English and rat-trap bonds

English bond

Alternate courses of stretchers and headers. A queen closer is placed next to the quoin header in each header course so that the vertical joints stay staggered. It gives a strong transverse and longitudinal bond and is the most common bond for load-bearing walls one brick thick or more.

Elevation (1 brick wall)       Plan, course 1 / course 2
 ________ ________ ______     course 1 (stretcher)
|________|________|______|    |==========|==========|
|__|__ _|_ _ _|_ _ _|_ __|    course 2 (header)
|________|________|______|    |==|==|==|==|==|==|==|==|
|__|__ _|_ _ _|_ _ _|_ __|

Rat-trap bond

Bricks are laid on edge (rowlock) so that a hollow cavity is formed inside the wall. Stretchers on edge form the two faces and headers on edge tie them together at intervals. Each face stretcher takes up only about 55 mm of the wall thickness, so a cavity about 110 to 120 mm wide (roughly one brick width) remains. The wall is usually 230 mm thick (brick $230\times110\times55$ mm or similar), and the cavity gives the bond its name, "rat trap".

Plan of alternate courses (wall thickness t)
Course 1:  |#####|     |#####|     |#####|   <- header on edge
           |#######################|
           |#######################|  face stretchers on edge
Course 2:  |#######################|
           |   cavity (hollow)     |
           |#######################|

Features: about 25 percent saving in bricks and 10 to 15 percent saving in mortar and cost, good thermal insulation and a lighter wall. The cavity may be filled with lean concrete or insulating material.