How to Lay Brick Patterns

Getting Ready

• 1

  Complete the necessary preparations before laying the brick pattern -- this includes measuring, excavating and edging.

• 2

  Choose a brick pattern -- Flemish bond, English bond, Stack bond and American bond are well-known bricklaying options.

• 3

  Cut bricks in halves or quarters, as needed, for your particular pattern. Use a brick set and hand sledge to score a line around the entire brick. Place the brick on sand or another soft surface and line up the brick set on the score with its bevel edge facing the waste end of the brick. Hit the handle of the brick set with the hand sledge until the brick splits.

Flemish Bond

• 4

  Lay the first course -- alternate stretchers and headers in a row that is two bricks thick.

• 5

  Lay the next course in the same manner but align the headers in the center of the stretchers in the course (row) below.

• 6

  Close every other course with a three-quarter stretcher to create a straight edge.

English Bond

• 7

  Lay the first course two bricks thick using all stretchers.

• 8

  Lay the next course using all headers centered on the stretchers below.

• 9

  Repeat -- alternate courses of all stretchers and all headers.

Stack Bond

• 10

  Lay the first course using stretchers only.

• 11

  Lay the second course using stretchers only -- align each stretcher evenly with the stretcher below.

• 12

  Repeat until all courses are complete -- all joints will run vertically.

American Bond

• 13

  Lay the first course two bricks thick using all stretchers.

• 14

  Align the next course so that all stretchers are centered above the joint below. Unlike the stack bond, this pattern's stretchers must not line up evenly.

• 15

  Repeat courses of stretchers until you've reached the desired number for that particular pattern. You can lay two, three, four, five or more courses of stretchers in between the single header courses -- the design is up to you.

• 16

  Lay a single course of headers only -- this will separate your courses of stretchers.

• 17

  Repeat with the appropriate number of stretcher courses and again, separate with a single course of headers.