Well, let me tell ya somethin’ ’bout these here lattice brick walls. Folks these days, they got all sorts of fancy names for things, but back in my day, we just called ’em pretty walls with holes. You know, the kind that let the air through but still keep the critters out… mostly.
Now, I ain’t no fancy builder or nuthin’, but I’ve seen my share of these walls goin’ up. First thing ya gotta do is get yourself some bricks. Not just any old bricks, mind you. You want the good, sturdy ones, the kind that won’t crumble on ya after a good rain. And you need a whole heap of ’em, ’cause these walls eat up bricks like a hungry hog.
Then comes the mortar. That’s the sticky stuff that holds them bricks together. Gotta mix it just right, not too runny, not too thick. Like makin’ gravy, I always say. Too thin, and it won’t hold. Too thick, and it’ll crack. And you gotta be quick, ’cause that mortar dries faster than a fly on a hot skillet.
Building the Wall
Now, the fancy folks, they use somethin’ called a “level line.” Me? I just use my eye. Been doin’ it for years, and my walls ain’t never fallen down yet. You start layin’ them bricks, one by one, leavin’ little gaps here and there for the air to go through. That’s the “lattice” part, I reckon.
- You gotta stagger them bricks, too. Can’t just stack ’em straight up, or they’ll topple over like a drunkard on a Saturday night. You gotta overlap ’em, like weavin’ a basket.
- And you gotta make sure them gaps are even, or it’ll look like a dog’s breakfast. Nobody wants a wall that looks like a dog’s breakfast.
Sometimes, these walls are built with two layers, with a space in between. They call it a “cavity wall,” I think. Keeps the house cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter, they say. Sounds like a lot of work to me, but I guess if you got the time and the money, it ain’t a bad idea. Keeps the damp out too, which is a good thing, ’cause nobody wants a damp house. Makes your bones ache somethin’ fierce.
Different Brick Patterns
Now, there’s all sorts of ways to lay them bricks, all sorts of patterns. Some folks like ’em plain, some folks like ’em fancy. I’ve seen walls with zigzags and swirls and all sorts of doodads. Me, I like a good, simple pattern. Nothin’ too flashy, just somethin’ that looks nice and does the job. But I seen some pictures, in them magazines, fancy brick patterns they call them “brick bonds”. Makes ya wonder how folks got so much time on their hands.
And speakin’ of pictures, them city folk, they got websites now, where you can look at pictures of these walls all day long. “Houzz,” they call it. And “Pixabay.” Millions of pictures, they say. I don’t know what I’d do with all them pictures, but I guess some folks like lookin’ at ’em. Free pictures too, imagine that! Guess that’s handy for them young folks buildin’ houses, not like us old timers, we know bricks like the back of our hand.
Anyways, buildin’ a lattice brick wall ain’t rocket science. It’s just good, honest work. Takes time and patience, and a strong back. But when you’re done, you got yourself a wall that’s both pretty and practical. A wall that’ll stand the test of time, just like me. And that, my friends, is somethin’ to be proud of. Just remember to keep the bricks level and the mortar strong. And don’t forget to leave them holes for the air to go through. That’s the whole point of a lattice brick wall, ain’t it?
And if you get it wrong the first time, don’t you fret none. Just knock it down and start again. That’s what I always say, if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again! Ain’t no shame in makin’ mistakes, just shame in leavin’ them mistakes as is. And that’s all there is to it, a good sturdy wall and a bit of know how.
Tags：Lattice Brick, Brick Wall, Building, Construction, Brick Patterns, Cavity Wall, Brick Bond, Home Improvement, Masonry
