Terminologies used in Brick Masonry

1. Bricks
Sizes, Positions, Terminologies, Bats and Closers
Ar. Sahil Pahal

2. Brick Sizes:
• The bricks are prepared in various sizes. The
custom in the locality is the governing factor
for deciding the dimensions or size of bricks.
Such bricks which are not standardized are
known as the traditional bricks.
• If bricks are large, it is difficult to burn them
properly and they become too heavy to be
placed with a single hand. On the other hand,
if bricks are small. more quantity of mortar is
required.

3. Brick Positions:
• Stretcher: a brick laid horizontally, flat with the long
side of the brick exposed on the outer face of a wall.
• Header: a brick laid flat with the short end of the brick
exposed.
• Shiner: a brick laid on the long narrow side with the
broad side exposed.
• Rowlock or Bull Header: a brick laid on the long,
narrow side with the small or "header" side exposed.
• Sailor: a brick laid vertically with the broad side
exposed.
• Soldier: a brick laid vertically with the narrow
("stretcher") side exposed.

4. Some terminologies:
• Lap: It is the horizontal distance between the
vertical joints of successive brick courses.
• Perpend: It is an imaginary vertical line which
includes the vertical joint separating two
adjoining bricks.
• Bed: It is the lower surface of the brick when
laid flat.
• Racking Back: It is the termination of a wall in
stepped fashion as shown in fig.
• Toothing: It is the termination of the wall in
such a fashion that each alternate course at
the end projects, in order to provide adequate
bond if the wall is continued horizontally at a
later stage.
Elevation of a Brick Wall

5. Some terminologies:
• Arris: It is the edge of a brick.
• Quoin: It is a corner or the external angle on
the face side of a wall. Generally, quoins are at
right angles. But in some cases, they in be at
angles greater than 90° also.
• Frog or Kick: A frog is an indentation in the
face of a brick to form a key for holding the
mortar. When frog is only on one face, that
brick is laid with that face on the top.
Sometimes, frogs are provided on both the
faces.

6. Bats:
It is the portion of the brick cut across the width. Thus, a bat is smaller in length than the full
brick.
• If the length of the bat is equal to half the length of the original brick, it is known as half
bat.
• A three-quarter-bat is the one having its length equal to three-quarters of the length of a
full brick.
• If a bat has its width bevelled, it is known is bevelled bat

7. Closers:
It is a portion of a brick with the cut made
longitudinally, and is used to close up bond at the end
of the course. A closer helps in preventing the joints
of successive sources (higher or lower) to come in a
vertical line. Closers may be of various types, defined
below.
• Queen Closer: It is the portion of a brick obtained
by cutting a brick lengthwise into two portions.
Thus, a queen- closer is a brick which is half as wide
as the full brick. This is also known as queen-closer-
half.
• When a queen-closer is broken into two pieces, it is
known as queen-closer-quarter. Such a closer is
thus a brick piece which is one-quarter of the brick
size

8. • King closer: It is the portion of a brick which is so
cut that the width of one its end is half that of a
full brick, while the width at the other end is
equal to the full width. It is thus obtained by
cutting the triangular piece between the centre of
one end and the centre of the other (lay) side. It
has half-header and half-stretcher face.
• Bevelled closer: It is a special form of a king
closer in which the whole length of the brick (i.e.
stretcher face) is bevelled in such a way that half
width is maintained at one end and full width is
maintained at the other end.

9. • Mitred closer: It is a portion of a brick whose one
end is cut splayed or mitred for full width. The
angle of splay may vary from 45° to 60°. Thus, one
longer face of the mitred closer is of full length of
the brick while the other longer face is smaller in
length.

10. Specially shaped Bricks:
• Bull nose: It is a special moulded brick with one edge rounded (single bull nose) or with
two edges rounded (double bull nose). These are used in copings or in such positions
where rounded corners are preferred to sharp arises.
Single Bull Nose Double Bull Nose Use of double bull nose bricks

11. • Splays: These are special moulded bricks which are often used to form plinth. Its different
types are Splay stretcher (plinth stretcher) and splay header (plinth header).
Splay stretcher Splay header Use of Splay header

12. • Dogleg or angle: It is also special form of moulded bricks which are used to ensure a
satisfactory bond at quoins which are at an angle other than right angle. The angle and
lengths of the faces forming the dogleg vary according to requirements. These are
preferred to mitred closer.