Stretcher bond is the most common and basic bricklaying pattern used for single-wythe walls. Every brick is laid flat with its long, narrow side facing outward, and the vertical joints are staggered exactly halfway across the bricks in the rows immediately above and below. Because it lacks header bricks tying into a backing course, it is typically used for cavity walls or veneer siding rather than solid structural masonry.
We're doing a standard stretcher bond on the entire front facade, tied back to the blockwork every four courses.
Always check your corners and openings early; a true stretcher bond requires careful planning to avoid ending up with tiny, awkward sliver cuts at the edges.
Also heard as
- running bond
Do not mix it up with
- English bond: English bond alternates entire courses of stretchers and headers, whereas stretcher bond only uses stretchers.
Related terms
Bond
The overlapping pattern of bricks or stones laid in a wall.
English bond
A bricklaying pattern alternating full courses of headers and stretchers.
Flemish bond
A bricklaying pattern alternating stretchers and headers in every single course.
Wythe
A continuous vertical section of a masonry wall that is one unit thick.