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How to design and secure a brick nib wall against an existing wall

In our bathroom renovation, we are putting the shower next to the window. To create a shelf in the shower, we are going to make the wall under the window two bricks thicker (i.e. 90mm x 2 of https://www.bunnings.com.au/brighton-masonry-305-x-90-x-162mm-maxi-common-clay-brick_p1180263). I have just finished bricking in a doorway, where I was able to use these ties:

https://www.bunnings.com.au/goodwill-engineering-3-15-x-200mm-light-duty-galvanised-wall-tie-50-pack_p1060334

by mortaring them into the normal holes in the existing brick and bending them into the mortar joints of the new wall.

However, I won't be able to access the same brick holes with the nib wall, so I guess I will have to drill one end into the brick and the other can again go in the mortar joints. Any other suggestions?

I'm also conscious that the brick stacking should possibly have bricks that cross between the two layers of the wall, otherwise it will just be two brick walls sandwiched together with a spread of mortar in between (even if the bricks are offset by a half in each layer. Possibly ties could be used here but not sure how.

Also, should I remove the existing render so that it's brick on brick on all the contact surfaces?

Essentially, I am creating a rectangular cube of bricks and I need to know how to best lay out the bricks, and how to best fix the rectangle to the existing walls, to ensure it is strong and secure enough to sit on.

Here is what the space looks like. The wall will go the whole width of the window wall, up to the height of the window (minus render/tile width etc), plus a couple extra bricks for one more layer in the right hand corner as a raised shelf. The recess in the brickwork is from where the bath edge was.

Nib wall intended location, across entire width of room.

Left hand cornerBricks demonstrating nib wall width.right hand cornerRight hand corner closeupLeft hand corner closeup

Thanks in advance!

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KatieC

Hi @SensibleHill,

Thank you for this great question about how to create a nib wall in your bathroom. Our resident DIY expert @MitchellMc will be back online tomorrow but let me tag members @jward and @neeshah as they have previously completed a bathroom reno with nib walls and may have some suggestions. While you wait, check out our Top ten most popular bathroom projects for some inspiration.

Katie

MitchellMc

Hi @SensibleHill,

There are a whole variety of styles of brick ties for different scenarios. The face-fix brick ties can be screwed, nailed or bolted to your existing walls' mortar lines.

You can use ties to join the two walls together instead of bricks. They just get set in the mortar on the first wall, and then they'll align with the mortar joints on the second wall.

As long as the render is in reasonable condition and doesn't affect how you'll lay the wall, then you should be fine to leave it in position. If it breaks away easily, then it would be best to remove it to have the brick-on-brick connection.

Please let me know if you have further questions.

Mitchell

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