Brickwork, Blockwork & Stonework

Brickwork

Bricks made in the UK are unique with a soft warmth, and when you get it right, we believe you can create some of the most beautiful buildings in the world. 

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Matthew

Matthew started with us as an apprentice bricklayer in 2018 and since completing his City & Guilds qualification, has spent nearly a decade building his experience with a wide range of brickwork on jobs both big and small. Matthew is passionate about his work, in particular, stone flint walling and restoration brickwork, which involves the use of hydraulic lime mortar. 

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Roger

Roger has been laying bricks since 1971, long before Alec Oakley Ltd was established, and used to run several teams of subcontractor bricklayers, so has plenty of experience in this area.

Over the years, working primarily in the Essex and London area, Roger has been involved in new build housing, retail outlets and banks - you name it, he's done it!

 

Roger is passionate about creating sympathetic new builds and in particular, is really excited about the building regulations that seek to decrease the environmental impact of building houses, and help to create a more sustainable future. With wider cavities for brickwork and insulated brick walls, heat loss is significantly minimised and new builds now, in particular, are far superior to what we were building a couple of decades ago. Roger was one of the first in the area to build a fully insulated, passive house and feels it a real privilege to build new houses that are future proof and sustainable.

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​As well as new builds, Roger loves working with second hand bricks. There is something special about using bricks from an old house - with a sense of all the history that may have gone before - and recreating the work of someone else's hand. ​​​

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Stonework​

Knapped flint or solid flint stones can make a special addition to exterior walls and garden walling. Using natural flint stones with lime mortar gives the best result. 

Flint is a unique material to use and one of the things that creates the unique finish is the ability to select stones individually to create the look you want.

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For a similar but slightly more cost-effective option, you can also use flint faced concrete blocks, where the flint stones are already set in the blocks used to construct the wall. This gives a slightly more standardised, but still very effective, appearance. Building stone walls is a very satisfying job. 

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Blockwork

In some cases, we will use blockwork instead of timberwork on the inside skin of a house. Blockwork is currently around the same cost as timber and brick face, but it is marginally quicker to use blocks. Blockwork is often a popular choice, with people seeming to appreciate the solid and substantial form of the walls it creates, as opposed to the feel and sound of plasterboard with a timber frame.​​​​