How Many Bricks Do You Need in Your Construction Project?
Estimating the building materials is one of the most crucial things that you need to consider before starting with a new construction project. And out of all, bricks are right at the top of the list! For the construction of any brick structure, it is way too crucial to have a brick estimator calculator. If you don’t have a clear understanding of how many bricks do you need, your construction project will end up being a hassle! For instance, if you order too much less than what you need, it will delay your project.
On the other hand, over-ordering can be a complete waste of your funds. Bricks are not something very cheap, rather they are quite expensive. So, we need to be very cautious to determine the number of bricks that will be needed for building a specific masonry structure.
In this blog, we will discuss everything about the exact number of bricks that you would need for any construction project.
Let’s dive in…
How Many Bricks Do You Need?
If you want to construct a single-layer brick wall, all you need to do is multiply the length of it by its height to determine the total area. Now, you need to multiply the area by 60 to ensure the number of bricks that you would need. Finally, you should add 10% to make sure that the construction wastage is calculated in it.
This is what we have to say in summary for calculating the standard number of bricks to be used in any construction project. However, you should remember that the number of bricks also depends on the type of structure that you want to build.
How Will You Determine the Type of the Structure?
Source: staticmb.com
Firstly, it is important to determine the purpose of using the bricks. Though it might sound simple, you can use bricks for different purposes. You can have a diverse use of bricks, from constructing a simple patio wall to building a fireplace. Depending on the type of wall you are constructing, you can have an idea of how many bricks you will need.
Half-Brick Thick Walls
Source: self-build.co.uk
A half-brick thick wall is also known as a single-layer wall. The width of this kind of wall is equal to one brick. The longer side of the brick is also known as the stretcher side. It is the exposed side as bricks are laid horizontally there. If you decide to use a standard-sized UK brick, it indicates that your wall has a width of 65 mm.
A half-brick wall is generally used as an exterior façade and it is usually placed over the top of a solid interior wall system to provide extra stability. To build a half-brick thick wall, you need 60 bricks for each square meter.
However, the ideal number of bricks that you should go for vary for other types of walls that are generally built.
For Single Brick Piers/Pillars, you need 14 bricks for 1 vertical meter.
For One and Half Brick Pier, you need 34 bricks for 1 vertical meter.
For One Brick Thick Wall, you need 120 bricks per square meter.
How to Calculate the Surface Area of the Construction Area?
Now that you have selected the type of wall that you want to construct with bricks and the number of piers that you need, you need to figure out the surface area now. For determining this, you should start by measuring the length and height of the structure that you want to construct.
Next, you have to multiply the length with the height. In this step, you need to ensure that you are considering only the measurements of the wall. If there are any piers, they should be calculated separately and added at the end of the calculation.
Here is the formula to follow:
Length of the Wall x Height of the Wall = Surface Area
How Many Bricks Will You Need?
Source: calculators.io
After you are done with taking the surface area measurements, you need to multiply that by the type of wall that you are planning to build. This will help you get the number of bricks that you will need for building your wall.
Here are the formulae:
Number of Bricks You Will Need for Half-Brick Thick Wall = Surface Area of the Wall x 60
Number of Bricks You Will Need for One-Brick Thick Wall = Surface Area x 120
Number of Bricks You Will Need for Single Brick Piers = Vertical Metre x 14
Number of Bricks You Will Need for One and Half Brick Piers = Vertical Metre x 34
We should not forget the wastage here. It is a very common instance that bricks often get damaged while loading and unloading. Hence, you need to always factor in an approximate 10% wastage in case of such situations.
Wastage = 10% of Total Quantity of Bricks
Also Read: 12 Limewashed Brick House Ideas to Enhance Your Home
Precise Brick Calculations Are Crucial for Successful Construction Projects
Getting the brick calculations right is very important for any construction project. If you get it wrong, there will be a lot of hassles that will cost you huge! Hence, the above calculations are highly important for the successful completion of different construction projects. So, get them correct and estimate exactly how many bricks you need.
