Flemish bond brickwork is the term used in nine inch brickwork where the arrangement of bricks is usually header stretcher header formation continued throughout. These days we do not see much solid nine inch work as it has been taken over by cavity walling, which is mainly a four inch skin of brickwork on the outside with a three/four inch cavity in the middle (where insulation is inserted), and a four inch skin of thermalite block on the inside. The two skins are usually tied together with cavity ties at specified intervals. This method has many advantages over the traditional method, namely, better sound and thermal insulation. The appearance of flemish bond brickwork is sometimes required in cavity walling when a new extension is built onto an existing old building which has the traditional flemish bond arrangement of bricks.
The formation of bricks is header (snapped in half as in the video above) stretcher and this is repeated alternately throughout.
This is a method which can seamlessly integrate new with old, especially with imperial bricks such as the london stock which lends itself perfectly to this type of work.
As a side note, I have to add that in my experience and eventhough I`m given to believe it is widely practiced in certain parts of the country, laying bricks frog side down , as in the above video, has always been frowned upon by both clerk of works and architects alike, because of the fact that the frogs are never wholly filled with mortar thereby leaving a weakness.
