Brick

Solid brick is made of two or more rows of bricks with the units arranged horizontally (called frame bricks) joined together with bricks across the wall (called "header" bricks). Each row of bricks is known as a course. The pattern of headers and stretchers used gives rise to different 'ties', such as the common bond (with each sixth row composed of headers), the English ligature and the Flemish ligature (with alternating stretcher and header bricks present in each row). Bonds can differ in strength and insulating capacity. Vertically staggered joints tend to be somewhat stronger and less likely to crack heavily than a non-staggered joint.

The wide selection of brick styles and types generally available in industrialized nations allows for great variety in the appearance of the final product. In buildings constructed during the 1950s and 1970s, a high degree of brick uniformity and precision in masonry was typical. In the period since, this style was thought to be too sterile, so attempts were made to emulate older, cruder works. Some brick surfaces are made to look particularly rustic by including burnt bricks, which are darker in color or irregular in shape. Others may use old salvage bricks, or new bricks may be artificially aged by applying various surface treatments, such as tumbling. Attempts at turn-of-the-century rusticity have been carried out by masons who specialize in a free artistic style, where the courses are intentionally not straight, but woven to form more organic impressions.

concrete block

Ash concrete blocks (cinder blocks or cement blocks), ordinary concrete (concrete blocks) or hollow tile are generically known as Concrete Masonry Units (CMU). They are usually much larger than ordinary bricks and are therefore much quicker to lay for a wall of a given size. Additionally, cement and concrete blocks typically have much lower water absorption rates than bricks. They are often used as a structural core for veneer brick masonry or used alone for the walls of factories, garages, and other industrial-style buildings where such an appearance is acceptable or desirable. Such blocks are often given a stucco surface for decoration. Surface bonding cement, which contains synthetic fibers for reinforcement, is sometimes used in this application and can impart additional strength to a block wall. Surface bonding cement is often pre-colored and can be stained or painted, resulting in a stucco-like finished surface.

The main structural advantage of concrete blocks compared to smaller clay-based bricks is that a UMC wall can be reinforced by filling the voids in the blocks with concrete with or without steel reinforcing bars. Generally, certain voids are designated for filling and reinforcement, particularly at corners, wall ends, and openings, while other voids are left empty. This increases the strength and stability of the wall more economically than filling and reinforcing all the voids. Typically, structures made of UMC will have the top course of blocks in the walls filled with concrete and joined with steel reinforcement to form a tie beam. Link beams are often a requirement of modern building codes and controls. Another type of steel reinforcement called ladder reinforcement can also be embedded in the horizontal mortar joints of concrete block walls. The introduction of steel reinforcement generally results in a UMC wall having a much higher lateral and tensile strength than unreinforced walls.

"Architectural masonry is the evolution of standard concrete masonry blocks into aesthetically pleasing concrete masonry units (CMUs).[2]​ " CMUs can be manufactured to provide a variety of surface appearances. They can be colored during manufacturing or stained or painted after installation. They can be split as part of the manufacturing process, giving the blocks a rough surface that replicates the appearance of natural stone, such as brownstone. CMUs may also be grooved, fluted, sandblasted, polished, fluted (raked or brushed), include decorative aggregates, allowed to settle in a controlled manner during curing, or include several of these techniques in their manufacture to provide a decorative appearance.[3]​.

"Glazed concrete masonry units are manufactured by bonding a permanently colored coating (typically composed of polyester resins, silica sand and other chemicals) to a concrete masonry unit, providing a smooth, impermeable surface."[4]​.

Glass block or glass brick are blocks made of glass and provide a translucent to clear view through the block.

Brick

Solid brick is made of two or more rows of bricks with the units arranged horizontally (called frame bricks) joined together with bricks across the wall (called "header" bricks). Each row of bricks is known as a course. The pattern of headers and stretchers used gives rise to different 'ties', such as the common bond (with each sixth row composed of headers), the English ligature and the Flemish ligature (with alternating stretcher and header bricks present in each row). Bonds can differ in strength and insulating capacity. Vertically staggered joints tend to be somewhat stronger and less likely to crack heavily than a non-staggered joint.

The wide selection of brick styles and types generally available in industrialized nations allows for great variety in the appearance of the final product. In buildings constructed during the 1950s and 1970s, a high degree of brick uniformity and precision in masonry was typical. In the period since, this style was thought to be too sterile, so attempts were made to emulate older, cruder works. Some brick surfaces are made to look particularly rustic by including burnt bricks, which are darker in color or irregular in shape. Others may use old salvage bricks, or new bricks may be artificially aged by applying various surface treatments, such as tumbling. Attempts at turn-of-the-century rusticity have been carried out by masons who specialize in a free artistic style, where the courses are intentionally not straight, but woven to form more organic impressions.

concrete block

Ash concrete blocks (cinder blocks or cement blocks), ordinary concrete (concrete blocks) or hollow tile are generically known as Concrete Masonry Units (CMU). They are usually much larger than ordinary bricks and are therefore much quicker to lay for a wall of a given size. Additionally, cement and concrete blocks typically have much lower water absorption rates than bricks. They are often used as a structural core for veneer brick masonry or used alone for the walls of factories, garages, and other industrial-style buildings where such an appearance is acceptable or desirable. Such blocks are often given a stucco surface for decoration. Surface bonding cement, which contains synthetic fibers for reinforcement, is sometimes used in this application and can impart additional strength to a block wall. Surface bonding cement is often pre-colored and can be stained or painted, resulting in a stucco-like finished surface.

The main structural advantage of concrete blocks compared to smaller clay-based bricks is that a UMC wall can be reinforced by filling the voids in the blocks with concrete with or without steel reinforcing bars. Generally, certain voids are designated for filling and reinforcement, particularly at corners, wall ends, and openings, while other voids are left empty. This increases the strength and stability of the wall more economically than filling and reinforcing all the voids. Typically, structures made of UMC will have the top course of blocks in the walls filled with concrete and joined with steel reinforcement to form a tie beam. Link beams are often a requirement of modern building codes and controls. Another type of steel reinforcement called ladder reinforcement can also be embedded in the horizontal mortar joints of concrete block walls. The introduction of steel reinforcement generally results in a UMC wall having a much higher lateral and tensile strength than unreinforced walls.

"Architectural masonry is the evolution of standard concrete masonry blocks into aesthetically pleasing concrete masonry units (CMUs).[2]​ " CMUs can be manufactured to provide a variety of surface appearances. They can be colored during manufacturing or stained or painted after installation. They can be split as part of the manufacturing process, giving the blocks a rough surface that replicates the appearance of natural stone, such as brownstone. CMUs may also be grooved, fluted, sandblasted, polished, fluted (raked or brushed), include decorative aggregates, allowed to settle in a controlled manner during curing, or include several of these techniques in their manufacture to provide a decorative appearance.[3]​.

"Glazed concrete masonry units are manufactured by bonding a permanently colored coating (typically composed of polyester resins, silica sand and other chemicals) to a concrete masonry unit, providing a smooth, impermeable surface."[4]​.

Glass block or glass brick are blocks made of glass and provide a translucent to clear view through the block.