Pelican have strived to improve their online profile in the last few months following a strategic review of the business which found they were not optimising their online presence.

Pelican called on the services of DigitalSpace Marketing to improve their online presence and local search engine rankings.

Pelican, using DigitalSpaces new “Local Web Search Pro” are pleased to say that within a month they are now on Page 1 of Google, Yahoo & Bing local search engines for their chosen keyword.

It could be the start of something great for Pelican.

You can visit us on CYLEX by clicking on the image below.

Now the residents surrounding the branch are already upset so they would complain anyway. The main problem seems to be the amount of light coming from both Lidl and Travis Perkins signage that is apparant on the building site. The residents claim it is “light pollution”.

Although we sympathise with the locals, they should have a visit to London and try to live there.
Pelican Builders are a Builders in London and they have lived with “Light Pollution” for over 50 years, it will give you a nice tan after a while.

These are  some basic bricklaying tips to help you.

What tools you will need :-

• Spade
• spot board
• bucket
• trowel
• spirit level
• lump hammer
• bolster chisel
• tape measure
• plumb line
• a piece of metal or rubber tube 20 – 25mm dia
• soft hand brush.

Bricklaying often needs a bit of practice in order to get an amount of compentency. If  you have never laid bricks before it is good to have a bit of a practice first. Just a small wall with a few courses should do the trick.

Have a ready supply of bricks near the work area, mix the mortar, using four parts sand to one of cement (4 : 1), add a plasticiser to the mix, this makes the mortar easier to trowel and it adheres better to the bricks. Don’t make the mortar too ‘wet’ as the weight of the bricks will push it out of the seam when you start bricklaying and only mix sufficient for say one hours bricklaying (even less if the weather is hot), as it will dry out before you can use it.

Don’t add water to a mortar mix if it becomes too dry / stiff to use, throw it away and mix again.

Place the mortar as near to the work area as possible.

Lay the bricks so the vertical joints are staggered, this gives the brickwork added strength and support. If the bricks you are using don’t have holes through them but have an indentation (known as a frog), lay the bricks with the ‘frog’ at the top. The last course of bricks can be laid with the ‘frog’ at the bottom to give the brickwork a smooth finish on the top.

Lay one brick at each end of the course with a string line stretched between them along the top edge, this will give you a guide as you lay each course of bricks. 

When you place the mortar on the foundation or next course of bricks make a V shaped trough along the mortar with your trowel, this allows the bricks to be tapped into position / level more easily, spread (butter) mortar onto the end of each brick as you lay them for the vertical joint.

Once you have laid the first course of bricks check the level along the top of the course and along the face or outside edge (it isn’t necessary to check each brick as you lay them). With your spirit level in position on the brickwork, tap each brick level, either using the edge of your trowel or by hand. Remember most bricks aren’t always square when manufactured so they may not line up perfectly level with each other, use your judgement as minor discrepancies won’t be noticeable when you ’step back’ and look at the finished brickwork.

You will no doubt have to cut some bricks to size (e.g. half bricks to obtain the staggered vertical joints), to do this mark the cut on the brick (allowing for the mortar seam) and place it on firm ground or a solid base, align the cutting edge of your bolster chisel with the mark and give it a sharp blow with your lump hammer, any rough edges can be chipped off  using the bolster and lump hammer. 

Lay each course of bricks using the string line as a guide and check the levels as each course is completed. Don’t forget to strike / point the seams on each course before the mortar sets, fill any holes in the seams then strike / point them with either the piece of pipe or the trowel to give your brickwork a professional finish, brush the brickwork down with a soft hand brush to remove any excess mortar from the brickwork face.

We hope you found this useful and will try it out for yourself.

If you are looking for any kind of building work and you want to use the best of the builders in London then give Pelican Builders a call. I am sure we can accomodate most building projects.

You can find the contact details on our contact page.

- Pelican Builders, the best of the Builders in London.

Lets face it, in London you have many building companies to choose from. Competition is probably the highest in London than anywhere else in the UK. You will face a tough choice in what to look for from a builder and what makes them standout.

At Pelican we believe that the following sets us apart from the competition :

• We give FREE quotations
• We are also professional carpenters (great for custom builds)
• We work to pre-arranged budgets
• Our finish is ALWAYS to a high standard
• We are affordable, even in these tough economic times
• We are large enough to cope but small enough to care
• Customer satisfaction is our ultimate goal

If you really need a local Builder in London why not take a look around our site Builders in London and have a look at what our past customers have said about us.

Then, move on over to the contacts page and give us a call for a FREE quotation.

We can’t wait to get started.

Pelican Builders in London.