The sustenance of any building starts with a strong foundation. As the foundation is the core of an erection, the materials, tools, and formations used to build it should also be good quality and standard. Every construction worker has their own way of making a building as strong as it can be. And most of them now choose a brick ledge over the conventional shelf for the easy lay of building material like brick, stone, or veneers.
The brick ledge is an extremely essential element in any building project that working without it could only result in strains in the walls. One can say that foundation work has been made easy with brick ledge and MSB form. You can also look for high quality brick ledge, or if you’re up to the task, you can build one yourself quickly with the following guide:
Choose the Setting
Many people get the concrete slab formed with a brick ledge that would support bricks and other house exteriors. This foundation can be made separately as well if the concrete slab doesn’t include it. If it’s your first time, you can make a brick ledge in two days of hard work with the right tools and methods. Read the following way of constructing a suitable separate brick ledge.
Build a Trench
For forming a trench for a brick ledge, you must create a wide enough channel that can fit the formwork and allow the shelf to be constructed separately from the concrete foundation. You can create a trench of 6 inches deep and 14 inches wide by taking careful framework measurements. Make sure to level the soil by removing as much as needed.
Set the Framework
To set the infrastructure, you will need to create a box that is made with the 2 by 4s method or purchase one. The box will be required to set down in the trench with the help of wooden screws and stakes to fit all sides of the formwork in the ground by every 1.22m along the outside. You will also need to instill rebars of the formwork’s desired length on each side and finish by tieing with steel wire. After all the reinforcements are ready, make sure to test the design for pouring in concrete for a quality brick ledge.
Pour Concrete
The main part starts as you pour in the concrete. During this part, you need to take more precautions than other steps so that the mixture pours in smoothly and the concrete doesn’t contact your skin. Make sure to pour the blend regularly and tap the formwork nicely to help it level out. Removing any air pockets is necessary and also any excess mixture that gets dried later and becomes hard to remove.
Use a concrete trowel to smoothen the surface and then let it sit for 30 minutes. After a time-lapse of 24 hours, remove the ledge box as the concrete dries completely. Tap into concrete curing methods to get a good finish of the formwork with enough water and exposure to high temperatures.
