A three-quarter bat brick — sometimes called a ‘three-quarter bat’ or simply a ‘3/4 brick’ — is a brick that has been cut so that it retains three quarters of its original length. Three-quarter bats are used in masonry to close bonds neatly at corners, door and window reveals, and where the wall steps.
Dimensions
For a standard UK metric brick (215 × 102.5 × 65 mm), a three-quarter bat measures about:
- Length — approximately 160 mm (three quarters of 215)
- Width — same as a whole brick (102.5 mm)
- Height — same as a whole brick (65 mm)
Related cuts:
- Quarter bat (queen closer) — a 1/4 brick, about 54 mm long
- Half bat — a 1/2 brick, about 108 mm long
- King closer — a diagonal cut for specific bonds
How it is made
On site, three-quarter bats are cut from whole bricks by the bricklayer using a bolster and club hammer or a wet saw. Modern brick suppliers also deliver pre-cut bats as part of an order, particularly for blended facing bricks where a clean cut face is desirable.
Applications
Three-quarter bats appear in almost every bonded brickwork pattern:
- English bond — a three-quarter bat closes the corner so the perpends stay nicely staggered
- Flemish bond — the corner is started with a three-quarter bat
- Stretcher bond — closes window and door reveals tidily
- Reveals and external corners — at jambs and quoins
- Repair work — when stitching new brickwork into existing walls
Difference between bat sizes
A quarter bat is 1/4 of a brick (short stub), while a three-quarter bat keeps 3/4 of the original length. Both solve the offset in a bond but at different positions. A skilled bricklayer mixes whole bricks, half bats, quarter bats and three-quarter bats to keep a standing bond.
Related terms
- Brick
- Half bat
- Queen closer
- English bond
- Flemish bond
- Perpend
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