DESIGNING IN BRICK: BRICK SIZES

Brick is one of the oldest and most common building materials used in the world. There are several different types of brick, each available in a variety of sizes, because we recognize the needs of building designs will vary in terms of functional requirements, aesthetic requirements, and local building codes.

Below we’ll break down four of the most common brick sizes used in residential construction so you can decide which size of brick is most appropriate for your home style. Regardless of the size selected, your new brick home will provide the same unbeatable benefits of brick that no other building material can offer… for a lifetime and beyond.

	Modular brick is the most common brick size used in North America. Modular brick dimensions are 3-5/8 in (thickness) x 2-1/4 in (height) x 7-5/8 in (length).   Architects, designers, and builders will have the widest selection of color and texture available when selecting a brick in modular size. Another benefit is the ability to create more efficient layouts that minimize the number of brick that need to be cut in order to accommodate design parameters. A larger selection of non-custom shapes are also available in modular size brick than any other brick size.   It takes 6.86 brick to cover each square foot of wall area when designing with a modular size unit. Using a typical 3/8 mortar joint, mortar will account for approximately 20% of the wall with a modular size brick, as the brick size increases, the percentage of mortar is reduced.   View Modular Size Brick Products
	Queen size brick measure 3 in (thickness) x 2-3/4 in (height) x 7-5/8 in (length) and lay 5.76 brick per square foot. A queen size is particularly popular among residential building because it is more cost efficient to install. Given the larger unit, queen size brick install faster and require less mortar. When coursing out a queen size wall it takes five courses (rows) for every 16 inches vertically while a modular brick takes six courses (rows) for every 16 inches. In general, larger brick require fewer brick to lay and fewer joints to tool.   View Queen Size Brick Products
	With a nominal length of two feet long, the Roman Maximus evokes feelings of sophistication, exclusivity, and prestige. Roman Maximus brick is characteristically longer and more linear than those of typical modern brick. They are ideal for creating a regal and distinct look to any structure.   The Maximus size measures at 3-5/8 in (thickness) x 1-5/8 in (height) x 23-5/8 (length) in and takes 3 brick per square foot. The Roman Maximus product by Glen-Gery is unique because it is packaged with more than just a single size brick. Seventy percent of the packaging for a Roman Maximus product is at the 23-5/8 in length, fifteen percent is at Roman size which is 3-5/8 in x 1-5/8 in x 11-5/8 in and the balance of the packaging is random lengths from 4 in. to 20 in. This packaging enables the mason to install the brick where no two joints align, called a Sicilian bond.   Want to see what each brick would look like on your upcoming project? With the Picture Perfect design tool from Glen-Gery, you can visualize your project with any Glen-Gery brick. Try one look or try them all here.   More on Roman Maximus Brick

The 8,838 square foot, custom, modern home in McLean has a unique mixture of Piet Mondrian art and Frank Lloyd Wright architecture. The location is well known to many diplomats, military, members of Congress, and other high-ranking government officials due to its proximity to Washington, D.C.

This home was set out to be the essence of modern luxury with custom features and finishes, and truly unparalleled design. The exterior façade of this home uses a mix of high-end building materials including the through-body black brick, “Romero” imported from Spain as part of Glen-Gery’s La Paloma Series, carbonized wood siding and asymmetrical siding panels. Not only does this home feature brick on the exterior, but also incorporate the breathtaking black “Romero” Thin Brick throughout the interior of the home from the 10-foot wide floor-to-ceiling fireplace to the bathroom walls and floorings.

“We set out to build a home like no other that integrates sustainability and beauty. This special home has stories behind many of the hand-selected and sourced features. I look forward to sharing it with a buyer that appreciates the attention to detail and unique qualities.” -Ahmad Khreshi, Founder and President, Home Perfection Contracting.

The Waycroft, located in Arlington, Virginia, is a 61,000 square feet multi-residential building with three levels of underground parking that sits on an entire city block in the well-known neighborhood of Ballston.

The broad curve façade of The Waycroft makes for a dramatic landmark at a critical intersection of Glebe Road and Wilson Boulevard, linking the commercial business district with a residential community. This building offers 491 units, with retail giant Target and the Silver Diner restaurant located on the ground level, occupying about 100,000 square feet for retail purposes.

This remarkable project features multiple façade heights that create three unique architectural buildings, all linked with separate entrances, utilizing various brick colors, shapes and textures from Glen-Gery. Each building possesses a unique aesthetic design yet blends seamlessly into the surrounding neighborhood, and each other.

The project features blends of several brick colors from light cream to deep red across full and thin brick sizes. The combination of brick bond patterns and color mortars utilized alongside the custom corner details of precast and brick quoins as well as other materials, provide interest, depth and dimension to this breath-taking city block.

Designers, architects and homeowners can create a picture perfect home or building using Glen-Gery’s newly enhanced Virtual Design Tool, fully loaded with Glen-Gery products and colors.

Major technology upgrades to the tool allow a user to “See it before you live it,” choosing a home style that best matches their vision then applying product to fully visualize the outcome. The design process starts with going directly to the Glen-Gery website or by scanning a QR Code located on a sample chip in a Brickworks Design Studios. No QR code on your sample? No problem, simply use the search to find product name.

To help visualize brick or stone styles on a building, the website offers three options:

1. PICTURE PERFECT
   Use one of our pre-loaded commercial or residential images.
    
2. PICTURE PERFECT DIY
   Upload and prepare a custom image with auto-mask
    
3. PICTURE PERFECT PRO
   Have us professionally mask a custom image for a small fee.

According to Denise Smith, Marketing Manager, the tool is used mostly for residential design as architects have their own rendering software to realize commercial building design.

“With over 600 Glen-Gery products to choose from, the selection process has been overwhelming in the past,” she said. “The enhanced user interface and updated tool makes it much easier to select a product and apply it to all a home.”

Typically, homeowners will select one of our pre-loaded images or upload or their own image. That could include a sketch, front elevation, or a photo of their own home, or a neighboring home.

With the new enhancements, users can go from the Glen-Gery website directly into Picture Perfect with a product pre-selected so all that is needed is to select a home style.  The visualizer also links back out to the Glen-Gery, making the two sites fully integrated and allows a user to view product details while applying the product to a home.

Other enhancements to the tool include viewing projects full screen, adding paint to wall sections, access to trending color palettes and a larger variety of stock images. Users have the ability to change roof, window, door, trim and mortar colors to completely design the

Should a couple want to visualize different products on their home, a comparison slider allows them to compare and print two designs simultaneously.

User friendly. Innovative. Check out Picture Perfect here: https://www.glengery.com/brick-stone-inspiration/virtual-design-tool