Brickwork styles guide

Different brickwork styles can completely change the appearance of a building. From traditional bricklaying patterns such as English Bond and Flemish Bond to modern stretcher bond designs, the right choice can influence both visual appeal and structural performance.

This guide explains the most common types of brickwork, popular brickwork styles and the key considerations when choosing brick bonds, colours, textures and mortar finishes for residential and commercial projects.

What’s wrong with regular old brickwork styles?

Depending on your projects, choosing the right brickwork style is an important task. There are a wide variety of these brickwork styles to choose from. The following information can help you realise your ideas and bring them to light

We take pride in our ability to provide the bricks you need, but you might need some help with choice of colour, bonds and mortar that lives up to your design and needs. It could be the difference between your project coming out looking fabulous or looking un-inspired.

So, in the case of a creative roadblock, allow us to lend a helping hand and provide you with the information.

We can help find the perfect brickwork style for your project.

We’ve highlighted some of the main considerations below. If you would like to discuss your project in more detail, please contact us.

Firstly, what bonds would work for me?

Choosing your brick bond is important as it:

1. Distribute loads throughout the structure to achieve maximum strength
2. Ensure stability
3. Achieve the desired aesthetic

Below are the three most commonly used brick bonds in bricklaying:

1. Stretcher Bond
2. Flemish Bond
3. English Bond

Brick colours

With an array of brick colours –  the choices are endless. However, due to the very strict nature of regional building regulations you may need a specific colour to match the aesthetics of the environment. Using the brick selector, you can choose from the many varieties available.

Brick textures

When selecting bricks, colour is often the first consideration, but texture should also be taken into account. The texture of brickwork can affect the way light is reflected off the brick surface, creating highlight and shade, which ultimately influences the final perceived appearance. Different brick textures can influence both durability and appearance, making them an important consideration for architects and developers.

The Brick Specialists has a multitude of texture types available such as:

1. Textured
2. Weathered
3. Handmade
4. Glazed
5. Smooth
6. Creased

Mortar colours

You can further enhance your brickwork styles by choosing from a range of colours of mortar. Different mortar colours are produced by combining different coloured sands with cement, or by using pre-coloured ready-mixed mortars. The below Chapel Light brick looks completely different when paired with pale, grey and black mortars.

If you are planning a project, our team can support you in selecting the most suitable brickwork styles and materials for your development.

Popular brickwork styles for modern developments

Modern housing and commercial developments often combine simple bricklaying patterns with carefully selected brick colours and textures. Stretcher bond remains one of the most widely used brickwork styles due to its clean appearance and cost-effective installation, while Flemish and English bonds are often chosen where a more traditional architectural character is required.

The final appearance can be influenced further through the choice of facing bricks, mortar colour and brick texture.

Need more help?

The character and appearance of a building can be judged in an instant by the type of brickwork used and we advise our clients to carry out the appropriate research to effectively communicate their design brief. No matter what brickwork style you go with, we will have the bricks to help you realise your vision. If you need help to find what works best for you – get in contact with us today.