10. Expansion joints

1. Calculate the brick size
2. Calculate the course size 
3. Choose the right mortar 
4. Determine the mortar colour 
5. Tilt the bricks 
6. Damp proofing below ground level 
7. Provide a vertical dam 
8. Use closers 
9. Joists and lintels 
10. Expansion joints 
You can create expansion joints in 2 ways:
a. Straight expansion: this should have a 5 mm opening or a 10 mm opening with foam cords and sealer.
b. Stepped expansion: this should be open with a built-in guide allowing the walls to move freely independently from each other. This guide can be foil or a thin foam strip of 7 to 8 cm wide and 3 mm thick. This expansion has to observe the physics of the construction against a longitudinal wall and can therefore not be created on the corners of a building. 
11. Garden or freestanding walls 
12. Flat roofs