Considering modern requirements for thermal insulation of buildings, brick, block and monolithic cottages would have become archaic long ago if there were no normal ways to increase their energy efficiency. Among several options for warming a house created from stone massifs, it is worth highlighting the technology of well masonry, which we will discuss later.

Why a brick house needs thermal insulation

If you pay attention to the publicly available tables of thermal conductivity of building materials, it becomes clear that massive stone walls in terms of resistance to heat transfer are significantly inferior, for example, to wooden ones. Even the use of hollow and cellular blocks does not provide guaranteed protection against loss of precious heat. This is not to mention monoliths or solid bricks, especially in countries with harsh climatic conditions.

In an article devoted to the calculation of the optimal thickness of the insulating layer, we came to the disappointing conclusion that if you build a house of solid brick that would meet the strict modern requirements for saving thermal energy, then the thickness of the walls should reach one and a half to two meters. In general, this was how they acted before, therefore, in the post-Soviet space, old buildings with outer walls about a meter thick and no less monstrous foundations can be seen all the time. There is, of course, another way: not to spend money on thermal insulation and drown in the winter with all the urine, as was customary during the Soviet Union. Now such options can hardly be called reasonable, because in both cases the price of comfort will be simply cosmic.

In fact, the problem is easily solved. All building technologies are now in the "basic configuration" sharpened to save energy. Now the consumer is offered time-tested integrated systems with integrated insulating materials, which, by eliminating heat losses, make it possible to reduce the thickness of enclosing structures, while reducing the load on foundations and on the customer's wallet.

What does "well masonry" mean?

Mineral wool and foamed polymers are usually mounted outside the stone house; sometimes, during reconstruction, heat insulators can be located on the side of the premises. Note that internal insulation is a very risky method to reduce heat losses (due to the critical movement of the “dew point” into the interior of the rooms), it should be resorted to only in the most extreme cases. External wall insulation is more efficient and certainly much more efficient. However, hinged facades or the wet method of “bonded thermal insulation” radically change the appearance of the cottage, so this is not suitable for those who want to see their house dressed in respectable facing bricks. This is where technologies come to the rescue, in which the insulation layer is located in the middle of the wall, behind the brick cladding.

Important! Well, well or hollow, masonry is also called "layered". The main idea of ​​this solution is to create cavities (wells) inside the outer wall, where it will be possible to place heat-insulating material.

If we consider such structures, we can see that they have three functional layers:

1. Main,

2. Warming,

3. Facing.

In fact, this is a stationary analogue of a hinged ventilated facade, only the exterior decoration is made of bricks and rests on the foundation.

The structure and components of the well masonry

Bearing wall

The main layer is usually a wall made of ordinary solid clay bricks. Its thickness is 25, 38 or 51 centimeters, which corresponds to laying one, one and a half or two bricks. This element is part of the supporting frame of the building, since it is on it that the roof and beams / floor slabs rest, it is in it that the concrete lintels of the openings are located.

It is interesting that the basis in the well structure can be not only brickwork. A similar system of three-layer insulation is also successfully implemented if the walls are built from other materials, for example, from dense foam concrete, cinder blocks, ceramic hollow blocks, "shell rock" and even monolithic concrete. In principle, nothing prevents insulating a wooden house made of timber or logs using well masonry technology, that is, lining an old log house with bricks and, in addition, insulating it.

External cladding

This element is made of facing brick, ceramic or silicate. For this, laying is made in half-brick (120 mm thick), which is based on an expanded foundation, so it is, in fact, self-supporting.

Important! The outer brick layer performs a protective and decorative function. Its main applied value is to prevent the insulation from direct contact with the environment.

A house with such a cladding looks like it is completely built of brick, regardless of what materials the load-bearing walls are made of. However, if necessary, the outside of the house can also be plastered, from which the technical characteristics of the structure as a whole will not change.

Heaters

The well wall system has been used in our country for quite a long time, especially in the private sector. Previously, when high-quality insulators were not available to homeowners for a variety of reasons, they used what was at hand. Mostly bulk materials were used, which, after being laid in wells, formed local voids. These were: sawdust, shavings, expanded vermiculite, expanded clay, peat, crushed straw, etc. Even just an empty air gap between the two walls gave a positive result (although it was necessary to be limited to a gap of 5-7 cm). It is clear that it is impossible to realize the full potential of well masonry with such heaters.

With the help of modern heat insulators, it is possible to adequately minimize the heat losses inherent in stone walls. Insulation inside brick layered walls is solved in four main ways:

• fibrous materials (high-density mineral wool boards);
• rigid foamed polymers (polystyrene and extruded polystyrene foam);
• liquid, curing-in-place polymers;
• backfill of "granulated" or loose cotton wool.

The thickness of the insulating layer is selected depending on the calculated heat loss through the building envelope, which is determined by the thermal conductivity of the walls and the climatic conditions in which it is operated.

We are talking about different ways to insulate a layered stone wall, since the use of different types of insulating materials has its own nuances here. Let's say that any plates are installed as both walls are erected, backfilling is also carried out in stages, since it should be rammed in layers, and you can blow out the "well" with liquid insulation at the very end through the top or through technological holes. Cotton wool is hygroscopic and requires ventilation and additional protection. While expanded polystyrenes do not let moisture through, they are not filled with it - therefore, in all respects they are self-sufficient, however, they completely destroy the ability of walls to remove water vapor, which necessarily leads to an increase in humidity inside the premises (forced ventilation systems have to be used).

Important! To insulate layered masonry, it is necessary to use “wall” wool in the form of plates, which is not subject to shrinkage and will not slip. A good option are hydrophobized products with a combined density.

ventilation gap

Let's start with the fact that it is not always needed. For example, foam and XPS are attached to the load-bearing wall with glue and mechanical fixation, and the outer cladding is adjacent to them closely. This is done because the steam from the premises does not enter their closed cells, while inside the wall they are not irradiated with ultraviolet radiation, they are not destroyed in any other way. The injected foam insulation after solidification does not leave zones free for air circulation, and this is not necessary for them.

The value of mineral wool lies in its ability to "breathe", in other words, it is permeable to water vapor moving out of the room, which helps to create good humidity conditions in the home and increase the durability of building structures. But in order for fibrous mats to work this way, it is necessary to ensure the possibility of removing these vapors into the atmosphere, because if the insulation remains wet, then its thermal conductivity will immediately increase, and the walls will begin to freeze.

So, if mineral wool is used as an insulating layer, then between it and the outer protective and decorative masonry it is necessary to create a ventilation gap in which air will constantly move. In terms of the size of this gap, the well masonry is similar to hinged ventilated systems - it ranges from 20 to 40 mm, therefore, a margin of distance is laid between the bearing wall and the cladding. For example, if calculations show that it is necessary to use wool 100 mm thick to insulate a house, then the walls of the “well” are bred by 12-14 centimeters.

Important! If for some reason it is not possible to fulfill the ventilation gap (suppose, due to the insufficient width of the foundation), then it is better to abandon the use of mineral wool and not arrange film vapor barrier for fibrous materials, but give preference to expanded polystyrene.

Products

This structural element of the well masonry is necessary for the operation of the ventilation gap. Obviously, if you make a gap, but close it on all sides with a continuous facing masonry, then there can be no question of any ventilation of the wool. In fact, an additional air layer will be obtained, and the fibrous material will gradually be moistened.

Often, homeowners have a question about how to organize the access of street air to the construction of a brick multi-layer wall. First of all, you need to make sure that the air masses can not only enter the wall, but also exit it. A constant convective movement of flows “from bottom to top” must be organized - therefore, technological holes / openings are arranged both near the foundations and near the roof. To remove the air, it is not necessary to manipulate the wall, it is enough to cover the ventilation gap with a roof overhang, and make a perforation in its filing. It’s more difficult at the bottom - you have to make openings in the brick and close them with hull gratings. For air to enter, mortar is sometimes removed from the vertical joints between the bricks of several lower rows. Alternatively, hollow bricks can be installed on the edge.

Important! As for any ventilated facade, the minimum area of ​​​​vents in the well masonry is regulated. It should be from 70 to 100 square centimeters per 20 square meters of facade area. The total size of the inlet and outlet openings must be identical, and the ventilation gap inside the wall must not be blocked by any structural elements.

Insulating films

Sometimes in layered brick walls it is recommended to use a vapor barrier to protect the mineral wool from moisture from the side of the room. But in this way the useful quality of fibrous thermal insulation is leveled - to remove moisture from the premises. It is better then to make a working ventilation gap, or use completely moisture resistant extruded polystyrene foam or foam. In both cases, a vapor barrier and a hydro-barrier will be superfluous here.

However, in order to protect mineral wool from weathering of the binder and fibers, it makes sense to fix a diffusion membrane on the cold side of the insulation, which will not lock moisture into the insulator plates. We have already talked about how to shave and apply building membranes in one of our articles.

Connections and diaphragms

It is obvious that although the protective and decorative facing masonry is self-supporting, it is prone to cracks without measures for additional stabilization. After all, its thickness is only 12 cm. There are even horror stories about its complete destruction, when, it seems, bricks fall out of it onto passers-by. To prevent this from happening, so-called diaphragms and flexible connections are provided.

The diaphragm is an element of reinforcing the well brickwork. It is implemented by installing some bricks perpendicular to the main line of the walls. They are raised by a pillar from the bottom to the top of the walls, thus obtaining a kind of stiffening ribs that prevent the lining from deviating from the vertical position. From the side of the main load-bearing wall and the outer wall, these protrusions are either spaced apart or opposite each other (then a gap of 2-3 centimeters is left between them). Previously, diaphragms were made with full bandaging, which significantly increased the spatial rigidity of the entire structure, but created powerful cold bridges across the entire wall.

The function of reinforcing a multilayer wall is performed by flexible connections. Usually these are thin embedded elements that fall into the mortar between the bricks when the walls are being built. On one side they go into the load-bearing wall, and on the other - into the facade brick cladding. If steel reinforcement, long nails or welded mesh are used for such purposes, then again we get direct cold bridges.

There is a more efficient and no less reliable way to tie a half-brick cladding to the main wall, these are flexible composite ties. They are fiberglass or "basalt-reinforced plastic" rods that have minimal thermal conductivity and sufficient strength for their modest diameters. Moreover, plastic bonds are not afraid of alkalis from solutions and are not destroyed by corrosion. To improve the adhesion of smooth polymers in solution, their ends have an outer rough layer on both sides (spraying sand over a powerful adhesive coating).

Important! Snap-on flat clamps are installed on the rods of flexible connections, which can be used to securely press the insulation boards to the base and form the calculated ventilation gap (they work on the principle of dish-shaped dowels).

Flexible connections are inserted into the solution of the bearing and facing wall to a depth of 90 mm. If a building in operation is being reconstructed by creating well insulation, then the connecting pins are hammered into pre-drilled expansion dowels made of polyamide. In any case, at least 4 connecting pins will be required for each square of the facade. It is interesting that when using mineral wool, the step in all directions should not exceed 500 mm, and when using polystyrene foam, they can be placed horizontally at intervals of a meter, and vertically at 25 cm. Additional connections are needed on openings, in the corners of the house and near roofs. Often the seams in the main wall and the facing do not coincide horizontally, then the pins can be anchored in the vertical seams of the brickwork.

You can talk a lot about the advantages and disadvantages of well masonry as a way to build a warm house with brick walls. This method has its fans and opponents. But if you choose a heater without errors, and assemble the entire structure “according to technology”, then there will be no problems with reliability. And the unique energy efficiency of high-quality layered masonry is not questioned by anyone.

Brick masonry is one of the most common types of construction, which involves the construction of an outer wall structure in three layers. Naturally, this kind of work dictates its own adjustments, for example, it is made to perform a longitudinal row. Moreover, transverse jumpers serve as a connecting element, forming wells as a result. Thanks to the use of well masonry, it is possible to significantly save on the main building material - brick - by more than 15%, if compared with conventional brickwork. Although different types of well masonry have their own differences and features, which affect the solidity and stability of the outer wall surface and its thickness.

Types of well masonry

There are a huge number of different types of well masonry, which will differ in thickness (strength) and the method of erecting the outer wall. So, the most common options are:

1. The well masonry will make it possible to make the wall thickness of half a brick, and the dressing - through one in three rows.
2. Laying one and a half bricks implies dressing in a continuous row, forming a wall of greater thickness - 1.5 bricks.
3. Brickwork in 2 or 2.5 is the most reliable. Indeed, in this case, the thickness of the outer wall significantly increases, and the dressing is performed continuously.
4. Modified well masonry is considered the most modern. In this case, the dressing is replaced by lightweight concrete, which, for all that, acts as additional insulation. At the same time, through one, three rows from the walls it is necessary to release brick pokes. It is they who will allow to connect the resulting newly built structure, acting as anchors.

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How to fill the well masonry?

Important! In the process of choosing a filler for well masonry, you should pay attention to the fact that the material is not too bulky.

After all, it is necessary to eliminate the sitting on the foundation and to lighten the burden of the new design as much as possible. And in order to reduce thermal insulation, it is necessary to use raw materials that have low thermal conductivity.

Those building materials that are not threatened by biological destruction are used only as a dry backfill. And organic matter, for example, wood sawdust, is like lightweight concrete with the addition of knitting cement, limestone, gypsum and clay elements.

• slag;
• expanded clay;
• crushed stone;
• sand preferably rocks;
• sawdust of various tree species;
• crumb foam concrete;
• ecowool;
• granulated polystyrene foam;
• vermiculite;
• a variety of insulating materials from slabs are sure to come in handy as a filler for well masonry.

In the process of using aggregates, in addition to lightweight concrete, you may encounter a general shrinkage of the foundation. To avoid such a moment, it is worth producing horizontal diaphragms, which are performed using a reinforced cement-sand joint or bonded rows. The latter should be done every 50 cm in height.

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Standard well masonry is carried out by creating two brick walls at a distance of no more than 34 cm, the connection of which is made due to dressing. In this case, the dressing has a thickness of 1/4 brick.

To begin with, in the transverse direction, it is necessary to lay out brickwork in two rows on the surface of the waterproofing foundation.

A distinctive feature of such masonry is that each brick is recommended to be laid as close as possible to the next one in order to eliminate the possibility of cracks.

Important! Wire-based ties are often used as a masonry connector.

To complete the longitudinal wall, it is worth using spoon rows. They are appropriate in the process of laying the second row of both external and internal versts. The transverse rows are characterized by the use of pokes. And to connect the longitudinal and transverse rows, it is appropriate to use dressing through one row. As for filling the well with insulating material, it must be done only after the completion of the laying of the fifth row, not earlier.

Since the main disadvantage of brickwork is the low strength of the outer wall, it is necessary to smooth out the overall impression a little. To do this, it is advisable to lay corners with three rows of diaphragms. Indeed, in this case, the wall is continuous in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe corner.

In the process of backfilling the insulation, it is worth paying attention to the fact that it must be carefully compacted to obtain a thickness of no more than 15 cm. At the same time, a special solution is poured every 50 cm to avoid the negative impact of an external aggressive environment on the insulation layer. Although at the same time it turns out to increase the strength characteristics of the outer brick wall under construction.

An increase in the level of strength indicators can be achieved by placing horizontal diaphragms at the level of future doors and windows.

If construction takes place in autumn and winter, then the relative humidity of the environment is at a high level, and therefore the brick is saturated with it very much. As a result, its thermal resistance drops significantly.

At the same time, even the method of construction (building walls) will not help change the situation. Therefore, in the process of performing well masonry, it is worth making a special ventilation opening, which is located between the front brickwork and the insulation. Due to this, the brick will be able to dry faster and release moisture. The final moment on the organized movement of air masses through the ventilation openings is the creation of vertical seams.

To further attach the heat-insulating plates to the load-bearing wall, special dowels and mounting adhesive can be used. In order for the adhesion of the glue to be as strong as possible, experts recommend that the entire surface be pre-treated with a primer.

And finally, it is necessary to apply roll insulation and aging.

Today, such a branch of the national economy as construction is developing at a rapid pace throughout the world. Hundreds of new buildings and structures are built every year. The most favorite and common building materials are the following: concrete, reinforced concrete, plastic, metal tiles, metal-plastic, brick. Brick is undoubtedly the most practical of them. Currently, bricklaying is constantly being modernized, more and more of its methods are appearing. For these purposes, various types of bricks are used: solid, hollow, single one-and-a-half, double. Most often, brick is used for the construction of residential and public buildings, where the most important thing is to maintain an optimal microclimate inside the premises.

To insulate brickwork, you can use several options - slag, mineral wool, glass wool, concrete. Masonry is carried out in several ways - three-layer with and without an air gap or well.

Today, it has become very relevant with a heater. It originated in the middle of the last century. Then moss, sawdust, peat were used as a heater. In the modern world, they are no longer effective and have been replaced by more modern materials. Insulation can be used in almost any type of construction, where timber, concrete panels, brick walls are used as enclosing structures. The last option is the most relevant. Let us consider in more detail how brickwork with insulation is carried out, the masonry technique, the advantages of this method.

Types of heaters and requirements

Brick laying is a rather serious and difficult task.

Most often, insulation inside brick structures is carried out using mineral wool, polystyrene foam, glass wool.

Some craftsmen fill the space between the walls with concrete or fill it with slag. This option also has its advantages, the main of which is that with this method of masonry, the strength and durability of the structure increases. Any insulation must meet the following special requirements.

First, it must be resistant to deformation. This property is especially important. So, under the action of any natural factors, as well as under the force of gravity, it can change in size and shape.

Secondly, it is moisture resistance. Despite the fact that the insulation is carried out inside the structure, moisture can get inside, which often leads to deformation and destruction of the material. And the latter, in turn, will affect the thermal insulation properties of the building envelope. Warming is carried out only with those materials that do not pass and do not absorb moisture. In addition, excessive moisture can cause condensation to form. Fiberglass is the most optimal for flexible connections between fences, as it has low thermal conductivity, high strength and does not allow moisture to pass through. There is another universal insulation - air.

well masonry

Wall insulation is often used for lightweight bricklaying. This reduces the load on the building. In addition, this method allows you to save materials, increase the percentage of sound insulation and thermal insulation. Warming in this case is of two types. In the first case, two brick walls are erected, and the voids between them are evenly filled with insulation. In the second case, only one wall is made, and then a heater is attached to it. Currently, the most commonly used well masonry. It is carried out as follows: first, an internal load-bearing wall is erected with ordinary bricks, after which an external wall is built with a thickness of half a brick.

The next step is to install dressings in several rows. To do this, you can use metal rods. Another type of masonry can also be used, in which the voids are filled with slag or concrete. The walls are built with a thickness of half a brick. In this case, the slag should rest for some time (six months).

Three-layer masonry with and without a gap

With this method, heat-insulating panels are laid in rows between the supporting structures, they are fixed with the help of anchors that are built into the wall. To prevent the formation of condensate in this case, you will need a vapor barrier. The front layer is laid out from the usual facing brick or stone. There is another way in which an air gap is made. This method is the most optimal, as it helps to prevent the formation of condensate to a greater extent. The ventilation gap contributes to the drying of the insulation. With this method, a load-bearing internal wall of ordinary brick is first erected. Thermal insulation materials are mounted on anchors mounted in the wall.

This option uses flexible ties with clamps that are needed to connect the insulation panels to the wall and create an air layer. Stainless steel washers are used as fasteners. The disadvantage of this method is that it is very labor intensive.

Equipment and tools

Brick insulation will require tools. You can insulate it inside by having a heater (wool, slag or concrete) available. In addition, you will need a vapor barrier. For the masonry itself, it is important to have a solution based on sand and clay or cement, bricks, a mixing container, a building level, a trowel, a trowel, and shovels. You may need a ladder or grinder for. It is desirable to carry out brick insulation in dry and warm seasons in order to avoid moisture ingress, which can accumulate between the walls. You can insulate the wall yourself, or hire a team of specialists for this.

As mentioned above, moisture can accumulate inside the wall, so it is important to use only moisture-proof materials. The cheapest of them are glass wool or slag. The heater should be laid flat.

Based on the foregoing, we can conclude that when laying bricks, it is best to use a heater. It must meet the following requirements: be moisture resistant and resistant to deformation. It should be inside the structure, between the load-bearing walls. Walls can be insulated with various materials: mineral wool, slag, concrete, glass wool. There is another very good insulation - this is air. Laying should be done in several ways. The most common of them are well, three-layer with and without an air gap.

In any case, a dressing is made between the walls, it is carried out with the help of metal pins that are attached to the anchors. The space between the walls is evenly filled with material. To insulate the wall, you will need equipment and tools. You can buy them at any specialized store. Therefore, thermal insulation is a simple task, but it requires certain knowledge and skills.

The well masonry of brick walls can significantly reduce the thermal conductivity of the walls, due to which the energy efficiency of the building increases markedly. The peculiarity of this laying method is that it consists of three layers: the outer and inner are laid out from blocks and bricks, and the gap between them (the well) is filled with a heat insulator. The fact is that, in accordance with modern building codes, even in middle latitudes, sufficient thermal insulation in winter conditions can be achieved with a solid brick structure of about two meters thick.

a) - e) Different masonry options.
1. Brick walls of openings. 2. A layer of insulation that fills the openings. 3. Vertical diaphragms (lintels between wells).

Well (well), unlike the usual brickwork of walls, belongs to the category of modern progressive construction technologies. It should be borne in mind that such a brickwork technology, like any other, has both advantages and disadvantages. Its advantages include the following factors:

• the ability to build a building with an acceptable thickness of the main walls, but fully compliant with building codes in terms of thermal conductivity;
• reducing the time and cost of building a building plus saving bricks;
• reducing the load on the foundation by reducing the weight of the structure.

At the same time, the brickwork of walls using the well method with insulation has its own weaknesses:

• homogeneity and, as a result, the strength of the structure is reduced;
• at low outside temperatures, condensation may form in the thermal insulation layer;
• strong heating of brick walls in the hot season can lead to damage to the heat insulator.

Varieties of well laying

Features of the options for the well laying of brick walls are determined by their following parameters:

• overall thickness of the structure;
• thickness of the outer wall;
• the length and width of the openings formed in the space between the brick walls;
• type of insulation used;
• features of the device and the material from which horizontal and vertical lintels are made in brick walls, reinforcing the latter.

The total thickness of brick walls during well laying can vary from 33 to 62 cm. The thickness of the outer walls can be a quarter of a brick (brick on the edge), half a brick (spoon rows), 1 brick (stitch and spoon rows alternate). Most often, the thickness of both outer walls is half a brick, but it can be different.

The width of the openings (the distance between the outer walls) can have one of the values ​​​​of the following series: half a brick, three quarters, 1 brick or one and a half bricks. The length of these openings should not exceed 1.17 m. Some variants of the schemes according to which well brickwork can be carried out are shown in fig. 1.

Numerical designations on these diagrams:

1. Brick walls of openings.
2. A layer of insulation that fills the openings.
3. Vertical diaphragms (lintels between wells).

Descriptions depicted in fig. 1 laying patterns:

• a structure with a total thickness of 33 cm, with outer walls a quarter of a brick thick (Fig. 1a);
• a wall with a total thickness of 51 cm, with outer walls half a brick thick and an opening width of 1 brick (Fig. 1b);
• construction with different thicknesses of outer walls and half-brick openings (Fig. 1c);
• the same configuration of the outer walls with a width of openings of 1 brick (Fig. 1d);
• through wells with vertical partitions up to the middle part of the masonry (Fig. 1e).

As a heater, filling from bulk materials (sawdust, slag, expanded clay), polystyrene foam slabs, basalt mineral wool, as well as concrete-based fillings can be used. You can calculate the cost of labor and materials for the performance of such work using the table GESN 08-02-014.

a)-c) The sequence of laying rows.
1. External and internal walls of the well. 2. Opening filled with insulation. 3. Vertical bridges (diaphragms). 4.

The sequence of masonry

With at least minimal experience, the brickwork of the outer walls should not cause serious difficulties. Competent calculation, accuracy and strict order of the technological process are required:

1. First, the first two continuous rows of bricks are laid on the foundation on top of the waterproofing. The first row is often made tychkovym. This will be the base of the well.
2. Vertical jumpers are laid out at the right distance from each other.
3. The selection of jumpers is carried out so that there are floor beams above them. Vertical jumpers should be arranged every 0.5-1.17 m.
4. Adjacent walls should be connected with wire bundles.
5. The laying of window and door openings, as well as the last few rows, should be continuous.
6. Waterproofing is laid on top of the last layer.

For low-rise construction, well masonry is an ideal option. In this case, the optimal selection of a combination of material consumption, labor intensity and quality of thermal insulation is ensured. Its main drawback is that after the construction is completed, it is almost impossible to replace the insulation.

It should be noted that additional insulation is possible in well laying with mineral wool. To do this, through small holes in the wall, ecowool, perlite or similar heaters are blown into the openings. But with proper calculation and proper selection of materials, such an operation is not required.

Technology and performance features

a)-c) Three options for laying the corner of the building
1. External and internal walls of the well. 2. Opening filled with insulation. 3. Vertical bridges (diaphragms).
Horizontal jumper (reinforcing mesh or reinforcement).

As already noted, the complexity of well masonry is somewhat higher than usual, but it is not difficult to master it with experience as a bricklayer. With little experience, it is advisable to arm yourself with a detailed ordering drawing. This is especially important at the initial stage. An example of fragments of such a drawing is shown in fig. 2.

Here in fig. 2a shows a diagram of odd, and in Fig. 2b - even rows of masonry. To ensure a reliable connection between the walls, a horizontal jumper is laid after every sixth row. For this purpose, a reinforcing mesh is usually used (see Fig. 2c).

In the same figure, they are indicated by numbers:

1. The outer and inner walls of the well.
2. Opening filled with insulation.
3. Vertical bridges (diaphragms).
4. Horizontal jumper (reinforcing mesh or reinforcement).

The laying of vertical lintels must be securely tied with the longitudinal walls. Their thickness can be 1-3 horizontal rows. The greater the thickness of the jumpers, the stronger the structure, but the thermal insulation worsens. Instead of brick, it is possible to select jumpers from reinforcing pins with a thickness of 6-8 mm. For reliability, their ends are bent.

Corners can also be laid out in different ways. The device of several of its variants is shown in Fig. 3. Numerical designations here are the same as in fig. 2. Brief characteristics of these options:

• the option with only two parallel walls (a), the most economical, but also the least durable;
• the option with a thickening of the outer walls (b) requires more building materials, but the strength of the masonry increases;
• the option with a continuous layout of the corner (c) is the most durable, but also the least economical.

At least two rows of bricks under window openings should be solid. In addition, in these cases, it is desirable to reinforce the brick walls with a reinforcing mesh. When the laying of the outer walls is completed, a reinforced concrete reinforcing belt is usually poured over the last row. This is especially important when it is planned to build a pediment of brick.

As already noted, for all its merits, the well structure is not its most durable option. Therefore, in order to hold a fairly heavy brick gable, the presence of a reinforcing belt is highly desirable.

And one more important note. Like any brickwork in winter conditions, a well should be done with a doubling of the number of reinforced joints that reinforce the brickwork, and using the appropriate mortar. The backfill inside the wells must be absolutely dry, not containing frozen inclusions. It is also desirable to use additional liners from dry cinder blocks.

Of course, ring masonry is a convenient option in execution and use, quite affordable in price, but requiring accuracy and precision in work.