Brick laying issues-help !

[chas2008]

having had a 1st go at bricklaying , just a small wall (garden feature) which i consider has gone quite well, i seem to have a problem getting the coping stones to stay put !! The actual bricks are all fine and solid. I used ready made mortar mix which worked ok.Im not sure wether its the harsh winter caused the problem or am i doing something wrong ?

[carlton23]

It may help to know when and what the weather was like at he time you mixed the mortar, and did you protect it from freezing temperatures?

[lslowry]

try adding a bit of pva before laying the bricks, or have you already done that? freezing weather will not help

[chas2008]

the were layed late summer, so should have well gone off

[carlton23]

Did you dampen the top of the wall before laying the mortar?

[chas2008]

yep,sprayed it all with water first (mist)

[carlton23]

Sorry, perhaps The Builder will help if you put a note up, or buy another small bag of mortar from `Wick`s` or `B&Q`

[gazzawazza]

It's not necessary to dampen brickwork before laying bricks. (I know DIY books tell you to do this but being a time-served brickie I have never done so).
It sounds like the mortar mix may have been allowed to get wet (sometimes moisture in the air is enought) and the gypsum has been activated before you actually came to lay the copings.

[gazzawazza]

I should have added that gypsum is the binding agent in the cement.

[carlton23]

OK gazza, but gypsom will bind better to damp brickwork, thats why coping stones are easy to push of walls because `bricky`s don`t dampen the bricks first. I realise they haven`t the time to do things by the book, but DIY`s have.