I'm undertaking a semi-big DIY project for my standards. I'm going to build a brick support unit for the kitchen sink and eventually have stainless steel shelves fixed to this unit for storing kitchen items such as pots and pans. Basically (or not so basically to me) I would be very grateful for useful tips on:

1. How to keep the bricks in a horizontal line? Do you need to check with a spirit level all the time? (I know for vertical because you just tie a string onto a plummet?)
2. How can you keep a similar amount of cement between each row of bricks
3. How do you make cement (or other material if not cement) stick onto the bricks on a vertical surface as I want to prepare it for sticking tiles (obviously having the cement really wet and runny won't help?) and what tools would I need to create real smooth surface?
4. How do you chop a brick in half? I've seen it done with just a tap wrist with one of those "hand-held spade kind of tools" :D Do you need to mark the brick first?
5. Any other info that would be useful?

Soooooooooo many questios!

Thanks in advance,
Simon :)

You`d be better off buying a readers dijest book from smiths it will show you in pictures and give all the usefull meauserments including the ratio of sand/cement and water to make your motar

Think you will be better to get a bricklayer , watch him this time , then you try it !! Alan.

DIY ... I'll give it a go ;)

Just knock it out if I cockup :cool: