Brick banding refers to a clear change in appearance of the brick and/or mortar across the full elevation of brickwork. This change creates noticeable horizontal stripes or bands in the wall.
Understanding Brick Banding
Banding can manifest in various ways, such as:
- Differences in brick colour or shade
- Variations in brick texture
- Inconsistencies in mortar colour or consistency
These variations can occur unintentionally during construction and significantly impact the aesthetic uniformity of the finished brickwork.
Causes of Brick Banding
One common reason for brick banding is related to the laying process itself. Specifically, it can be due to:
- Brick layers not mixing bricks from multiple packs when laying.
Bricks, even from the same batch, can have slight variations in colour, shade, or texture between different packs. If a layer uses bricks from one pack exclusively before starting the next, these subtle differences can accumulate and become visible as a distinct band across the wall.
Preventing Brick Banding
To avoid this issue and ensure a consistent appearance throughout the brickwork, industry standards and manufacturer recommendations emphasize the importance of proper mixing. All UK Brick manufacturers recommend that bricks are mixed from three packs, and this is also the British standard.
Key practices for prevention include:
- Drawing bricks from a minimum of three different packs simultaneously.
- Distributing the bricks from these packs evenly as laying progresses.
- Ensuring uniformity in mortar mixing and application.
By following these recommendations, builders can minimize the likelihood of visible banding and achieve a more aesthetically pleasing and uniform brick elevation.
