- Home
- Brick Reinforcement
Brick Reinforcement
Stop shrinkage cracks before they start
Hairline fissures around window heads and long masonry panels are almost always shrinkage- or movement-related—not workmanship. Bed-joint reinforcement cures the problem by spreading loads and tying panels together. At Spechunter you’ll find every major option in stock and ready for site:
Ladder & Truss Mesh – traditional 20–50 mm bar spacing for brick/block courses. See our full ladder reinforcement range.
Coil Mesh / Coil Lath – lightweight expanded-metal strip for general crack control and arch work; browse expanded metal lath.
Murfor® Compact – Bekaert’s game-changing glass-fibre and stainless tape that unrolls straight from the box; perfect for fast, lightweight builds. Explore Murfor Compact.
Stainless & Galv Options – 304 & 316 stainless for coastal or aggressive sites; hot-dip Galv for sheltered internal work.
Order before 12 : 00 and spend £200 ex-VAT for free next-working-day delivery. Need help choosing? Call our technical desk on 0118 922 7941—35 years of masonry know-how, free.
Why reinforce brickwork?
Control shrinkage & thermal movement
A 10 m brick panel can move ±6 mm between winter and summer. Bed-joint mesh absorbs that strain so the brickwork doesn’t have to.
Enhance robustness & impact resistance
Schools, hospitals and retaining walls get an extra safety margin when horizontal reinforcement locks headers together.
Tie in openings & changes in thickness
Mesh bridges stress points above windows, door heads and thin piers—greatly reducing the risk of stepped cracking.
Picking the right format
Situation | Good | Better | Best |
---|---|---|---|
Standard cavity walls | Vista V26 ladder mesh | Ancon AMR-S truss | Murfor Compact G (galv) |
Fair-face / stainless spec | Vista stainless ladder | Ancon AMR-S SS | Murfor Compact E (SS) |
Thin-joint blockwork | Coil mesh | Murfor Compact | — |
Brick arch centres | Coil lath | Murfor cut strips | — |
Need extra-wide 450 mm bed joint for blockwork flats? Browse our coil-mesh widths.
Material & finish guide
Hot-dip galvanised – Class A to BS EN 845-1; suitable for 50-year design life in suburban environments.
304 stainless steel – Class C; coastal towns or mild industrial sites.
316 stainless – Class D; aggressive coastal, chloride or swimming-pool zones.
Murfor glass-fibre – non-metallic, corrosion-proof and 10 % the weight of steel; cut with snips—no sparks!
Quick-order size chart
Mesh | Cavity width served | Roll/length | Link |
---|---|---|---|
Vista V26 Ladder (100 mm) | 90–110 mm | 27 m roll | Add |
Vista Coil Mesh V44 (112 mm) | 105–125 mm | 20 m roll | Add |
Ancon AMR-S (3 × 60 mm) | 80–100 mm | 2.7 m lengths | Add |
Murfor Compact E-35 (30 mm) | 100 mm blocks | 30 m roll | Add |
Installation best practice
Embed 50 ± 10 mm—central in the bed joint for 10 mm bedding mortar.
Lap 225 mm at joints (one full mesh module).
Stagger meshes on either side of the cavity—do not align joints vertically.
Recess over movement joints—stop mesh 50 mm back and link with movement ties.
Use stainless clips when weaving through wall ties so metals match and avoid bi-metallic corrosion.
Frequently asked questions
How often should I insert bed-joint mesh?
Every third course (225 mm) in high-risk panels, or as per the engineer’s spec. Above openings, run two continuous courses.
Can I bend Murfor Compact round corners?
Yes—glass-fibre tape bends easily. For steel ladder/truss mesh, cut and lap.
Does stainless mesh work with galvanised wall ties?
Mixing is allowed internally, but for lasting durability match stainless to stainless—see our type 2 & 4 stainless ties.
Is next-day delivery guaranteed?
Order before noon, spend £200 ex-VAT and check our delivery information for remote-area surcharges.
Complete your crack-control package
Bed-joint mesh rolls – Coil Mesh
Lateral restraint – 25/14 Channel System
Remedial stitching – Crack Control Bars
Need a schedule or structural calc? Contact us or ring 0118 922 7941.
Spechunter.co.uk – Chasing down specialist construction specifications since 1988. Fact checked and updated May 2025.
...