A klisklezoor — the Dutch term — is a brick sawn through its length on a vertical plane. The length and height therefore stay those of a whole brick; only the width is halved. On a brick about 100 mm wide that leaves two strips of roughly 45 to 50 mm, depending on the saw cut.
Compare that with a brick sawn along its length on a horizontal plane: there the width survives and the height is halved, giving a flat strip of the kind used as a brick slip. Both produce half a brick, but in a different direction, and therefore for an entirely different purpose.
| Cut piece | Direction of cut | What changes | What stays |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quarter bat | across the length | length becomes a quarter | width, height |
| Sawn lengthwise, vertical | along the length, vertical | width is halved | length, height |
| Sawn lengthwise, horizontal | along the length, horizontal | height is halved | length, width |
Where it applies
- Filling a narrow gap — where a whole brick will not fit but a strip is needed, for instance beside a frame or against a structural member
- Spacing whole bricks — the strip can act as packing to hold normal-format bricks at the right spacing
- Finishing off a bed of mortar or a patched area
- Restoration — in existing brickwork where the original bond and brick size have to be continued
Practical tips
- Cut wet — a masonry saw with a water feed gives a clean cut and keeps the dust down; dry-cutting brick generates respirable crystalline silica, which is harmful to breathe
- Think about the face — a sawn edge looks different from a struck fracture. In facing brickwork, turn the sawn face inwards where you can
- Watch the strength — a brick reduced to half its width is fragile and has less bedding area; do not use it in structurally loaded brickwork
- Calculate first — cut pieces are a consequence of setting out. Set the brickwork to brick plus joint (say 210 + 10 = 220 mm) and you will saw far less as you go
- Safety — wear eye protection, hearing protection and a dust mask when cutting brick
Related terms
- Quarter bat
- Three-quarter bat
- Bond pattern
- Brick
- Perpend joint
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