Bricky - The Professional Wall Building Tool

Tuesday, 29th December 2009

I found out about the Bricky from a friend, they saw it being used by Tommy Walsh on a DIY program and were so impressed that they ordered one online that evening. The world of DIY is full of clever and new inventions, so curious as to what this mystery device was I decided to look into it and find out more. So what does the Bricky do and whats so good about it?

Overview of the Bricky

The Bricky consists of two simple yet cleverly designed guides that assist in laying a precise bed of mortar between courses of bricks or blocks. Simply place the Bricky on each course of bricks and then fill the cut away section of the tool with mortar. This gives a perfectly level mortar bed of 10mm (3/8 inch) thickness, ready for the next course of bricks to be placed on top. A vertical guide is placed at the end of each brick and mortar applied to give the vertical joints.

The Bricky has two aims, firstly to help the DIY enthusiast build a 'perfect' wall and secondly to help professional bricklayers increase their productivity. According to the Bricky website in tests it has shown increases in productivity of up to 300%. It also reduces mortar waste and helps stop mortar from falling into wall cavities.

Demo of the Bricky

Rather than trying to explain in words how the Bricky works, I thought it would be much better if you were to see it in action. Here's a video with the ever popular celebrity builder Tommy Walsh (found fame in the Ground Force TV shows) putting the Bricky through its paces.

Conclusion

There's no doubt that the Bricky is a useful tool. Anyone can lay bricks, but it takes practice and experience to do it well. Its a simple idea and as Tommy says in the video "all the best inventions are simple". With no batteries to go flat and its simple design this tool should last for many years. From what I've seen in the video it looks very easy to use, maybe next time I need to do some bricklaying I'll borrow my friends Bricky and try out for myself.

While I can see this being a big hit with DIY enthusiasts, I'm not so sure that many professional bricklayers will buy them. The building industry is rather 'macho' and a professional bricklayer using one of these might be seen as being 'amateur'. Turning up on site and pulling one of these out of your toolbag might draw some dirty looks.But if you are being paid by the number of bricks laid then who cares what the other bricklayers think? You'll be the one with the last laugh when you pick up your pay check!

The best part of DIY is the satisfaction of doing the job yourself and doing it well. As most bricklaying is exterior facing its very visible, being able to look at some great brickwork knowing that you placed each brick by hand adds value. For all jobs big and small,the Bricky is a simple and easy to use tool that make laying bricks easier, faster and neater.