cutting bricks below dpc line, or go wider

so iv been looking at the footing detail and spotted a problem as i was pondering over it today.

i think this is more of my OCD kicking in here over actually being a problem but here goes.

my footing dimensions are marked out to take the "exterior" dimensions of 4660mm Width, with a projection of 3825mm out off the property. obviously, footings are wider on both faces. were just talking bricks here.

3825mm works out to full, uncut engineering bricks, with your average 10mm joint. so no cutting, this is good as this wall is a side/boundary wall that will be fullly bricked, not blocked because we have limited access in the future. (boundary)

the width however, doesnt work out to full bricks, so i wanted to avoid brickwork jogs i believe you call them? above DPC it will be blocked and rendered, so the problem is really only below DPC, for probably 4 rows of bricks on show due to our ground levels.

so as i see it, i have the following options

1. go wider, 4715mm, works out to full standard bricks, 10mm joint but will look crap inside the house as it add's a step on the side of the house where i dont want one of 55mm (in theory) so skirting board corners, rather than a nice flat wall.

2. cut a brick down at some chosen point, but this will be transferred into the rest of the rows. not a problem over DPC because of the render and there's a 2x2m opening too.

3, go wider on my boundary side, but i dont think i can do this as it puts my foundations over my boundary line. (we have a semi detatched) so not really an option

what's a brickys perspective?

Tighten up the cross joints a bit.

Wait until you actually get the bricks on site and trace it out, theory and tape measures are all well and good IF bricks are the size they should be it’s a shame they rarely are

Thanks for the quick replys guys.

Sorry stuart, how do you mean? I dont follow sorry to be dumb!

As for checking bricks, i cany do that as they are being delivered a day after the dig with the rest of my drainage stuff. No doubt your right tjough i bet theres quite a bit of leeway.

Im thinking of cutting a brick down either in the middle, or at an end. It would be 20 and 3/4 in terms of bricks. I guess thats worst case. Iv looked and its not really practicle to alter the size thinking more about it.

Cut a brick if necessary, takes about 30 seconds with a diamond blade (or less if you're a bricky and just chop it with your trowel!). Avoid little bits by cutting 2 full ones down if necessary.

Yea i hear ya. I was more concerned with how it looked but in the grand scheme of things its not the end of the world if i got it in the right place.

Iv cut concrete blocks when i did my garage no problem

martysmarty said:

Thanks for the quick replys guys.

Sorry stuart, how do you mean? I dont follow sorry to be dumb!

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The cross joints or perps are normally 10mm, but you can adjust the size making them smaller if necessary . Also you can use reverse bond that having a header at one end and a stretcher at the other.

Do a dry run and increase or decrease the perp's accordingly. If the bricks are on the long side, look at increasing the perps. If short, look at decreasing and finishing with an extra half etc. It's really that simple. There are other tricks like swallowing some gappage at an abutment where there is a wall starter etc.

Got it guys thanks. I can carry on with the footings that are marked out then. Just a week to go and the digger man will be here.

Cant wait now

martysmarty said:

the digger man will be here.

Cant wait now

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MAKE SURE YOU ROAD STOP COCK IS WORKING!

noseall said:

MAKE SURE YOU ROAD STOP COCK IS WORKING!

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Haha, ye it works. Plus our line has been changed so its only everyone else that will lose water