When it comes to creating an exposed brick wall using either regular bricks or brick slips, one of the design choices you may have some questions around is, What Brick Bond Pattern to go with? There are quite a few brick bond options that you can create using brick slips but which one is right for you and your project?
A brick bond pattern is the pattern in which bricks are laid. This applies to both bricks being laid in a wall or on a flooring as a brick paver.
Different brick bonds can add an element of aesthetic detail and interest to a project. Some brick bonds are more popular than others dependant on the age and location of a property.
Before we delve into each brick bond, it may be worth explaining some brick terminology.
A stretcher is the long face of a brick. This is the regular face of a brick that is used for most projects
A header is the short face of a brick.
A soldier is the term used when a stretcher brick is used vertically rather than horizontally. The name comes from a row of soldiers stood up in a line, all uniform and stood to attention.
The Stretcher Bond is the most popular brick bond pattern used here in the UK and is sometimes referred to as a running bond. It is a simple brick bond that solely uses the longer stretcher face of a brick, with the joints of the next course laid in the middle of the brick below. This creates the regular brick pattern that most buildings are built with.
The Header Bond is an alternative take on the regular Stretcher Bond pattern. Although not as popular, the header bond can be used to create a unique take on a regular exposed brick wall. The bricks are laid in the same pattern but instead of using the stretcher face of the bricks you would use the shorter header face of the brick. Due to the shorter dimensions of a header, you would require double the amount to cover the same area of a Stretcher Bond pattern.
The English Bond is considered a bit of a classic. It is a fairly common brick bond used for it’s structural strength and can be found on a variety of large scale engineering projects such as bridges and viaducts. An English Bond uses alternating courses of stretchers and headers with the joints of the stretcher bricks centred over the headers below.
The Flemish Bond is a brick bond that was popular between the 17th Century and the mid 19th Century. Although not as popular in modern times it can still be found on properties where a more detailed brick bond was preferred.
The Flemish Bond is created by alternating between a stretcher brick and a header brick on each course. It can sometimes be found where a different colour brick is used for the headers to emphasise the bond.
The Stack Bond is a modern brick bond where each brick is laid on top of the one below it. There is no crossing over of the brick joints. For this reason, this bond does not offer the structural strength needed for load bearing walls. It is more of an aesthetic choice and requires additional structural work when used to create walls. This is not a concern when using brick slips as there is no structural requirement as brick slips are adhered to the surface behind rather than relying on the bricks below them hold them up.
A Stack Bond is a great option to emphasise the vertical aspect of a project as it creates vertical joints that run up the full height of a wall
The Herringbone brick bond is a traditional decorative bond which is commonly used with brick pavers. This brick bond was made popular during the Tudor period and was laid between timber frames with the brick work not being a structural part of the building but instead an aesthetic choice.
The Herringbone brick pattern is created by laying alternate bricks at a 45 degree angle. This brick bond creates a zig zag pattern that looks great when trying to create a traditional period look.
There can be a lot of cutting and extra work needed to create the Herringbone pattern but the finished result can be a centrepiece that really stands out from other brick bonds.
To create a Herringbone bond using brick slips you would require 60 stretcher brick slips per square metre, however we would recommend adding an additional 10-20% to account for the cutting and extra wastage that would be needed.
The Basketweave brick bond is another bond that is popular for flooring projects such as garden patios.
It’s name is in reference to how the bricks look as if they are disappearing underneath the bricks to each side of them and then reappearing on the other side. Similar to how traditional baskets are weaved together.
To create a Basket Weave brick bond using brick slips you would require 60 stretcher brick slips per square metre.
If you are thinking of creating one of these brick bonds for your next brick slip project, why not get in touch with our team who will be more than happy to offer any advice needed.