UK Brick Dimensions: Your Questions Answered

When purchasing bricks for a building project, it’s vital that you understand the size of the bricks, whether you’re adding them to an existing building or planning a new one. In this guide from Building Materials Nationwide, we’ll explore the common metric sizing of bricks in the UK, and whether this varies for other types of brick such as concrete blocks.

What Are the Standard Brick Dimensions in the UK?

When buying red clay bricks within the UK the standard size will be 215 x 102.5 x 65 mm. This is the size that will commonly be found in contemporary buildings across the UK. This standard metric size for facing bricks has been in place since 1965, with prior bricks made to different imperial sizes. Therefore, if looking to replace bricks within an older building you should first check the sizes of the bricks to find out whether they are standard or not.

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What Are the Standard Brick Dimensions in Imperial?

The dimensions of the contemporary standard facing brick (215 x 102.5 x 65mm) in imperial would be 8.46 x 4.04 x 2.56 inches. In America, where imperial measurements are still used, a standard brick is 8 x 3 ⅝ x 2 ¼ inches.

Are Standard House Bricks Available in Different Dimensions?

Within the UK clay bricks of different dimensions will be available. These dimensions will be stated through the product listing, and will normally still adhere quite closely to standard dimensions. Bespoke bricks can be produced in other sizes if needed, such as for matching bricks in an older building.

What is the Standard Thickness of Mortar in Bricklaying?

10mm of mortar is the standard thickness for each edge when bricks are laid. This 10mm standard mortar joint will need to be taken into account when calculating the number of bricks needed for a project. 

What Are Engineering Brick Dimensions?

Engineering bricks are usually sold in the same standard dimensions as facing bricks (215 x 102.5 x 65mm), allowing them to be used in combination with facing bricks to offer strength and moisture resistance within a building project. Within our selection of engineering bricks, there are options at a larger 73mm height in both Class A and Class B bricks.

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What Are the Dimensions of a Fire Brick?

Firebricks are ceramic bricks designed for high-temperature uses, such as within furnaces or kilns. They come in two standard sizes, either 229 x 114 x 76mm or 229 x 114 x 64mm. Another option for fire bricks is split bricks which will be half the standard thickness, at 229 x 114 x 32mm.

What Are the Dimensions of a 3-Hole House Brick?

3-hole bricks, sometimes called core hole bricks, will have three full holes through their centre. While this separates them from solid bricks or those with frogs (dimples that do not fully pass through the whole brick), they will otherwise usually be the same size.

Concrete Block Sizes

The size of concrete blocks will vary more, with an average of 440mm in length but varying heights and widths. In our range of concrete blocks, there are options for 100mm or 215mm in height, alongside 100mm, 140mm, 215mm, and 300mm in width. This can vary based on whether the concrete block is solid or hollow.

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