Rowlock brick is a very important, historical, and aesthetic part of the window sills and wall copings. They are very beautiful that we are creating arches around the doors and windows. Here, we will explain all the important points about the rowlock brick systems that see in historical buildings. And you can find solutions that problems caused by them.
What is Rowlock Brick?
Rowlock brick is a type of brick that have multiple small bricks that are connected to each other. We place the bricks on each other to obtain the required system. So, it is very important to align the bricks to obtain the sills and copings.
They add very good aesthetic sight for the people who are looking from the outside. But there are important points to remember about these applications.
Applications
There are different applicaitons that we use in construction and masonry.
- Arches: Creating arches is very good and simple with rowlock applications. Placing the connected bricks to each other does not require lots of labor work like connecting the separate bricks.
- Sills: Creating door sills with these applications is also very common. They provide very good aesthetics for the door sills.
- Window copings: Also they provide a very aesthetic sight for the window placement.
Importance of Water Drainage
The water accumulation between the rowlock bridges is a serious problem that modern houses are facing today. Because water can escape inside these bricks and they can be problematic while we are trying to get out of them.
This is because of the structure of the rowlock brick applications. If we a-take a look at their structures of them, they have little clearances that can water flow to the inside of the arch or sill. This can cause different damages.
- In the warmest climates, they can lead to efflorescence. Because, there is a cycle that the water accumulates in these little rowlock clearances at night because of the condensation, and the accumulated water flows on the walls and sills. This complete action can cause efflorescence which can also cause dirt and damage to the walls.
- Also in cold climates or winters, the freeze-and-thaw cycle can cause very bad damage to the wall. Because there is a complete cycle that water freezes and thaws and this will eventually damage the wall structure that you have.
To prevent these problems, the use of flashings between the rowlock bridges and the other parts of the wall is a very common application. But it is very important to apply it correctly to the wall.
And also, in another system, they design the rowlock arches and sills with an incline. This incline helps the drainage of the accumulated water through the clearances.
Other Problems to Consider
There are also other problems that we need to consider about the rowlock bridges and arches.
- Because of the problem that we stated above, there will be a constant water flow to the window frames. And this can be a problematic issue and the constant water can damage and rotten the window frames. So, you need to take precautions to prevent this problem.
- And you can start to see water and moisture inside your home because of this problem. And this can cause damage to your furniture.
- The timber underneath the window can be rotten because of it. So, it can be very dangerous.
So as you see above, the use of rowlock bricks is generally very problematic. You need to be sure that you are applying the required precautions to prevent this problem.
Changing the Rowlock Brick Archs and Sills
Also, changing the old rowlock brick arches and sills is another solution to this problem. There are different brand-new applications such as Indiana Limestone that prevent all the problems that the rowlock brick systems cause. And they would provide the same aesthetics to the sills and arches of your house.
It will be very good to contact a masonry and masonry company that can take care of this problem that you have.
Last Words on Rowlock Brick Systems
As you see above, rowlock brick applications may seem like very basic systems. But you need to consider the problems that can cause because by the rowlock brick applications that you have in your home. We have all the common possible solutions to prevent the water accumulation problem with them. And it will be very good to contact with masonry.
Your precious feedback is very important to us! If you have any comments about these systems, please leave these comments and questions below.
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FAQs
The rowlock brick system is a system that has multiple little bricks that are connected to each other. And there are small clearances between these small bricks. Laying them on their face provides a very easy creation of the arches and copings on the doors.
Units are laid on their narrowest edge so their shortest edge faces the outside of the wall. These are used for garden walls and for sloping sills under windows, however, these are not climate-proof.
In masonry and wall working, the gap between two bricks is called the mortar joint. They are very useful for filling with concrete or grout to obtain the required wall structures for different systems.
The English bond is a brick bonding application that required many higher-facing bricks that provides very good bonding. Today, we use them for different engineering-level masonry applications.
While masonry applications, filling these holes with mortar provides a much better connection between the bricks that provide much better locking between them. So, these holes are very important for different kinds of applications.
