Brick bond patterns compared — running, ⅓ running, stack, common, English, and Flemish

The common brick bonds: running (½ offset, the standard), ⅓ running, stack (aligned — needs reinforcement), and the header-bonded common, English, and Flemish bonds that tie a double wythe and so use more brick.

Six small wall panels showing how the common brick bonds lay out. Running bond offsets each course of stretchers by half a brick and is the standard. ⅓ running bond offsets by a third. Stack bond aligns every joint vertically and is decorative, so it needs wire reinforcement. Common (American) bond runs stretchers with a course of headers every sixth course to tie a double wythe. English bond alternates full header courses with full stretcher courses. Flemish bond alternates a header and a stretcher within every course. The header-bonded patterns turn bricks sideways to tie wythes together, so they use noticeably more brick — about 1.5× for English bond. — Source: BIA Technical Notes 10/30 (bond patterns + waste)

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Six small wall panels showing how the common brick bonds lay out. Running bond offsets each course of stretchers by half a brick and is the standard. ⅓ running bond offsets by a third. Stack bond aligns every joint vertically and is decorative, so it needs wire reinforcement. Common (American) bond runs stretchers with a course of headers every sixth course to tie a double wythe. English bond alternates full header courses with full stretcher courses. Flemish bond alternates a header and a stretcher within every course. The header-bonded patterns turn bricks sideways to tie wythes together, so they use noticeably more brick — about 1.5× for English bond.

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    Diagram: <a href="https://remodelcalculators.com/construction-diagrams/brick-bond-patterns" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brick bond patterns compared — running, ⅓ running, stack, common, English, and Flemish</a> — courtesy of <a href="https://remodelcalculators.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RemodelCalculators.com</a>
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