Bond

Pattern Each course has alternating headers and stretchers, with the headers aligned with the stretchers in adjacent courses.

Notes

Fraction of facing Click images to enlarge bricks 67% (2/3)

Flemish

More common in England than in mainland Europe

English

Alternate courses of headers and stretchers, More common in mainland Europe than in England. Often with the joints in the stretcher courses aligned used in high status buildings Often used for bridges and industrial buildings where strength is important

75% (3/4)

Alternate courses of headers and stretchers (like English Bond) but with the joints aligned Common in mainland Europe, and also known as Dutch English Cross with the centres of the bricks in alternating Bond (Kreuzverband in German). stretcher courses It is rare in England, where it often suffers from 'Northeast cracks' running along the diagonal lines of weakness.

75% (3/4)

Garden Wall

Three courses of stretchers alternating with one course of headers

63% (5/8)

Sussex

Each course has three stretchers alternating with one header Each course has five stretchers alternating with one header

Also called Flemish Garden Wall

57% (4/7)

'Long Sussex'

55% (6/11)

American

Five courses of stretchers alternating with one More common in America than in UK course of headers

58% (7/12)

Monk

Each course has two stretchers alternating with In Common Monk Bond, Headers alternate brick length one header. left and right on successive courses In Symmetrical Monk Bond, the headers are aligned centrally between the stretchers on adjacent courses In Raking Monk Bond, the headers in successive courses are aligned 1 length one way and 1 length the other way

60% (3/5)

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Raking Monk Bond creates diagonal stripes that are visible from a distance, as in this example

Some examples show little pattern in the relationship between the headers in successive courses, like this example. Header All bricks are laid across the wall, showing headers but no stretchers The only bond where all bricks are visible on the eternal surface. The small unit makes elaborate patterns possible with different coloured bricks, but this is not always exploited, as in this example Some buildings combine more than one bond, for example terrace houses with front and rear Combinations walls in Flemish Bond, and the large end walls in Sussex Bond. Sussex Bond is cheaper to build than Flemish, but weaker. Strength is less critical for end walls, which are normally plain, than for front and rear walls with many door and window openings. 100% (1/1)