Brickwork

31 articles

• Blockwork vs Brickwork: Which Should You Use and Where?
  Blockwork vs brickwork comparison: unit sizes and costs, aircrete vs dense block thermal/acoustic performance, cavity wall tie spacing, when to mix brick and block in the same wall, rendering blockwork externally.
• Brick Bonds Explained: When to Use Each Type (UK Guide)
  Stretcher, English, Flemish, header, stack bond selection by wall type and thickness, stack bond movement joint requirements at 3m, decorative patterns
• Brick Cleaning Methods: Acid Wash & Pressure Washing Guide
  Gentlest method first; acid sequence pre-wet→apply→dwell→agitate→neutralise (never dry brick); no acid on sand-lime/glazed/buff (vanadium); pressure wash only hard brick; poultice for deep stains; COSHH + run-off control; DOFF/TORC
• Brick Slips: Installation Guide & BS EN 771-1 Requirements
  Brick slips: C2S2 minimum adhesive (BS EN 12004), full-bed mandatory (no spot-fixing), 10mm joints, 3m movement joints external, PAS 9980 above 11m, non-combustible backing above 18m (Building Safety Act 2022)
• Brick Types UK: Engineering, Facing & Common Brick Guide
  Brick classification: BS EN 771-1, Engineering Class A/B (3%/7% water absorption), F0/F1/F2 frost resistance, S1/S2 soluble salt content, facing vs common vs engineering selection guide
• Cavity Wall Tie Replacement: Failure Signs & Costs UK
• Cavity Wall Tie Replacement: Failure Signs & Costs UK
  Cavity wall tie failure: electromagnetic survey diagnosis, helical stainless steel replacement ties, drilling pattern, Building Notice requirements, BS EN 845-1 tie specification
• Corbelling Brickwork Rules: Projection Limits & BS EN 1996
  Maximum 1/3 brick overhang per course, structural engineer requirement for larger corbels, Eurocode 6 (BS EN 1996), chimney vs structural wall applications, cut vs whole brick corbels
• DPC in Brickwork: 150mm Height Rule & Building Regs Guide
• Efflorescence on Brickwork: Causes, Treatment and Prevention
  Efflorescence on brickwork: primary (soluble salts) vs secondary (sub-efflorescence), dry brushing treatment, dilute HCl as last resort, COSHH PPE, BRE Digest 361 prevention guidance
• Engineering Bricks: Class A & B Specifications Guide UK
  Class A ≥125 N/mm², ≤4.5% absorption; Class B ≥75 N/mm², ≤7%; BS EN 771-1; F2 frost, S2 salts mandatory below DPC and copings; SRPC mortar in DS-3+ ground; Staffordshire Blue and Accrington NORI; two-course DPC method; designation (i) M12 mortar loadbearing
• Expansion Joints in Brickwork: Spacing & Sealing Guide UK
  Expansion joints in brickwork: NHBC Chapter 6.1 (4.5–9m centres for clay brick), BS EN ISO 11600 Class F/EX sealant, closed-cell PE backer rod, 10–20mm joint width, parapet joints at 3m maximum
• How to Build a Brick Arch Over an Opening
  Building true structural brick arches vs decorative arches on concealed lintels — setting out, centring, mortar cure times, relieving arches
• How to Repoint Brickwork: Mortar Mix & Joint Profiles UK
• How to Repoint Brickwork: Mortar Mix & Joint Profiles UK
  Repointing brickwork: mortar mix ratios by exposure (NHL2 for soft stone, 1:5 NHL3.5 for general, 1:4 cement for exposed), raking depth 20mm minimum, joint profiles and tooling sequence
• How to Repoint Brickwork: Mortar Mix & Technique Guide
• Lintels Over Openings: Steel vs Concrete Selection Guide
• Lintels Over Openings: Steel vs Concrete Selection Guide
  Lintels over openings: Catnic/IG cavity lintels (padstone bearing 100mm minimum), boot lintel for thin inner leaf, RSJ for structural openings over 2m, cavity tray DPC and weep holes
• Matching Bricks for Extensions: Identification & Sourcing Guide
• Matching Bricks for Extensions: Identification & Sourcing Guide
  Brick matching for extensions and repairs: identifying era/type from colour, texture, and size, NHBC 415mm pre-1965 brick dimensions, BDA brick archive, reclaimed brick sourcing and testing
• Mortar Mix Ratios for Brickwork: M4, M6 & Strength Guide UK
• Mortar Mixing Guide: Ratios, Types and Common Mistakes
  Practical mortar mixing guide — gauging, mixing order, trowel-test consistency, working time/retempering, hot/cold weather frost limits, and matching mortar strength to brick to avoid spalling
• Reclaimed vs New Brick: Comparison Guide
  Reclaimed vs new brick comparison: BS EN 771-1 structural certainty, matching, lime-vs-cement mortar compatibility, cost premium and embodied carbon
• Repointing Tools & Techniques: Chisel vs Grinder Guide
  Angle grinder with 4mm disc vs cold chisel/plugging chisel, raking depth 15–20mm, joint profiles: bucket handle (most weathertight), flush, weathered and recessed (frost risk), lime mortar mix for pre-1919
• Repointing vs Tuckpointing: What's the Difference?
  Repointing (everyday joint refresh, 1:1:6 modern/NHL heritage, £40-80/m²) vs tuckpointing (Victorian decorative coloured bed + white lime ribbon, £150-350/m²); BS 8221-2 and Listed Building Consent context
• Repointing: Lime vs Cement Mortar UK — BS 5628-3 Guide
  Lime (NHL 2/3.5/5) for solid/heritage/soft brick — breathable, sacrificial; cement only for hard modern brick; mix ratios; never cement-point an old solid wall; conservation/listed guidance; complements mortar-mixes/pointing-repointing
• Soldier Courses and Special Brick Shapes
  Soldier courses and special brick shapes: soldier course as decorative facing (lintel does the structural work), bullnose/cant/plinth/radial special brick specification and lead-time considerations.
• Types of Bricks UK: Engineering, Facing, Common
  UK brick classification under BS EN 771-1/-2/-3: Engineering Class A/B, Facing, Common; frost F0/F1/F2, salts S0/S1/S2, water absorption; metric 215×102.5×65mm vs imperial 225×112.5×75mm matching
• Wall Tie Replacement: DD140 Corrosion Assessment Guide
  BS EN 845-1; tie types/spacing (450mm vertical/900mm horizontal); DD 140 corrosion assessment of failed wall ties; remedial helical/resin-fixed ties; horizontal cracking/bulging signs; survey + replacement
• Wall Ties: Types, Spacing and BS EN 845
  Cavity wall ties to BS EN 845-1 and PD 6697:2019; vertical-twist/butterfly/double-triangle selection, 2.5/m² density rule, 900x450 grid + opening/perimeter additions, 1.4301 vs 1.4401 grade by exposure zone
• Why Is My Mortar Cracking? Causes and Fixes
  Diagnoses mortar cracking causes (mix ratio, cure conditions, movement, sulfate attack) with BS EN 998-2 mix guidance and NHBC Chapter 6.1 movement-joint spacing