this is something you've touched on before. Im an Apprentice in Detroit, MI and in America everyone I've worked with lays brick using the traditional method, but something I noticed you didnt do is butter your next head joint (Perp) with the cut off of your bed which just adds more steps since you didnt. The way I've been taught is once you lay your bed, you shouldnt have to go back to your mortar board because the excess from your bed joint should always be enough to butter your head joint on the brick you just layed. So you spread your bed, butter your first brick, get it down to the line, cut off and butter the other side of that brick you just layed. From there you just get another brick, get it down to the line, cut off bed and butter your head, then repeat till you close the coarse. Is this something you see often? If not, what would be the reason why? Over here its all about eliminating steps, and going back to your mortar board every time you butter your perp just wastes time.

[@justinandnickybrock7463]

I agree with you. What your describing is the method I was taught. Once you clean the excess from the bed and hit that next joint first the front then the top, you should always have a good full joint and no tuck pointing. This pick and dip requires a lot of precision accuracy in the dip and drag or else you'll not have enough mud to properly hold tour brick up. Also I just cant see this pick and dip being faster than this method you and I have described.

[@petermathews9298]

Thanks

[@alangracias8890]

Very Good Information

[@jamiejackson4588]

When you scrape that first bit off the front of the brick rather than chucking it on the next bed scrape the next perp on the end of the brick you've jus laid then you've sorted your holy perp problem and saved time again..... Good method, going to give it a try.

[@martingaynor5017]

excellent son pros and cons fully explained

[@gajulagopinath5471]

Very satisfying video on KZbin!

[@johnwarden4645]

Good video mate

[@beardedbricky7834]

Love the pic n dip. Full joints less motion better in hot or cold weather. Great job bro awesome explanation.

[@jamiewilkins658]

Really enjoying your vids buddy, only found you yesterday 😂, Im a carpenter joiner by trade but predominantly do extensions and renovations so occasionally do a bit of brick/block work when making good. Im just about to have foundations poured at my house so hopefully your videos will give me a little more confidence about doing my full extension in brick and block(may take a while)😂

[@originaldanman]

There's a reason they don't use this method in Bricklayer 500 competition, because it's probably at least 40% slower. Most brick laid in a competition was 914 by Robert Boll, and he didn't use pick and dip I can guarantee you, and he hasn't been beat in almost 50 years.

[@estevancoc8284]

It is the best method picking it is the way to do money very much awesome

[@Mario.International007]

i used to work as a labourer in the uk for bricklayers, on sites around London. Bricklaying is hard , but not complicated craft, manly job. Im looking forward to learn it. Best regards from Romania. :)

[@benwilliams1172]

when you can tell me how to set out a semi elliptical arch, and name the parts i will believe you that its not a complicated craft .

[@youveryniceman]

Interesting technique

[@sayedward2316]

Very good .Thank you

[@Yevgen6R]

Thank you!

[@juniorpink1021]

Do you have a video showing us how you built that chair that you are sitting in ?

[@isaactheisen7657]

Got 7,000 brick to lay on an enclosure tomorrow. Can't wait to test this method.

[@adrianmalugani3446]

How did you make that chair like that love it

[@Smokey420Greenleaf]

i've seen a couple guys use pick n dip in the bricklayer 500.

[@martyglover4344]

Day work = Traditional Price work = Pic n Dip 👍🏼

[@JD-kp1gv]

Love the vids, I can’t wait to get back to college to do level 3

[@RodianBuilds]

Cheers J D. You'll smash it when you go back! 🤙🧱

[@woodenarticles4533]

Do you have a detail video for different ways of Setting out profiles/builders line

[@christopherpatrick2343]

Great 😊

[@meagusneighbourhoodsyndica9522]

Awesome 👍

[@autowash6350]

Its very help ful

[@decemberboy3720]

You think pick and dip would be effective for a 3 inch high brick? Canada here only usually uses max brick (3” by 10”)

[@beholder1972]

I also think the pick n dip makes pressing down on the muck much easier since drying time is less. Like it

[@mattjpg6550]

great video mate looking to give this a try when my trowel is back in hand

[@RodianBuilds]

You will be surprised how much quicker it is! 🤙🧱

[@skenderkastrati2668]

I'm Bricklayer for 15 years i haven't seen Bricklayer on Sahit laying bricwork. Laying tip on dip

[@robertgibson4494]

Brilliant

[@seanmayo206]

The mud u scape off the face of the bed should be used to butter the brick u just layed

[@martsec9330]

That is the best bricklaying tutorial I have seen, Thank you for taking the time to explain everything, judt brilliant

[@RodianBuilds]

Thanks Mart 😁🤙🧱

[@vlofvl]

I work traditionally, I get a full bed and use the excess to joint the next brick and so on . . . I never have to go back to the ligger for more gobbo and only ever need to collect my next brick. While pick & Dip negates the time spreading a longer bed it loses time having to go back to the ligger every time you pick a brick up. It also doesn’t fill the beds & perps as consistently so takes longer to pint. Pick and Dip is a matter of preference, some like it and others don’t but it isn’t faster in my opinion

[@markgarrett9147]

Yes

[@joegardener2659]

Very nice bro

[@gioloma73]

Brilliant 👏 thank you 👍

[@karlsanderson8127]

When you practice building walls what mortar mix do you use

[@pauleohl]

Hi Rodion. I see that your bricks are quite clean even though you use them repeatedly. Is that because you disassemble what you have built as soon as the video is done? Is it because lime mortar barely bonds to the bricks and it is easy to knock it off. I am a total amateur. I have a few hundred used bricks and I notice that some have mortar on them that is almost impossible to remove., but most are relatively clean. Almost all my used bricks have neither holes nor a frog, I am in Smithtown NY USA.

[@makeyourownfreedom2839]

Yes Rodian! Sick video. My thoughts are with you both x

[@BrookePage1992]

I’m an apprentice and tbh the pick n dip saved me so much time especially having ADHD

[@alexthompson8307]

Great channel. Any chance you can do a vid on doing a curved wall? I’m about to so a retaining wall out of high density block, belly down. I’m not even a bricky. Nothing like diving in😬

[@MisterSifuentes]

Never seen bricks 🧱 like that! Anyone notice how mud looks different city to city, country to country? Must be the water? Clean work brother

[@markhep]

I been doing a bit of both you should Watch Jay over in EU they been doing it forever over there. And they work with big buckets stops the mortar going off. I started using big buckets my self 👍👍👍

[@Ragnar8504]

First time I read about pick'n dip was in a German DIY book from the 1950s, simply said "that's the way real brickies do it!". Great to see it done on camera!

[@markhep]

@@Ragnar8504 nice 👍👍👍

[@SteveAndAlexBuild]

BLWP. No arguing with the figures Rodian! I’m sure everyone will be doing it eventually, 33 years is a long time to re program this brain 😬🤯. Great explanation though 👍🏼👌🏼🧱

[@RodianBuilds]

Cheers Steve. I still fall back into the traditional method. Need more practise to perfect it! 🤙🧱

[@SteveAndAlexBuild]

Rodian Builds Definitely ! 🧱👍🏼

[@anthonyworthington6495]

Good vid well explained😎🍺

[@RodianBuilds]

Cheers buddy 🤙🧱

[@Shazza20111]

What about extra time to sort the pointing out?

[@cndbrn7975]

Rob Songer best pick and dipper out there ;)

[@planetyouranus22]

I agree !

[@kenbird9017]

Thanks, I get mortar staining on the faces, any tips on preventing/reducing this.

[@kholiotube5247]

Hey mate I'm watching your from Egypt your method is absolutely perfect n easy I hope I can do it as much as y done it at my house I need little bit help

[@robertpilkington4442]

According to your prediction you will lay 7 days bricks in 5 days, I would be interested to see the video building the two identical walls as per your statement earlier and the time comparison. Also, is the quality of the finished product the same in each case? I am an amateur bricklayer who was taught by a bricky (who worked for Wimpey during the day) at a local school on Saturday mornings he told us that his father who was also a bricklayer used to pick up the cross joint mortar exactly as you did on the pick and dip,, apparently, he also picked up two bricks at once, one in his hand, the other on his trowel!, presumably he laid both before cleaning off the excess from the face and rear etc.

[@kgkerry9079]

On my site we use full rub off method for the joints we don’t half round or wether struck, seeing that we would be filling a lot more perps with pick and dip than standard

[@frogh289]

is it ok for a brick to only just fit in a gap without much muck on either side?

[@stevenfaill2014]

Hi Rodian Can you tell me if the London Bricks are available to buy? If there is a style name. They are for a newbuild so will need quite a lot!

[@charlesviner1565]

Subscribed

[@Jonathan-mk1ju]

If you cant get your perps full, it’s pointless. The time you have saved, gets taken up pointing your gaps.

[@jamesmacmadness5443]

Depends which brick and joint

[@jamesmacmadness5443]

And desired point mix

[@PaddleDogC5]

He's not doing it properly. Voids then putting in the last brick without double buttering cost time. Tapping with the handle is a joke. SLOW. You can pick and dip with london, Philly, wide heel, it doesn't matter. You can get a skinny joint either way. Someone tapping brick for me like that wouldn't last 20 minutes in the scaffolding.

[@PaddleDogC5]

No joints on the last brick GMAFB 18;09

[@PaddleDogC5]

Lucky your doing it for fun because you can't make MONEY like your laying here.

[@AmyWinehouse.914]

It's all very plausible in dry conditions using dip and pick with flettons.One thing is every brick you lay you're slightly nudging the brick before so when it's wet and your laying facework engineers for example the old tradition of laying the buttered brick down downwards instead of sliding the perp backwards doesn't nudge the brick before.I agree with what he says to learn both methods as when doing more awkward work dip and pick isn't really possible like on soldier courses for example or blockwork - unless you're laying the block flat.

[@bonanzatime]

When I was a 2nd year apprentice back in 1987, one fine 60 degree day in October, my boss told me to work on the gable end of a Huge mansion by myself (with 3 laborers) because the other bricklayer wasn't there that day. After working at average pace about half an hour, I decided this is perfect opportunity to see how many I can lay in 8 hour day. After 8 hours I had layed 1707 bricks (and that's doing all my own striking, brushing, and nailing wall-ties, and laying the bricks 'right' with full head joints. No bad short cuts, this was a custom high end house, not an industrial building or bricklaying competition with loose tolerances.). Over 1700 in 8 hours. And looking perfect.. ... and the mixing machine never stopped, I had them laborers huffing and puffing, one I admit, was stacking the bricks in easy reach for me; but none of them were allowed to strike anything!😉 It Was All Me, Baby!🤑

[@RodianBuilds]

That sounds like an insane days work! nice! 🤙🧱

[@bonanzatime]

@@RodianBuilds Yes, I must have looked insane running up and down the scaffold like a bricklaying manic.😅 Thank you.

[@tomtindira9865]

Over 1700 bricks, in a gable. That works out to be over 3 and a half bricks a minute, every minute for 8 hours. Sure u did.

[@bonanzatime]

@@tomtindira9865 Thank you. I've never been called a Super Hero before, but according to your dumb 'SLOW' ass I must be..

[@bonanzatime]

@@tomtindira9865 It was the gable 'end' of a huge house, not 'the gable'. It was probably double the length of the front of most houses. The first floor with only one window; had dead men at both ends, laying to the line.. I probably would have laid 1800 if I hadn't wasted the first half hour. .. I actually was a little disappointed because I didn't lay as much as my boss did when I was a laborer, which was 2300 bricks in 8 hours, but I struck the joints for him. ... We were The Best Bricklayers in town back then, but now I am older and partially disabled but from what I've seen I can still whip many half my age. just sayin.

[@squeezle100]

Pick a dip is what I do on hot days when you can’t lay long bed without the mortar going off and constantly throwing buckets of water on brick stacks or when I’m doing smaller more intricate decorative brickwork. Like yourself I prefer traditional method on cooler damper days with longer runs to get the best perp and beds joints for ease of jointing up afterwards.

[@codycameron5654]

You can mud the head of the brick with the mud that comes out from laying

[@ratan1686]

I still like the traditional work... coz its much neater to look at.

[@gmann212]

Gonna have to tuckpoint that 2nd brick joint

[@nickykirkham9130]

Love the pic n dip method but have difficulty keeping work clean and putting brick in to low. Practice hopefully will make perfect

[@RodianBuilds]

I'm finding different parts that need perfecting. Definitely practise will make perfect🤙🧱

[@adamflint2060]

Hello Rodian, I've been a huge fan and an admirer of yours for a while now. What you've achieved with your new build is amazing and truly inspiring. Just keep doing what your doing mate and showing people what you're doing and how you're doing it, just don't try and teach people because this is just embarrassing.

[@davependrill2897]

Always use pic n dip for running in.

[@jingdongyu2055]

In the picture, it shows some crack in foundation area, do you think it is better break it down to build a new house, or it is better for extension? many thanks

[@aaronf4201]

I am going to attempt to repoint my old fireplace with lime mortar but I really don’t want it to be as yellow as your mix, I know it will dry lighter but do you have any tips for a whiter mix? White sand possibly?

[@planetyouranus22]

Mortar dye! Ask @ your local builder's merchants.

[@Clumsoethewonderdog]

I will give it a go on Monday, it looks sloppy to me where as traditional is neat. But if your out site banging it's a good method.

[@Intergalactic2000]

How long would it take to build a 4 bedroom house if I work 9to5 everyday.

[@unelectedbureaucrat2003]

1 million dollars