TB/20 – Movement Joint in Facing Brickwork

This brickwork movement joint detail illustrates a vertical joint formed through the external facing-brick leaf of an insulated masonry cavity wall.

It is intended for architectural designers, building professionals, contractors, developers and self-builders coordinating masonry movement, weather protection and cavity continuity. For a plain-English introduction to the wall construction, see our related cavity-wall guide; Approved Document A provides the official structural guidance.

The detail shows:

• Vertical joint through the external brick leaf
• Typical 10–15 mm joint width
• Compressible closed-cell filler or backing rod
• Low-modulus weather-resistant sealant
• Additional wall ties on each side of the joint
• Debonded movement ties where restraint across the joint is required
• 102 mm facing brickwork
• 50 mm clear residual cavity
• 75 mm cavity-wall insulation
• Celcon Solar aircrete block inner leaf
• Plasterboard on dabs with skim finish
• Continuity of insulation behind the joint
• Continuity of DPCs, cavity trays and cavity barriers

The accompanying specification notes cover movement-joint spacing, positioning near corners and openings, joint formation, sealant, wall ties, insulation continuity, fire stopping and coordination with the structural design.

What This Brickwork Movement Joint Detail Includes

• One downloadable PDF construction drawing
• A3 landscape sheet
• Drawn at 1:10 when printed at 100% on A3 paper
• Drawing reference: TB/20
• Detail title: Movement Joint

Important Information

This is a standard construction detail intended to provide general guidance. The final joint locations and spacing must be confirmed from the brick manufacturer’s recommendations, masonry type, wall dimensions, exposure conditions and structural design.

The joint shown applies to the external brick leaf only unless a corresponding joint is required in the inner leaf. Standard rigid ties, reinforcement or other rigid components must not bridge the movement joint.

The drawing does not include a project-specific masonry movement assessment, structural design, fire engineering or Building Regulations approval.

The PDF is supplied for use by the purchaser on their own projects. It may not be resold, redistributed or reproduced for commercial resale without written permission.