Bond (masonry)
When laying
bricks, the manner in which the bricks overlap is called the bond. A brick laid with the longest side exposed is called a
stretcher brick, as opposed to a
header, where only the smallest end of the brick is exposed to the weather. The length of one stretcher is the same as two header bricks, side-by-side, including the 10mm joint between.
The thickness of a brick wall is measured using a unit of length known as 'the brick'. This standard can be used consistently with the wide variety of brick sizes available . The length of the longest face for a particular size of brick equals "one brick", for the purposes of measuring a wall built from such bricks.
Encyclopedia
When laying
bricks, the manner in which the bricks overlap is called the
bond. A brick laid with the longest side exposed is called a
stretcher brick, as opposed to a
header, where only the smallest end of the brick is exposed to the weather. The length of one stretcher is the same as two header bricks, side-by-side, including the 10mm joint between.
The thickness of a brick wall is measured using a unit of length known as 'the brick'. This standard can be used consistently with the wide variety of brick sizes available . The length of the longest face for a particular size of brick equals "one brick", for the purposes of measuring a wall built from such bricks.
Stretcher bond
Stretcher bond is the most common bond in modern times, as it is easy to lay, with little waste. Entirely comprised of stretcher bricks, set in rows that are offset by half a brick.
Running bond uses no header bricks, allowing for a thin wall of one layer . Two such walls may be built close together with a gap between. The two "skins" are usually tied together at regular intervals using wall ties. For this reason this bond is sometimes known as "cavity wall bond", although it is possible to give the appearance of other bonds in a half-brick cavity wall, either through extensive brick-cutting or the use of purpose-made half-bricks. In some climates the cavity may be filled with cavity wall insulation.
Stretcher bond may also be used to build a single-wythe wall without a deliberate cavity. In this case, wall ties are used to hold the two wythes together. The main advantage of this technique is that it allows walls with both faces visible, such as domestic dwarf walls, to be built using low-cost bricks that have only two fair faces, called "face bricks". Laying any such brick as a header would reveal a poorly finished header face on one side of the wall. These walls are also used in situations where stronger load bearing capacity is required than that given by a single stretcher bond wall with engaged piers.
English bond
This bond is made up of alternating courses of stretchers and headers. This produces a solid wall that is a full brick in depth. English bond is fairly easy to lay and is the strongest bond for a one-brick-thick wall. If only one face of an English bond wall is exposed, three quarters of the bricks are not visible, and hence may be of low visual quality.
Flemish bond
Flemish Bond has historically always been considered the most decorative bond, and for this reason was used extensively for dwellings until the adoption of the cavity wall. It is created by alternately laying headers and stretchers in a single course. The next course is laid so that a header lies in the middle of the strecher in the course below. Again, this bond is one brick thick. It is quite difficult to lay Flemish bond properly, since for best effect all the perps need to be vertically aligned. If only one face of an Flemish bond wall is exposed, one third of the bricks are not visible, and hence may be of low visual quality. This is a better ratio than for English bond, Flemish bond's main rival for load-bearing walls.
Monk bond is a variant of Flemish bond, with two stretchers between the headers in each row, and the headers centred over the join between the two stretchers in the row below.
Garden wall bond
These bonds are variations on normal bonds. They use a high proportion of stretchers, and hence require fewer facing bricks than normal bonds. This makes them less sturdy, but cheaper to lay. As such they are most commonly used for garden- and other non-load-bearing walls.
Herringbone bond
When bricks are laid on alternating angles, it is called a Herringbone. This is primarily a decorative style, more often used for
paving or fireplace reflectors than for walls.
Basket bond
This decorative pattern imitates the weave of a basket. It's also sometimes called a basket weave bond, and there are many variations on the weave pattern, some very elaborate.
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