Brick bonds and details
Contents
Stretcher bond
The simplest to lay, and therefore the most common, the bricks are laid flat long side to the face of the wall.
Header bond
Using only the header (end) of the brick as the facing wall. This is particularly strong as the width of the wall is the whole length of a brick.
Flemish bond
Bricks are laid flat one long side face and another to header end face. Also known as Dutch bond.
Variants have the header bricks at every third or fourth brick.
Variation showing protruding headers.
English bond
One course in stretcher bond, and one course in header bond.English Garden Wall bond
Three courses of stretchers to one of headers.
Flemish Stretcher bond
One course of flemish to three stretchers courses. Also called Garden wall bond but despite the name, most garden walls are built in flemish or stretcher bond.
Scottish bond
One header course to five stretcher courses.
Rat-trap bond
Headers and stretchers laid on edge. Usually used for garden walls. Laid on edge as a money saving method, but not particularly strong compared with a conventional flat laid brick. Also known as Chinese bond.Herringbone bond
Often used as infill to timber frame buildings, the bricks are laid at 45° in a zig-zag pattern.
Basket bond
Bricks are laid in squares of three at 90° to each other square.
Stack bond
Stretcher layers of bricks are placed directly inline above each other. This is often used in modern slip cladding, rather than traditional brick walls.
Other patterns
Ventilation holes
Brick burr wall
Brick burr walls are most likely to be found in brick making areas. A brick burr (or burh) is a waste product of the brick industry. Two or more bricks fused together in the kiln as a result of an over-hot firing. The bricks are often distorted and some have a vitreous appearance. They are not suited for structural use, so are generally found in garden walls.Brick details
Soldier Course
Rubbed brick header
Arches
String Course
Lacing Course
Dentils
Quoins
Corbels
The brick steps out as the wall rises. Often used in chimneys.
Circles
Decorative Bricks
Domes
Tumbled-in gable
Chimneys
Dutch gable
Also known as Flemish gable.
Bell shape gable
Originating from Amsterdam. A variation of the Dutch gable.
Examples
This grand village hall has numerous brick details, including string courses, corbeling, circular window surrounds, arches, dentils, label moulds and Dutch gables.
Bee Boles
A recess in a wall to hold a bee skep.
Decorative patterns
Using different colour bricks, and the different types of brick bonds above, many patterns can be achieved.❖ Further reading
Wikipedia: Brickwork
illustrations © Oast House Archive