Brickworks is a free, plain-English guide to bricks: where they came from, the standard sizes in the UK, US, Germany and Australia, the main bond patterns (stretcher, English, Flemish and stack), how clay bricks are made, famous brick buildings, and how to care for and repoint brickwork. It also includes a brick and mortar calculator and an original arcade game, Mortar Smash.
A Short History of Bricks
People have been shaping mud into building blocks for roughly nine thousand years. The earliest known bricks, found in the Middle East, were simply sun-dried lumps of clay mixed with straw, pressed by hand and left to bake in the heat.
The big leap came with firing. Once builders discovered that clay heated in a kiln turned hard and water-resistant, bricks could survive rain and frost. Mesopotamian cities, the Indus Valley settlements and later the Romans all relied on fired brick, and Roman legions carried mobile kilns across their empire.
After a quieter period in parts of Europe, brick returned strongly in the Middle Ages, especially in regions short of good building stone such as the Low Countries and the Baltic coast. The Industrial Revolution brought steam-powered presses and continuous kilns, making bricks cheap enough to build whole cities of terraced houses, mills and railway viaducts.
Types & Sizes
Common brick
Everyday structural brick, usually hidden behind render or used in internal walls.
Facing brick
Made for looks: consistent colour, texture and sharp edges for the visible face of a wall.
Engineering brick
Dense, strong and low in water absorption. Ideal for foundations, sewers and retaining walls.
Firebrick
Refractory brick that withstands extreme heat, used to line fireplaces, kilns and furnaces.
Handmade & stock
Thrown into sanded moulds, giving creases and soft edges that look great in older houses.
Perforated & frogged
Holes or a hollow "frog" reduce weight and help the mortar key in.
| Standard | Size (L × W × H) |
|---|---|
| UK metric | 215 × 102.5 × 65 mm |
| US modular | 7⅝ × 3⅝ × 2¼ in |
| German NF | 240 × 115 × 71 mm |
| Australian | 230 × 110 × 76 mm |
Sizes are designed so that with a 10 mm mortar joint, a brick's length equals two widths plus a joint, which is what makes bonding patterns work. Need a quantity for your own wall? Use our brick calculator for bricks per m², total bricks and mortar for each of these sizes.
Bonds & Patterns
A "stretcher" shows its long side, a "header" shows its end. Bonds mix them so vertical joints never line up, spreading the load.
How Bricks Are Made
- Winning the clay. Clay and shale are dug from quarries and left to weather.
- Preparation. The raw material is crushed, screened and mixed with water to a workable consistency.
- Shaping. Clay is either extruded as a long column and wire-cut, pressed into moulds, or thrown by hand.
- Drying. Green bricks are dried slowly over a day or more so they don't crack in the kiln.
- Firing. Kilns heat bricks to around 900–1,200 °C. The temperature and clay minerals decide the final colour, from pale yellow to deep blue-black.
- Cooling & sorting. Bricks cool gradually, then are graded and packed.
Famous Brick Buildings
Malbork Castle, Poland
Often described as the largest brick castle in the world, built by the Teutonic Knights.
Hampton Court Palace, England
Tudor red-brick grandeur with spectacular decorative chimneys.
Great Mosque of Djenné, Mali
The world's largest mud-brick building, re-plastered by the community every year.
Chilehaus, Hamburg
A ship-like 1920s office block and a landmark of Brick Expressionism.
St Pancras, London
A Victorian Gothic showpiece of red brick at the station's front.
Ctesiphon arch, Iraq
An ancient arch that remains among the largest single-span brick vaults ever built.
Care & Repointing Tips
- Mortar should be softer than the brick. Water and movement should affect the joint, which you can replace, not the brick. On old houses, use lime mortar instead of hard cement.
- Rake out properly. Remove old mortar to about 2–2.5 times the joint height (typically 15–25 mm) without chipping brick edges.
- Dampen first. Lightly wet the joints so the brick doesn't suck water out of fresh mortar.
- Match the finish. Copy the original joint profile (flush, bucket-handle, weatherstruck) and the colour of the sand.
- Protect while curing. Shield new work from frost, strong sun and heavy rain for several days.
- Clean gently. Avoid sandblasting or high-pressure washing, which strip the fired skin. Use low pressure water and a soft brush.
- Fix the cause. Damp patches usually come from leaking gutters or high ground levels, not the bricks themselves.
General guidance only. For listed or structural work, consult a qualified professional. Curious how the brick you are repairing was made? Read how bricks are made.
Brick FAQ
What is the standard size of a brick?
It depends on the country. A UK metric brick is 215 × 102.5 × 65 mm, a US modular brick is 7⅝ × 3⅝ × 2¼ in, a German NF brick is 240 × 115 × 71 mm and a common Australian brick is 230 × 110 × 76 mm. Sizes are chosen so that, with a 10 mm mortar joint, one brick length equals two widths plus a joint.
What is the difference between English bond and Flemish bond?
English bond alternates whole courses of stretchers (long side showing) with whole courses of headers (end showing). Flemish bond alternates headers and stretchers within every course. Both are strong, traditional bonds; English bond is usually considered the stronger, Flemish bond the more decorative.
How are bricks made?
Clay or shale is dug, weathered, crushed and mixed with water, then shaped by extrusion and wire-cutting, by pressing into moulds, or by hand. The green bricks are dried slowly, fired in a kiln at around 900–1,200 °C, then cooled and sorted.
What mortar should I use to repoint an old brick wall?
Use a mortar that is softer and more permeable than the brick, so the joint takes the wear rather than the brick. On older buildings that usually means a lime mortar rather than a hard cement mortar.
Need quantities for a project? Try the brick calculator.
Take a Break: Mortar Smash
Our own original arcade game. Knock down the wall, one brick at a time.
Play now →