# Bricks turned sideways?



## KennMacMoragh (Sep 16, 2008)

I see this on old buildings where about every fifth or sixth course the bricks are sideways. I don't think you are allowed to do this now because of a fire code. But does anyone know the story behind this? When it became illegal and why they did it in the first place? I'm just curious.


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## MarkJames (Nov 25, 2012)

Maybe to tie the wall into the layer behind it.


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## 91782 (Sep 6, 2012)

rowlock


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## KennMacMoragh (Sep 16, 2008)

So how come you don't see it now?


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## 91782 (Sep 6, 2012)

KennMacMoragh said:


> So how come you don't see it now?


Because nobody builds exterior structural walls any more using double and triple wythe spaced courses? All that's done today is a veneer course.

Except FJN - he's putting up some pretty amazing brick homes. Well, that's understated - they're jaw-dropping gorgeous.


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## superseal (Feb 4, 2009)

It's called common bond and I'm pretty sure there's nothing illegal about it :blink:

Small town, you talking about Fundi? FJN doesn't post many pics unless I miss them all.


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## 91782 (Sep 6, 2012)

superseal said:


> It's called common bond and I'm pretty sure there's nothing illegal about it :blink:
> 
> Small town, you talking about Fundi? FJN doesn't post many pics unless I miss them all.


Fundi rocks those vaulted roofs.

You should talk to fjn. He's pretty much in a whole nuther level of cool when it comes to brick homes. Beyond that, I'd be speaking out of turn.


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## stuart45 (Oct 7, 2009)

Can't see it being a fire risk, although the headers could allow moisture in on a cavity wall. Normally iron ties were used.


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## 91782 (Sep 6, 2012)

You know what? The heck with fjn. Here's a link that has a pic of Fred near the very bottom (he's the fella in the blue flannel shirt, holding down a tailgate).

http://hopeforarchitecture.com/blog/

Here's an example home with triple wythe and rowlock that Fred's buddy Clay Chapman built. Do yourself a favor and open the link in a new browser window, so that you can read the description.


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## tjbnwi (Feb 24, 2009)

SmallTownGuy said:


> rowlock


It is a header brick, not a rowlock. 

A header brick or header course ties two wythes together. 

A rowlock is a series of bricks laid on edge, used most often to create a window sill or cap.

They're very common in Chicago, a lot of full masonry homes there.

Tom


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## 91782 (Sep 6, 2012)

tjbnwi said:


> It is a header brick, not a rowlock.
> 
> A header brick or header course ties two wythes together.
> 
> ...


If you wish.

I'll stick with what is common terminology around here. Pissing matches are so pointless, wouldn't you agree?


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## tjbnwi (Feb 24, 2009)

I agree, as long as you use the correct terminology. 

Tom


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## TimNJ (Sep 7, 2005)

SmallTownGuy said:


> If you wish.
> 
> I'll stick with what is common terminology around here. Pissing matches are so pointless, wouldn't you agree?




Yup.
In this neck of the woods they were referred to as "bonding courses".


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## superseal (Feb 4, 2009)

We call them headers...Smalls pic depicts an american or common bond with full course headers as opposed to say, flemish headers which are more common around here.

My own home is solid masonry, common bond with flemish headers every seventh...


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## S.U.M (Apr 17, 2013)

Its a row of headers or a key course, used to tie the 2 skins of masonry together, not seen as much this days because on new builds the homes are normally timber Frame and wall ties are used.


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## fjn (Aug 17, 2011)

KennMacMoragh said:


> So how come you don't see it now?







Because now they veneer a wooden shack with brick to give it the illusion it is built of a more prestigious material than mere wood. Now the brick does not hold up anything I.E. floors or roofs,the wood holds the brick up.


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## KennMacMoragh (Sep 16, 2008)

Maybe it's just in the earthquake prone areas they are illegal now. I don't see any shear value in the diagram John posted.

I remember when this came down, probably a rowlock wall.


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## Fundi (Jan 5, 2009)

Are you certain it is illegal or just not done?

Would be interesting to know the reason for failure. I suspect roof was leaking.


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## KennMacMoragh (Sep 16, 2008)

*Bricks Turned Sideways?*



Fundi said:


> Are you certain it is illegal or just not done?
> 
> 
> 
> Would be interesting to know the reason for failure. I suspect roof was leaking.




Reason was an earthquake, 2001 Nisqually. Same thing happened to several Seattle brick buildings.

I'm not positive it's illegal, just never seen it done. The only structural masonry wall I've seen legal has rebar in it.


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## dom-mas (Nov 26, 2011)

SmallTownGuy said:


> If you wish.
> 
> I'll stick with what is common terminology around here. Pissing matches are so pointless, wouldn't you agree?


It's not a pissing match, it's information. like telling someone that a joist is called a joist not a stud


SmallTownGuy said:


> You know what? The heck with fjn. Here's a link that has a pic of Fred near the very bottom (he's the fella in the blue flannel shirt, holding down a tailgate).
> 
> http://hopeforarchitecture.com/blog/
> 
> ...


Fred would have to tell us for sure but I don;t think that he built any of the homes with Clay Chapman, he did bring him in for the talk at Notre Dame (or whichever university it was) and participated in the mass masonry instructional. 

Kenn, there are 2 reasons you don;t see header courses done anymore.
1. As others said, multi wythe brick mass masonry buildings are rarely built theses days. It's mostly because of high upfront cost, both labour and material. You will occasionally see it in veneer work (single wythe) as an architectural feature although it's a feature that is lost on 99% of the population.
2. If you are in a seismic area your building code likely requires rebar in a mass masonry building. Masonry will take all the compression you can throw at it but doesn;t take lateral loads well...little to no tensile strength. Rebar gives masonry that tensile strength but is difficult to incorporate into a multi wythe brick building

Tieing the 2 wythes together actually increases the tensile strength (if that's what you mean by shear strength) exponentially. a single wythe brick wall can only be built about 2' high, and even then has little structure if there are no corners, a 2 wythe wall can easily be built 12' or higher and a triple wythe wall can be built 40' or more


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