This document provides an introduction to brick walling for stonemasons. It describes common bricklaying tools such as hammers and jointers. It also details brick dimensions, identification of faces, common types of bricks, mortar beds and joints, bonding patterns such as stretcher and English bond, and basic bricklaying techniques like building to gauge. References are provided for images used from external sources.

1. Brick Walling
An Introduction for Stonemasons
Stonemasonry Department 2011

2. Bricklaying Tools
Most of the building tools used by bricklayers are very similar to those
used by stonemasons. There are however a couple of tools you may
not have seen before.

3. Bricklaying Tools
Brick Hammer
The bricklayers hammer has a flat square
head on one side for hammering and a sharp
chisel on the other end for chipping and
cutting brick.
Brick Jointer
The brick jointer is used to apply a mortar
finish to the beds and joints of a brick wall. It
has a convex curve on either side and
produces a “bucket handled” finish.

4. Brick Dimensions
102.5mm
65mm
215mm
The standard dimensions for a brick are 215mm x 102.5mm x 65mm.

5. Brick Identification
Frog
Stretcher Header
Face Face
The three faces of a brick are known as the header face, the stretcher
face and the frog.

6. Brick Types
Common Bricks are of low quality and low
compressive strength but are useful for internal
walls which will not be seen. They have no uniform
colour, texture or appearance.
Engineering Bricks are high in compressive
strength and have low water absorption. They are
particularly suited to use below ground level and
in areas with exposure to water.
Facing Bricks are of high quality and uniform
appearance. They are generally used externally in
areas of “seen” brickwork.

7. Brick Types
Handmade Bricks are produced individually by an
operative pressing clay into a mould. This means
that they are more time consuming and expensive
to produce.
Imperial Bricks are made to the dimensions used
prior to decimalisation. Although larger and no
longer used as standard, they are particularly
useful for work that is to match original brickwork
in an older building.
Reclaimed bricks are bricks which have been
removed from a demolished building to be reused
in a new project. Because it is usually older
buildings which are demolished, the majority of
reclaimed bricks are imperial sizes.

8. Brick Textures
Heavy Textured Light Textured Smooth
Stock Tumbled
Bricks are available in a variety of textures, with each manufacturer
having particular styles. As well as variations in texture, each style of
brick can be ordered in a range of colours.

9. Beds and Joints
Joint
Bed
Every brick is separated by beds and joints of mortar. The horizontal
sections of mortar are called beds and the vertical sections joints. The
purpose of the beds and joints is to allow for slight variations in the
dimensions of each brick and to accommodate the slight structural
movement a building is subjected to on a continual basis.

10. Joint Finishes
Weathered Struck
This finish is designed to shed
water running down the wall and
protect the brickwork.
Recessed
The mortar is raked out, leaving
the arrises of the brick exposed.
Flush
This finish is left flush with the
face of the brickwork.
Bucket Handle
This finish is produced with a
rounded jointer to leave a half
round concave mortar bed/joint.
Reverse Struck
This finish should be avoided as it
exposes the top arris of each brick
to weathering.

11. Brick Manufacture
The video is from the popular “How it’s Made” programme shown on
the Discovery Channel.

12. Building to Gauge
It is essential to consider the
height of the wall when building.
Bricklayers use a gauge rod to
ensure that the beds of mortar
between each brick are uniform
and to monitor the overall height
of the wall as each course is laid. Gauge rods
are generally made by the bricklayer using timber
but they can also be bought in stainless steel.

13. Racking Back and Stopped Ends
The image on this slide shows a
half brick wall with a stop end
and racking back.
This method of construction is
commonly used by bricklayers to
build plumbings which allow them
to plumb either end of the wall and build
to a line in the middle of the wall. This process is
much quicker than building the wall one course at a time.

14. Return Corners
The image on this slide shows a
half brick wall built with a return
corner. This means that the wall
turns (usually 90°) and continues
in another direction. You should
notice that the bond remains
unchanged and that the course
height remains constant on the
return.

15. Toothing
The image on this slide shows a
half brick wall which has a stop
end and is toothed. The
purpose of toothing the
brickwork is to allow for
plumbings to be taking higher
than racking back would
normally allow. You should
however try to avoid toothing
brickwork to a significant
height.

16. Stretcher Bond
Stretcher bond consists of bricks laid with the stretcher face exposed
with a half bond. This means that the centre of each brick is directly
above the joint separating the two bricks on the course below.

17. English Bond
English bond consists of alternating course of stretchers and headers.
A quarter bond is maintained by incorporating queen closers in every
second course. English bond is generally used in one brick walling.

18. Header Bond
Header bond consists of courses of headers with a quarter bond. This
bond is generally used in one brick walling.

19. Flemish Bond
Flemish bond consists of courses of alternating stretchers and
headers. A minimum of a quarter bond is maintained at all times. This
bond is generally one brick walling.

20. Activities
There are a number of drawings related to brickwork which can be
found in the “building drawings” section of MyCity.

21. Image References
The image on the title slide of this presentation was
sourced from http://www.freefoto.com/preview/33-32-
8/Brick-Texture
The video on the “Brick Manufacture” slide of this
presentation was sourced from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbKvhHzn4hQ
The images on the “Brick Texture” slide of this presentation
were sourced from
http://www.heidelbergcement.com/uk/en/hanson/product
s/bricks/brickwork_details/brick_colours_and_textures.htm

22. Image References
The image on the “Bricklayers Tools” slide of this
presentation was sourced from
http://www.diytools.co.uk/draper-13964-expert-560g-
bricklayers-hammer-with-tubular-steel-shaft.html
The image on the “Bricklayers Tools” slide of this
presentation was sourced from http://www.building-
tools.co.uk/64-104-thickbox/ragni-r801-brick-jointer-1-2in-
x-5-8in.jpg
The images on the “Brick Types” slides of this presentation
were sourced from
http://www.matchingbrick.co.uk/products.html#common

23. Developed by The Stonemasonry Department
City of Glasgow College
2011