Brick Patterns for Walls & Pavers
What are Brick Bonds? A brick bond simply refers to the pattern in which we lay bricks. Brick bonds are not only for walls, but brick paving can be used for patios and paths as well as concrete blocks and other types of masonry construction. Brick Bonds are essential in increasing the strength and durability of the structure. They also bring uniformity to the structure’s composition and visual appeal. There are many brick bonds, each with its own look and challenges. This blog will discuss the most popular.
Brick Bonds and How They Work
Brick masonry is made from bricks that are bonded together using mortar. Permanent structures are made using mortar made from lime or cement.
Brick bonds require bricks of the same or similar sizes. Uniform-sized bricks and masonry units can create repeatable, even designs that can be used over any size area. Many bond patterns include interlocking brick rows to each other. Bricks that are stacked in single-file columns can easily topple if they are not arranged in a straight line. If the joints of bricks are placed in single-file columns, they can easily topple down. Bonds are necessary to strengthen a mortared wall and add strength.
Most Popular Types Of Wall Brick Bonds
Brick walls can be either structural like load-bearing walls or decorative like brick-veneer walls. Decorative walls can use any bond type, but structural walls require solid structural bonds. Let’s look at some of most popular brick bond patterns used for walls.
- Stretcher Bond/Running Bond
- Header Bond
- English Bond
- Flemish Bond
- Stack bond
- Common Bond/American Bond
- Diagonal Bond
Stretcher Bond/Running Bond Pattern
This is the most popular brick bond, also known as running bonds. It’s used when walls need to be built with half the brick thickness. Although stretcher bonds are not suitable for building structural walls on their own, they can be used to construct walls of less thickness. This type of bond can be used for different types of wall construction:
- Sleeper walls
- Partition walls
- Walls of division (internal dividers).
- Chimney stacks
Header Bond
The shorter side of a brick is called a header. Header bond brick masonry is where all bricks are made in the header course. The overlap corresponds to one-half of the bricks. Alternative courses such as quoins can be used with the three-quarter brickbats. This bond is used primarily for building walls one brick thick.
English Bond Brick Pattern
This is one of the most common brick bonds used in masonry work. This bond is made up of alternating rows of headers and extenders. The headers are placed centered on the stretchers below, and each row is vertically aligned. A quoin closer is used to break the vertical joint consciousness at the end and start of a wall. A quoin close refers to a brick which is cut in half lengthwise and placed in corners of brick walls. This bond is used to build strong walls with a single brick thickness.
Flemish Bond
This type of bond is composed of multiple headers and stretchers. Every alternate course starts with a header at the corner. Each header is centered on an above-and-below stretcher. In alternate courses near the header, quoin closers can be used to break the vertical joints between the courses. Flemish bond can be sub-divided into 2 types.
- Single Flemish Bond
- Double Flemish Bond
Stack Bond Pattern
These types of brick patterns are often seen on commercial buildings. A stack bond is a simple way to hold all bricks together. Stack bonds can be used for decorative purposes because of their weak masonry structure. This bond is not structural.
Common Bond/American Bond
The bond is very similar in structure to the English Bond. However, this one has header courses inserted in every five to six courses. The header courses are aligned with the previous one. The header bond acts as a tie between the backing brick or block and the front facing wall. Queen closers can be inserted at the ends of the header courses to achieve sufficient offset in a standard common bonds. Common bonds are used for exterior load-bearing walls.
Diagonal Bond
This bond is best suited for walls with two to four brick thickness. The bond is usually introduced every 5th to 7th track along the height of a wall. This bond uses bricks that are placed side-by-side so that the stretchers don’t touch the ends of the bricks.
Common Patterns for Brick Paving
Many brick bonds are compatible with paving, patio, and walkway construction.
Masonry walls must support themselves, and occasionally the load from above. Brick paving, however is completely supported by its underlying surface. These are the most popular paving brick bonds:
- Running bond – Same as wall bricks, but can be run parallel, vertically, or diagonally to the length of a patio or path.
- Herringbone bond – This is a universally appealing pattern. This is a very basic zig-zag design where each brick is perpendicular its neighbor.
- Basket-weave pattern – This is a square pattern that uses bricks placed side by side in pairs. Each pair is perpendicular its neighbor. This pattern is great for square or rectangular areas.
- Stacked Bond – Also known by Jack-on-Jack paving. This grid is square and has even rows. There is no staggering between courses.
Brick bonds for pavers can be more decorative and flexible than traditional support structures, since they don’t require any additional supports.
Brick Pattern Conclusion
Brick bonds are a guarantee of strength in masonry buildings. Brick bonds also add beauty to brick walls. The brick bond is the foundation of all masonry brickworks. Contact us if you have questions about masonry or need a quote on a project.
