drawings

[hes1service]

Hi
I hope i picked the right sub-forum for my Q.

If I wanted a window ,say 900mm from a wall outside corner in a new build, but worked out that this = 3.72 brick lengths. Would it be beneficial for the builder in terms of time and materials to have the opening start at 4 brick lengths (with the mortar lines) or is this just not necessary.
Same question for the openings and for the height of the windows. IE make the dimensions whole brick divisible


Many thanks for the feedback Vincent

 

[tony1851]

Setting returns to brick and half-brick dimensions is what you should aim to do; similarly for openings.

 

[pinenot]

Many an arch that has done this, falls foul to some impracticality sooner or later, but at least they try. Your question is a good one and shows some lateral thinking. Indeed you should try for a whole brick (remember to add the mortar joints) this will result in a half brick every other course on some bonds. I'm assuming your talking about a finished brick facade as opposed to a rendered one with cement banding to the window reveals?...pinenot

 

[hes1service]

yes, its for the openings in windows doorway etc for a clay brick single story extension. Thanks for the feedback it just seemed it would be worth thinking about given I have to specify where and what to buy, so why not make frames equal to brick and half brick lengths.

Many thanks, I'm glad i asked

 

[pinenot]

If you work out the sizes of brick/mortar both horizontally and vertically, your brickie will work out the best way to set it up and achieve the what your looking for. The best person to ask is of course the brickies themselves, they can also point out any problems with what your trying to achieve...pinenot

 

[^woody^]

You don't "work out the sizes" of bricks. You should always work to a dimension, as brick sizes vary, so 4 bricks can differ in overall length by a significant amount to another 4 bricks.

You work to a dimension and then you don't get perpend joints waving all over the place, but in nice vertical lines, and bricks fit between frames without cutting or massive joints

As for height, standard frames are all in course dimensions and you would work down from a point (the top of a door frame for instance, and level the tops of all frames to this

 

[jockscott]

You don't "work out the sizes" of bricks. You should always work to a dimension, as brick sizes vary, so 4 bricks can differ in overall length by a significant amount to another 4 bricks.

Not according to EN 771-1... T2 bricks are allowed to vary by +/- 4mm over 10 bricks. Furthermore, the maximum range of (manufacturer) stated R2 bricks cannot vary by more than 4mm (over a sample of 10 bricks (manufacturers can actually reduce this tolerance if they so wish) So according to this bricks should not vary much (this is the European standard for brick dimensions)

 

[^woody^]

Not according to EN 771-1...

If you lay bricks, then you will realise that you can set the engineers out below DPC, and then when you come to lay the facings, you get a completely different bond - reverse bond at the corners and straight joints on the return elevation.

And then when you open the next pack, they are either too big or too small

And handmades are a law unto themselves

The first person on site to quote brick dimension standards, normally gets one bounced off his head

 

[noseall]

Bricks can vary (a lot) in the pack. In our latest batch the lighter colour are biggies the darker are smallies. A pain in the neck when setting out but you do get used to it when you have been laying them a while.

We demonstrate the difference by standing a couple of stacks on end and show the difference in height.

 

[jeds]

Standard modular windows don't work to brick sizes anyway so there will always be some playing with the bond somewhere. Personally I always try to start a window either 890mm or 665mm from the corner. That usually works aesthetically and if the bricklayer couldn't make 3 or 4 bricks work to those sizes I'd probably find another one.