Mortar Matters
For a long time the traditional red clay brick with natural mortar flooded the brick cladding market, and while that classic look will always have a place in the market, the range has drastically changed. The colour options available now in both the bricks and the mortar are almost endless, giving home owners the opportunities to really personalise their homes to suit their taste. But as the saying goes – with great power (or in this case, choice) comes great responsibility. Mortar is easily one of the most underestimated design considerations when building or renovating your home.
Let’s start with the look-
For starters, you may be surprised to learn that the colour of mortar you choose has a vital visual impact on the way your bricks will look, in fact on average the mortar makes up 15% of the wall. The red bricks shown on the right look very different with cream vs grey mortar, and this is only a small snapshot of the wall. When using any colour of bricks but especially modern tones the colour of the mortar will drastically change the look of the wall.
What are the colour options?
Mortar colour can be used to compliment or contrast the brick. Complimentary tones give a more relaxed and harmonious feel, while contrasting mortar can be used to create a more formal, crisp and distinctive look. Our natural mortar in New Zealand usually is grey tones, which can be left natural or oxides can be added to match the colour of the brick. Alternatively pre-bagged colour mortars can be used to give you the perfect colour. Examples of the colours available-
Please note – Ezy Mix mortar is available from our South Island store only. Mortar is not available from any of our North Island stores.
Don’t just focus on colour, what about the joint?
The choice of mortar joint can be used to help create a casual, rustic or formal look to your new home. Rolled joints create a clean contemporary finish and work well with nearly all clay brick styles. Choosing a flush joint will give a flatter appearance and lighten the overall look of your brickwork. Whereas an insert or square raked joint, can have a more dramatic effect by adding dimension and shadowing to the look of your clay brick wall.
For more information on anything discussed in this blog post or for further advice on how to choose the colour and joint for your mortar get in touch with your local Midland Brick branch.
