Brick walls

Index: Common measurements: Walls: Brick walls

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Brick walls

Brick sizes

Brick sizes vary depending on location and age of course but not nearly as much as we may think. The measurements here are for modern standard Norwegian bricks but they're not far off for other styles and nations:

	RL	133%	150%	200%
Whole bricks per meter horizontally	5	3.75	3.33	2.5
Layers per meter vertically	14-15	10-11	9-10	7-7.5

Cement bricks

Cement bricks are generally about twice the size of redbricks:

	RL	133%	150%	200%
Whole bricks per meter horizontally	2.5	1.9	1.6	1.25
Layers per meter vertically	5	3.75	3.3	2.5

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Bonds

The bond is the pattern of the bricks in a wall. Let's establish some terminology first:

• Stretcher: The regular brick with its long side facing outwards
• Header: A brick with its short side facing outwards
• Soldier: A brick standing vertically
• Joint: Well, obviously - the horizontal or vertical mortar filled space between the bricks
• Single thickness wall: A wall as thick as the header side of a brick
• Double thickness wall: A wall as thick as the stretcher side of a brick

If we want a solid brick wall, we want it double thickness and without consecutive aligned vertical joints (don't worry, it'll all come clear when you look at the pictures). For simpler walls that don't have to carry much load, there are other options too.

Solid brick wall patterns

There are lots of different bonds used for solid, double thickness walls. Here are the most common - and two slightly unusual - ones:

 Common bond

 

Every sixth layer is made from headers, the rest from staggered stretchers.

English bond

Alternating stretcher and header layers. This is regarded as the strongest of the regular bonds.

Flemish bond

Each layer made from alternating stretchers and headers.

Garden bond

A pattern of two stretchers and one header in each layer.

Flemish/Common mix

I'm not sure if this has a special name, usually I've seen it referred to as "common bond". It's similar to the regualr common bond but with every sixth layer made in the Flemish alternating stretcher and header style rather than from ehaders only.

"Scandinavian garden bond"

Another bond I don't know a name for. I've onyl seen it twice, once in Norway and once in Denmark, so I decided to call it "Scandinavian garden". It's the same as the regular garden bond with two stretchers and one header in each layer but the layers are shifted relatively to each other (seemingly at random) so the headers aren't aligned vertially with each other.

Not so solid bonds

Stretcher bond (aka Running bond)

Stretchers only, each layer shifted a quarter, third or (usually) half brick width to avoid aligned vertical joints. This is what you'll usually see on a single thickness wall but it's not really recommended for load breaign double thickness ones.

Stack bond

Stretchers stacked nicely on top of each other. Sometimes used as decorative coverage on walls and embankments made from other materials but it is a very weak wall and you don't want to use it on its own.

Soldier crown

A layer of soldiers added to the wall, usually at the very top where it doesn't affect the structural strength very much. The illustration shows it on top of a stretcher bond wall but it can be added to any bond.