What is a three-quarter snout brick?
A three-quarter snout brick (in Dutch: driesnuit) is a fit brick from which three corners have been chipped or sawn off along one long side, so it sits neatly in a corner or along a sloped edge of a brick bond. It helps to keep the bond pattern regular and the perpend joints in the right places.
Why a three-quarter snout brick?
In brickwork, perpend joints must align or stagger according to the chosen bond. At corners, reveals and connections this creates fit pieces. The three-quarter snout brick is one of these fit bricks, alongside the queen closer, king closer and bevelled closer.
The three-quarter snout brick is slightly shorter than a full brick and has one bevelled end. This allows it to fit precisely into the required corner angle, keeping the bond visually correct without crowding the joints.
Application
- Corners in English or Flemish bond — to maintain the regularity of the bond at the corner
- Reveals at windows and doors — where the bond terminates at a jamb
- Connections at movement joints — to position perpend joints correctly
- Diagonal or angled wall surfaces — for non-rectangular connections
Points of attention
- Cut the brick carefully with a brick hammer or a brick saw
- Place the cut side inward so the face brick remains clean
- Check that perpend joints follow the chosen bond pattern
- For face brickwork, a sawn snout brick gives a cleaner appearance than a broken one
Related terms
- Queen closer
- Brick bond
- English bond
- Closer (masonry)
- Perpend joint
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