BUILDING ENVELOPE


Getting brickwork right


Sean Wilkins of the Brick Development Association gives specification, design and workmanship tips that will ensure that your brickwork is successful


D


espite being used for thousands of years with evidence of their use in the UK dating back to the time of the Roman Empire, clay bricks remain a fundamental ingredient in the construction of modern residential buildings. With thousands of different styles of bricks available in the UK, the colour, texture and general appearance of brick is the main starting point for narrowing down the specification. Brick is a durable and robust material which is suitable for use anywhere in the UK. However, for the parts of the UK that


are classified as severely exposed to freeze-thaw cycles, it is important to check that the ‘Durability’ category of a brick is F2, and its ‘Soluble Salts’ category is S2. The F2 and S2 categories can be found on the Declaration of Performance, which are available from the manufacturer. These are produced for all bricks available on the UK market as part of the CE marking process.


In addition to the brick specification, it is important to confirm that the mortar specification is appropriate to the


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exposure conditions. This is done by specifying the proportions of binder (cement and lime) to the amount of sand in the mortar.


How the mortar joint is finished will mostly affect the appearance, but it should be noted that recessed mortar joints are only suitable for sheltered locations. This is because a recessed joint can allow water to sit on the exposed part of the brick, which can impact durability and increase water penetration.


DESIGN


The design of brickwork can influence the durability and performance of the finished building, but also it can affect how the brickwork will weather. Firstly, the setting out of the brickwork should be to co-ordination dimensions, which are a multiple of the brick size, plus the mortar joints. This will help make sure that mortar joints are kept to acceptable widths and minimise the need for cutting bricks.


One of the joys of brickwork is that the bricks can be arranged in an almost infinite number of ways. Fashions in


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brickwork are constantly changing, as architects and builders experiment with new ways of using the material, from minimal Scandinavian design to the more recent trend for decorative brickwork. Our website contains a number of projects


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