A brick-on-edge facing course is a layer of bricks laid on their broad, flat side directly against an existing wall. It is placed dry (without adhesive) or in ordinary mortar against the existing wall face. In English it is also called a shiner course: the large flat face of the brick shows.
The Dutch term is klamplaag. It differs from a klampmuur, a brick lining wall, in position: the facing course lies against the existing wall, whereas the lining wall stands in front of it as a thin wall in its own right.
What it is used for
- Against penetrating damp — mainly in basements, where the course together with a sand-cement layer slows moisture pushing through to the inside
- To improve insulation — in basements, stores and garages the extra layer of brick, with the air or mortar layer behind it, gives a small insulating gain
- To thicken a wall — a thin wall is made locally heavier and stiffer
- To prevent damage — in stores and garages it protects the lower zone of a wall
How it is done, and what to watch
- Assess the substrate — remove plaster and loose material; the course belongs against sound masonry
- Choose the brick — pick one suited to the load and the moisture conditions; in a basement a dense, low-absorption brick is preferable
- Build it — bricks flat, in bond, in mortar or against an applied sand-cement layer
- Junctions — detail the floor junction (the wall-floor joint) and the ceiling junction carefully; that is where leaks start
- Tie it where needed — a thin facing not bonded into the wall behind has to be tied back or bonded on
Worth being clear about: this is not a waterproof construction. In a basement with a water table above floor level a genuine waterproofing system is needed — the course helps against penetrating damp, not against water under pressure.
Related terms
- Brick lining wall
- Cleat
- Masonry
- Brick
- Wall-floor joint
- Basement
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