TYPE OF BRICKS

There are many types of brick. Some are different in formation and composition while others vary according to their use. Some commonly used types of brick are described in the following paragraphs.

COMMON brick is made of ordinary clays or shales and burned in the usual manner in the kilns. These bricks do not have special scorings or markings and are not produced in any special color or surface texture. Common brick is also known as hard- and kiln-run brick. It is used generally for backing courses in solid or cavity brick walls. The harder and more durable kinds are preferred for this purpose.

FACE bricks are used in the exposed face of a wall and are higher quality units than backup brick. They have better durability and appearance. The most common colors of face brick are various shades of brown, red, gray, yellow, and white.

CLINKER bricks are bricks that have been overburned in the kilns. This type of brick is usually hard and durable and may be irregular in shape. Rough hard corresponds to the clinker classification.

PRESS bricks are made by the dry press process. This class of brick has regular smooth faces, sharp edges, and perfectly square corners. Ordinarily, all press brick are used as face brick.

GLAZED bricks have one surface of each brick glazed in white or other colors. The ceramic glazing consists of mineral ingredients that fuse together in a glass-like coating during burning. This type of brick is particularly suited for walls or partitions in hospitals, dairies, laboratories, or other buildings where cleanliness and ease of cleaning are necessary.

FIREBRICK is made of a special type of fire clay that will withstand the high temperatures of fireplaces, boilers, and similar usages without cracking or decomposing. Firebrick is larger than regular structural brick, and often, it is hand molded.

CORED BRICK are made with two rows of five holes extending through their beds to reduce weight. There is no significant difference between the strength of walls constructed with cored brick and those constructed with solid brick. Resistance to moisture penetration is about the same for both types of walls. The most easily available brick that will meet the requirements should be used whether the brick is cored or solid.

SAND-LIME bricks are made from a lean mixture of slaked lime and fine silicious sand, molded under mechanical pressure and hardened under steam pressure.

Types of brick masonry bond.