When choosing the colour selection for your new house, you will get to choose the colour of the bricks and the mortar, as well as the style of mortar joints. If you have bought a turnkey package, these might come preselected as part of a recommended colour scheme.
What are Mortar Joints?
Believe it or not, there are multiple ways to put stick bricks together and they have different advantages and aesthetics. This guide will explain the difference between them all.
Types of Mortar Joints
The most typical types of mortar joints used in Australia are Ironed or Rounded. You will also come across Raked and Flush joints. Weather joints are less common here.
Ironed / Rounded Joint Mortar
This is very common in Australia and is designed to keep water and moisture out of the brickwork. This works well with most bricks and has no real drawbacks.
Raked Joint Mortar
The Raked mortar design is visually appealing and very neat looking. However, it is the least good at preventing moisture. The mortar itself will be in the shade, so will end up looking darker than you might expect. Raked mortar only looks good if the bricks have the same surface coating on all sides of it, not just the front or else you will see the inconsistency in the colour and it will look bad. This method is best used with a bevelled edged or tumbled bricks.
Flush Joint Mortar
Having your mortar flush with the bricks is reasonably weather resistant. You will need to be very careful ensuring that the mortar does not stain the front of the bricks or is not applied unevenly or it will look bad. You must use flat-edged bricks, not rounded or rustic bricks.
Weather Joint Mortar
This is another good way to keep the bricks dry. The slope helps the water slide off. This is not commonly seen in Australia, as the ironed joint is better as it protects the bottom of the brick above it.
