Brickwork – 45 Degree Corners
One of the things that really annoys me as I walk around is 45 degree bends in brick fences like this photo.
Bricks are meant to be laid so that they fully interlocked and this is a long way short of that.
I have even seen this type of corner on a house, where the joint will lead to penetration of water into the wall.
What this tells me is that someone:
- Didn’t understand what can be done.
- Planned the work poorly.
- Tried to save money.
- Employed dodgy bricklayers.
The photo on the left is what a proper 45 degree brick corner should look like.
It uses a special brick which is called a squint.
These brick are a special order, so they take time to be delivered, and they are more expensive……………….but they do make a much better job!
See Bricks for more posts on understanding brick work
Planning some building work in the garden? see Brick Fences
My corners don’t look like either of your photos, are they Ok?
This photo link will take you to a picture of another 45 degree corner
using saw cut bricks
These are better than the badly interlocked type …….as long as there is plenty of reinforcement in the mortar courses. Still not as good as the corner with squints.
Brian