A dogtooth course is a decorative course of brickwork in which the bricks are laid at an angle so that a regular row of points projects from the face of the wall. It is a form of toothed string course, usually placed high in the elevation, often just below the eaves or beneath a projecting section of masonry.
The Dutch call it muizentand — mouse tooth — and in German-speaking countries it is known as Deutsches Band, Zahnfries or Sägezahnfries. All refer to the same idea: a row of sharp points reading as a set of teeth.
Variants
- Diagonal (45°) dogtooth — the bricks are turned 45 degrees with the arris facing forward. This is the classic form
- Sawtooth — the bricks are set at a shallower angle, making the teeth lower and more drawn out
- Block tooth — the headers project straight from the wall face, or are emphasised by leaving a gap on either side
The motif has existed in brickwork since early medieval times and was widely used in Renaissance brick architecture and in 19th-century farmhouses, schools and houses.
Application
- Water exposure. A dogtooth course has many sloping, projecting surfaces that hold water. Use a properly frost-resistant facing brick; an ordinary common brick will spall here first
- Pointing. It is laborious work: every joint runs at an angle and there is a lot of joint length per linear metre. Allow considerably more labour than for flat brickwork
- Mortar choice. Old masonry needs a soft, lime-rich mortar. A hard cement mortar in a historic dogtooth course accelerates damage to the bricks themselves
- Repair. When replacing, work brick by brick and reuse original bricks where you can; the motif governs the appearance of the elevation
- On a listed building, altering decorative brickwork of this kind needs consent
Related terms
- Masonry
- Brick
- Soldier course
- Bond
- Façade
- Listed building
Want to learn more about construction terms? Visit our knowledge base at fredsdiyplans.com.