Brick Work

Whether you're designing floors, a brick wall, or any other kind of brickwork, it would definitely be useful to know some of the background behind what brickwork is and how its laid. We all recognize a brick wall, of course, when we see one, but what exactly goes into building that brick wall? Well, let's start with the bricks: bricks are baked from a special brick mud in giant oven-like kilns before they are shipped out to be used in construction. When laid, they are placed in orderly bonds and set in place by the use of mortar. Practically speaking, this means that bricks don't have a particularly high tensile strength - an individual brick, like a small chunk of concrete, will crumble fairly easy.

Brick work and brick walls rely instead on compression strength, of which bricks have a great deal. An arch built with bricks, for instance, is a very strong one and can carry a very heavy load. There are several different bonds, designed variously for shape, strength, and appearance; the most common is called the stretcher bond - bricks laid out end to end and alternating. A few others, such as Flemish bond and English bond, are laid out in varying patterns with some bricks end to end and some end outwards. This makes for a varied pattern that is pleasing to the eye. The width of a brick wall is measured by the bricks used - a standard wall with one layer of bricks laid in a stretcher bond is half a brick thick, since bricks are half as wide across as they are long.

There are a few different terms you should be familiar with if you plan to use brick work yourself, or have your builder use it in a home or other type of building in a construction project. Whether building flooring or a brick wall, a bricklayer uses many of the same techniques. For instance, a slightly different style than normal is called "rowlock," or in the U.K., "brick on edge." This style of brick work is where bricks are laid on their sides, so the short end of the brick is on the outside and vertical. This is often used in garden projects. The equivalent style to this is "soldier," where bricks are laid vertically, with the narrow long side outwards. Sometimes "standing soldiers" - bricks laid flush with the wall - are alternated with "walking soldiers" - bricks protruding about an inch - for an interesting textural style.

A "sailor" is brick laid on end, but with the broad side exposed. A "shiner" has the broad face exposed, but is laid lengthwise. Another stylistic technique you may have seen are "coins" - bricks that project from the wall slightly on the corners of a building, to define and enhance the shape of a building. All these styles are viable options in your building projects, so think about them and discuss them if need be with your brick layer and / or contractor.

There are three good reasons to build with brick: durability, climate, and aesthetics. First, durability: brick work is built strong and built to last. Some of the oldest buildings in North America are made of brick, and your home could itself be one of these in a century or two - unless, of course, you don't build with brick and your home crumbles in a century or so. Brick is built to last, and as such, provides a great way of ensuring quality in your construction needs.

Second, climate. Brick has some properties very much like stone, which lend greatly to your ability to insulate your home. First, brick is appropriate for any climate: it's resistant to fire, moisture, and pests - try having a termite eat a brick! - and is sturdily resistant to damage. Brick is almost completely maintenance free, not requiring the sort of excessive cleaning and painting regular sideboards so often demand. Brick also has a high "thermal mass" - in other words, it insulates very well, keeping your house cool in the summer and warm in the winter, and resisting rapid temperature changes that can damage other construction types. If you're looking to save on utility bills, brick may well be the way to go.

Thirdly and not least: aesthetics. Let's face it - brick just looks great, and you're not the only one that thinks so. Statistically speaking, brick homes have a higher resale value on today's house market, and as they stand up longer (the first point, durability), they retain their value far better than normal homes. So, if you're looking for one or all these three things in your home, you may well want to consider building with bricks.

Of course, you may not want to build your entire home out of brick, and that's entirely understandable. Instead, you may only want to build part of it using brick - like brick flooring, for example. Brick flooring is a service offered by most quality construction contractors, so discuss it as an option with yours. Brick floors make great workspaces, because they are easy to clean, don't absorb spills, and are easy to walk on even when wet - you don't have any of the slipping possibilities you get with, say, linoleum or hardwood. Brick is also great for outdoor projects, and won't fade in the sun. Generally available in a number of warm earth tone colors, brick makes a great authentic way to pave a patio or walkway, and will last for as long as you need it to.
Some bricklaying companies even allow you to be environmentally friendly by salvaging their bricks from demolished buildings, rather than baking new bricks to use. While this is ecologically sound, it also lets you take important parts of history into your own home - think about it, these bricks come from some very old buildings. You could be building your brick flooring with bricks taken from buildings with history stretching back over a century.

Nothing adds class to a garden like a classic brick wall. We've already discussed many of the techniques involved in building brick walls, as well as many of the stylistic possibilities, and all these are options for you when laying a brick wall. It's easy enough to hire a bricklayer for projects like these, but you may wish to consider learning the trade yourself for a relatively small project like a garden wall - it's never too late to learn, and the experience of building something to last with your own hands can be a very enjoyable one indeed.

There are plenty of options involved with using brick walls, so consider yours carefully. You could do anything from garden walls to a patio design to dividing walls along the garage to an interior partial wall and fireplace. It's your choice - look into and see what would work best for you in your home.

If you'd prefer the speed and relatively low cost of building with classic timber techniques, but still want the great classic look of brick work, your options are far from exhausted. In fact, one very specific aspect of brick work - the laying of brick veneers - is specifically designed to help you in that respect. Brick veneer is essentially a vertical facing of brick work laid against a standard frame wall construction. This wall is non load bearing, and as such, means the foundational support of the house rests on the timber of the frame. While this design certainly isn't as durable as a full brick home, it is much cheaper and still has many of the favorable attributes - the brick veneer, for example, will still reflect summer heat, and retain warmth in the winter, and of course, you still have that classy look.

Say you're building a garden, and want to build a path. One way in which many people choose to do that is to use large single bricks - often called pavers - to make a series of stepping stones. You've certainly seen such pavers at hardware stores or in gardens before, even if they didn't look exactly like normal bricks. Pavers are often larger than standard bricks, but they are still created using the same techniques - a brick mud paste set into molds and then baked in a kiln. Pavers like these are a great way of adding some classic elegance to your garden in a fashion that is long lasting and looks great.

Another advantage of using pavers over the standard brick path (brick flooring laid in the standard methods) is that you are more capable of doing it yourself. While a brick path can be a lot of fun, if you're the sort of person who pays attention to details and enjoys building, it can end up a mess if you're not extremely careful. With pavers, on the other hand, construction is easy - just lay down the pavers like stepping stones, and you're set to go with a minimum of cost and hassle. Decide what you think you'd like for your landscaping project - you may even end up deciding to use a brick path with pavers leading in paths across flower beds and other parts of your garden. An intricate garden built with brick is truly a work of art.

No matter how durable brick work may be, it's certainly not invincible. Cracks may be formed or chips made, and if they do, how are you going to deal with it? Actually, the answer is fairly simple. Unlike wood, where gouges basically have to be accepted or painted over, brick is composed of a cohesive mud that can be replaced if chipped. That replacing mud is called grout, and is one of the most useful repair tools a brick worker has. While some forms of grout are made to match the brick and repair smaller chips, most is similar to, if not identical to, the mortar used initially in the brickwork. Most grout is a form of cement that can be laid between cracks in masonry to stabilize it and make sure it lasts.

If, for instance, a particular brick is beginning to come loose, or mortar is falling out in an area, a brick worker can use grout in the cracked areas. After the grout sets, the brick wall will be as good as new - surely one of the easier sorts of walls to repair. Grout, like concrete or standard brick mortar, is applied as a wet paste and allowed to harden and cement into the final product.

No matter what you end up deciding to do, or what design elements you decide to use brick for - whether you have an entire house built to last from brick or just a few garden walls and a patio - brick is always a valuable option to consider, and you may well want to discuss the possibility with your contractor. Don't forget to look beyond the initial cost - you'll be saving on utility bills in the long run, and of course, your resale value will be much higher if you plan on moving eventually. If you do your research and take all options into consideration, you'll be ready to make the best possible decision on what you should do with your money to create the house or garden or patio, or whatever else it is that your heart has always been set upon. Just make sure you know what you're doing before you do it - remember, knowing the market is the best way of ensuring that you get the most bang for your dollar.