Today we’re looking at beds, stretchers, shiners, soldiers, rat-traps and English bonds.
This sounds like the plot of a romance novel - but it’s all brick terminology.
As an experienced LEGO builder even I have learnt a lot whilst diving into the myriad ways bricks are used to construct walls, arches, chimneys, etc. And even if you’re not an aspiring brick expert you will definitely enjoy learning to recognise the different beautiful patterns they can produce.
Image author: BillBeee
One of the things I love about humans is their desire to decorate: most ornaments on buildings don’t have any function other than to delight.
They’re the builder’s gift to you.
To appreciate them, keep an eye out not just for bricks, but for the beautifully different designs they create.
Are the walls of your house constructed in English Bond? Flemish? Monk?
Do you live on a herringbone road?
Is your mad aunt’s estate surrounded by a Flemish garden wall? Or a rat trap bond (a hollow construction leaving plenty of room for…you guessed it…rats!)?
Today, look for the patterns bricks make - you can use the above guide to identify them.
And if you can’t get close to any real bricks today then feast your eyes on the brickalicious Instagram account of @brickofchicago:
https://www.instagram.com/brickofchicago/
You can share your brick patterns on Twitter or Instagram, using the hashtag #kramerseye.
And if you’d like even more brick inspiration then follow @kramerseye on Instagram.