BRICK
How To Calculate
It takes approximately seven modular brick to cover one square foot of wall space. Brick salesmen generally ask you to figure seven and one half, but I’ve found that, if the brick aren’t damaged extensively on the pallet, seven is enough. Another contributing factor to the amount needed is the person laying the bricks. If you are paying for the work, make sure you pay for bricks lain, not how many disappeared from the stack.
Simple math for the estimate goes like this, length x height x seven. For instance, if you have a square building that is 40 feet on each side and the measurement from the footing to the point where you will stop laying is 10 feet, the total square footage is 1600. Next, take out square footages for windows and doors and multiply by seven. This gives you the net amount for calculating mortar and sand. Rule of thumb is 7-8 bags of mortar per one thousand brick, and one yard of sand for three thousand brick. Wall ties are calculated at one hundred per one thousand brick.
If the brick you use are not modular, everything changes. Keep in mind that a modular brick covers a space of 2.67 inches x 8 inches. If your brick is larger, that has to be taken into consideration. When choosing brick, keep in mind that most masons charge more for bonus or queen size brick.
For other articles on brick and masonry try here.
