A masonry wall is a wall built from individual units brick stone or concrete blocks laid in courses and bonded with mortar to form a structural or enclosure system with high strength fire resistance and long service life.

We build them in homes schools warehouses garden edges and retaining structures. Think brick walls CMU wall shear walls stone masonry wall garden wall block fences and composite masonry walls that mix a face material with a backup.

Masonry meaning and the definition of masonry

Masonry meaning
Masonry is the craft and method of assembling individual units brick stone or concrete blocks with mortar. Units may be solid masonry or hollow core blocks. Work includes bonds joints reinforcement and moisture control.

Definition of masonry wall
A masonry wall is a vertical assembly of those units tied together with mortar and sometimes steel. The wall can be load bearing or non load bearing.

What is masonry
A broad term for brick stone and concrete block construction in walls columns fireplaces and landscape walls.

Masonry what is it
A practical way to get durable walls that handle compression fire and weather.

Masonry wall taxonomy

By function

• Load bearing walls
  Carry gravity loads from floors and roof into the foundation. Common in low to mid rise.
• Non load bearing walls
  Partitions or façades that do not carry floor or roof loads.

By assembly

• Solid masonry
  Single wythe or multi wythe without a drained cavity.
• Cavity masonry wall
  Two wythes separated by an air space with ties flashings and weep holes. Better drainage and energy options.
• Veneer over backup
  Brick or stone veneer anchored to CMU or steel stud backup. Often called masonry wall stone veneer or brick veneer.

By reinforcement

• Unreinforced
  Relies on masonry units and mortar only.
• Reinforced masonry wall
  Steel bars in cells or joints plus grout. Handles tension and lateral loads.
• Post tensioned masonry
  Vertical tendons stressed after curing for low residual drift.
  

Composite masonry walls

Face material such as brick or stone with CMU or concrete backing. Gains cost control and performance.

Wall construction materials such as bricks and blocks

Brick masonry walls

• Clay or concrete brick. Many colors textures and sizes.
• Classic bonds running Flemish English.
• Great thermal mass and fire rating.

Concrete block masonry CMU

• Units 8 by 8 by 16 in plan with widths 4 6 8 10 12 inches.
• Hollow cores accept rebar grout and utilities.
• Specialty shapes lintel block bond beam block acoustic block.
• Common in CMU wall design and CMU masonry wall design.

Stone masonry wall

• Rubble ashlar or dimension stone.
  
• Anchors or gravity bearing.
  
• Premium appearance and very high compressive capacity.
  

Lightweight and alternative masonry materials

• AAC and CLC blocks
  Light units with good thermal and acoustic behavior. Plan for lower compressive strength.
  
• Fly ash or concrete bricks
  Consistent sizes and clean edges.
  
• Hollow block building
  Hollow core blocks reduce dead load and speed up work.
  

Mortar and joints

• Type N for most exterior above grade.
  
• Type S for higher lateral loads or below grade.
  
• Type M for heavy compression or foundations.
  
• Lime mortars for heritage work.
  
• Concave or V joints shed water better than raked joints.
  
• Joint thickness commonly three eighths of an inch in brick work.

Performance that owners actually feel

Structure and safety

• Masonry structures excel in compression.
  
• Reinforced cores and bond beams carry tension and shear.
  
• Openings need lintels or bond beams sized for span and load.
  

Fire

• Units are non combustible.
  
• CMU and solid walls can reach multi hour ratings with proper thickness and density.

Moisture

• Cavity masonry wall details control water.
  Air space clean of droppings. Stainless or galvanized ties. Through wall flashing with end dams. Weep holes at the base and over lintels.
  
• Solid walls need high quality repellent and good overhangs.
  

Energy and comfort

• Thermal mass smooths temperature swings.
  
• Add insulation in the cavity or continuous insulation on the backup to cut bridges.
  
• Pay attention to dew point so moisture does not condense in the wall.
  

Sound

• Dense wall masonry reduces transmission.
  
• Seal flanking paths at ceilings floors and penetrations.
  

Design and selection guide

Pick a wall type by goal

• Fast structure with built in shear capacity
  Reinforced CMU wall fully grouted at piers and ends.
  
• Premium façade with efficient backup
  Brick veneer on CMU or on steel studs with mineral wool in the cavity.
  
• Coastal or wet climate
  Full cavity with end dammed flashing and large weeps.
  
• Seismic or high wind
  Reinforced or post tensioned masonry with clear load paths.
  
• Tight dead load budget
  AAC or hollow masonry walls for partitions.
  

Thickness and sizing hints

• Brick thickness language half brick about 4 to 4.5 inches one brick about 9 inches one and a half brick about 14 inches.
  
• CMU widths from 4 to 12 inches cover most designs.
  
• Plaster or drywall adds about one to one point five inches if both sides get finishes.
  

Sustainability

• Long life low repaint cycles thermal mass benefits recycled content options and local supply chains.
  
• Lime mortars and gentle cleaners support heritage work.

Build sequence and craft that actually works

1. Footings and layout
   Continuous reinforced footings sized to soil capacity. Accurate first course.
   
2. Rebar and grout
   Clean cores. Correct bar sizes and spacing. Consolidate grout to avoid voids.
   
3. Bond patterns and coursing
   Running bond for speed. English or Flemish when structure or look calls for it.
   
4. Moisture detailing
   Flashing at bases shelf angles heads and sills with end dams. Weep spacing consistent. Keep cavities clear.
   
5. Movement and interfaces
   Control joints at calculated spacing. Soft joints at shelf angles. Isolate dissimilar materials. Backer rod and sealant at joints.
   
6. QA checks
   Tie embedment joint thickness tooling timing weeps open flashing laps correct.

Cost schedule and value

• Cost drivers include material class reinforcement density story count access and labor market.
  
• Schedule gains come from repetitive spans prefabricated panels exposed CMU finishes and early MEP coordination.
  
• Lifecycle value is strong lower maintenance fewer repaint cycles energy moderation and robust fire performance.

Operations maintenance and care

• Annual walk downs for cracks bulges efflorescence and sealant wear.
  
• Repointing with the right mortar type profile and color.
  
• Cleaning with low pressure water and unit safe cleaners after a field test patch.
  
• Breathable repellents where appropriate never trap water in porous masonry.

Troubleshooting and repairs

• Step cracks at openings
  Add or upsize lintels and bond beams. Place control joints near re entrant corners.
  
• Bulging veneer
  Verify anchors and spacing. Retrofit ties. Add shelf angles at long stacks.
  
• Interior damp spots
  Look for missing flashing blocked weeps or bridged cavities.
  
• Efflorescence
  Cut water entry. Clean with approved methods. Allow full dry out before any repellent.

Brick veneer vs solid brick construction

What is a brick veneer wall
A single wythe of brick anchored to a backup. The veneer is not load bearing. It needs anchors shelf angles and a drained cavity.

Full brick vs brick veneer
Full brick or solid masonry carries load or forms a thick mass wall. Brick veneer is a cladding on a structural frame or CMU.
Brick house vs brick veneer
Many modern houses use veneer over stud or CMU backup. Historic solid walls are thicker heavier and slower to modify.

What is difference between brick and brick veneer
Solid brick is structural or multi wythe mass. Veneer is a single wythe anchored to backup with a drainage cavity.

Brick stone masonry vs brick veneer
Stone or brick structural walls resist loads directly. Veneer supplies the face only.

Masonry wall vs brick wall
A masonry wall can be brick CMU stone AAC or a mix. A brick wall is one subset.

Landscape walls and retaining walls

Garden beds need stable wall blocks and wall stones. Landscaping blocks interlock and step back for stability.
Stone for retaining wall systems pairs with gravel backfill and drain pipes. Stone for retaining walls performs best with a geogrid where design calls for it.
Small landscape walls work with dry stacked wall block. Tall walls need engineering and proper CMU or segmental retaining details.

Drawings and details to request on any construction project

• Masonry wall section and masonry wall sections for each elevation.
  
• Masonry wall detail at base head sill control joint inside corner outside corner and shelf angle.
  
• Brick CMU wall detail at veneer shelf and flashing with end dams.
  
• Masonry wall design notes on rebar spacing grout lifts and bond beams.
  
• Masonry wall construction details for cavity width tie spacing weep spacing and WRB transitions.
  
• Design of masonry wall examples for shear walls piers and long spans.
  
• CMU wall design checklist including dowels lap lengths and anchor layouts.
  
• Masonry wall section detail for parapets with through wall flashing and coping.

Building with hollow masonry walls

Hollow masonry wall systems place two wythes with a cavity for drainage and insulation.
Hollow masonry keeps interior dry and improves energy performance.
Hollow block building with hollow core blocks reduces dead load. Reinforce and grout select cells per design.

FAQs short and direct

What is a masonry wall
A wall built from individual units bonded with mortar that may or may not carry loads.

What are masonry walls
Brick CMU stone AAC or composite walls used for structure partitions or façades.

What is masonry wall vs what is masonry walls
Same idea different phrasing plural refers to many walls in one project.

What is a masonry
The method and craft of building with brick stone and blocks.

Masonry definition simple
Construction with individual units bonded by mortar.

Define masonry work
Setting units in courses creating bonds joints and details that manage loads moisture and movement.

What are the three types of masonry
Brick masonry stone masonry concrete masonry. Many subtypes exist such as reinforced veneer cavity and composite.

Types of masonry wall in one list
Solid walls cavity masonry wall composite masonry walls reinforced masonry wall post tensioned masonry wall.

Types of masonry units
Bricks CMU AAC CLC stone manufactured stone veneer and specialty wall block.

What is masonry wall design example
Reinforced CMU shear wall with vertical 10M or 4 rebar at 32 inches o c and continuous bond beams at floor lines. Grout cells at ends and around openings.

What is masonry construction
Field assembly of units mortar reinforcement grout flashings and ties to create durable walls.

What is the difference between masonry and masonry veneer
Veneer is a non structural face tied to a structural backup. Masonry without the veneer word can mean structural mass or single wythe load bearing.

Masonry types quick list
Load bearing masonry wall non load bearing wall solid masonry construction cavity systems veneer composite and post tensioned.

Masonry wall section what to look for
Cavity width ties flashing end dams weeps insulation and control joints shown in one clear cut detail.

Quick checklist before you start construction of masonry wall

• Confirm loads and wall type early solid masonry wall or veneer over backup.
  
• Lock bond pattern coursing and control joint layout.
  
• Pick mortar type and joint profile.
  
• Specify cavity width ties flashing weep spacing and insulation.
  
• Detail lintels bond beams and anchors.
  
• Plan mockups cleaning tests and QA points.
  

We build strong walls by getting the small things right. Good ties. Clean cavities. Solid joints. That is how a masonry building stays dry straight and safe for decades.

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