What is a solid brick?
A solid brick is a brick that has no holes (perforations) or only a small proportion of them. It contrasts with the perforated brick, which has vertical holes, and the hollow brick, which has a large volume of holes.
Where is the limit?
There is no hard definition that applies everywhere. In Belgian trade literature, a brick with up to about 15 percent perforation is regarded as solid. The European design standard for masonry (Eurocode 6) divides units into groups; group 1 covers units with a maximum of 25 percent void volume. If in doubt, always ask for the manufacturer’s product specification: it states the percentage of holes.
Solid brick or perforated brick?
- Handmade bricks and soft-mud moulded bricks are almost always solid, because they are made in a mould.
- Extruded bricks are often perforated: the clay is pressed through a die, so holes are easy to form at the same time.
- A solid brick is heavier. That is good for sound insulation and thermal mass, but means more weight on the foundation.
- Perforated bricks dry and fire more evenly and are lighter to handle.
| Solid brick | Heavier: good for sound insulation and thermal mass, but more weight on the foundation |
|---|---|
| Perforated brick | Dries and fires more evenly; lighter to handle |
Applications
Choose a solid brick wherever the side of the brick will be visible or where you cut bricks:
- soldier and header courses and corner details in fair-faced masonry;
- cut bricks in exposed work, where holes would look ugly;
- restoration, where the new brick has to match historic masonry;
- paving and wall copings, where holes would hold water.
Tip: for a facade of perforated bricks, always order a batch of solid bricks in the same colour for soldier courses and visible headers. Finding a matching colour afterwards is difficult.
Related terms
- Brick
- Perforated brick
- Hollow brick
- Handmade brick
- Extrusion
- Density
Want to learn more about construction terms? Visit our knowledge base at fredsdiyplans.com.