Brick bonds are the architectural DNA of brickwork, coming from the different patterns created from which way around each brick is laid. Flemish bond is one of the main ways a traiditional brick wall can be created.
What Is Flemish Bond
The term 'brick bond' or bond pattern, simply refers to the pattern in which bricks are laid, and each pattern is named after the arrangement of the brick's headers (the short end), which we'd call a half tile/slip and 'stretchers' (the long face) or a full tile/slip.
What is Traditional Flemish Bond?
In traditional brickwork, the Flemish Bond is instantly recognisable and celebrated for its decorative appearance. It's created by laying alternating headers and stretchers within the same course (row).
-
Header: The short end of the brick is facing out.
-
Stretcher: The long face of the brick is facing out.
Each course in a traditional Flemish Bond follows this exact sequence: Header, Stretcher, Header, Stretcher...
Crucially, in the course immediately above and below, the header is positioned directly above the centre of the stretcher. This creates a beautifully balanced, alternating pattern both horizontally and vertically, known for its structural strength and elegant finish.
The History of Flemish Bond
The Flemish Bond gained significant popularity in England and its colonies around the 17th century, succeeding the earlier English Bond. It was often favoured in grander, more prestigious buildings, as it was considered a more visually sophisticated and costly bond to lay correctly, requiring a higher level of bricklaying skill and more preparation. The bond's uniform look has made it a timeless classic, gracing the façades of historic homes, churches, and public buildings for centuries.
Recreating Flemish Bond with Brick Slips
Achieving the look of a solid Flemish Bond wall is simple with our brick slips
While a traditional brick wall uses the different orientations (header and stretcher) to tie the wall together structurally, brick slips are a non-structural cladding system installed onto an existing surface. This means we recreate the visual pattern of the bond on the surface using half tiles and full tiles consecutively.
As with traditional bricklaying, the alignment is vital: ensure that the header of the course above sits centrally over the stretcher below it for that authentic, offset look.
What Other Considerations Are There?
When choosing your blend, bear in mind that the half tiles/headers could look slightly different to the full tiles in some blends.
This is simply that applications of additives are generally on the faces of the brick - the stretcher part, with less attention paid to the header. They are, of course the same base brick, so they will always go well together.
Your mortar is a key consideration, as there will be slightly more on show than using a basic stretcher bond. This means not only do you need to consider the colour and profile. For more information refer to our page on brick slip mortar.
So Why Choose a Flemish Bond?
Essentially, it is all about the visuals, the character and individuality.
Something different-
With an age-old traditional bond pattern, it's often suited to our reclaimed range, and putting the extra effort into creating something different means that your already unique layout will be even more so.
Using Mortar to lighten or darken -
You will get to see more white mortar with a flemish bond than stretcher, so this is a little hack to lighten your wall with cream or white mortar, or darken it with grey.
The Flemish Bond offers a classic, structured beauty that brings a unique historical character to any project. Whether you're cladding a fireplace, creating a standout feature wall, or applying it externally, the alternating pattern provides a touch of timeless sophistication.
Browse our collections today and find the perfect blend to start your Flemish Bond project.
