To Frog or Not?

Post date: 16-Nov-2012 12:40:04

Viewed in plan, certain machine pressed and hand made bricks show an indent. This feature, called the frog, has been the source of much conjecture. Should these bricks be laid frog up or frog down. The wider view is that it makes no difference, a view easily forgiven for those outside the trade (more on this later), but of some concern when heard from those in the trade. 

British Standard House Brick

Whilst a versatile product, brick is primarily used to evenly distribute and transfer a load, a function dependent on utilising all the bearing surface. Bricks laid frog down (ìfroggingî) tend to trap pockets of air between the brick and bed joint, leading to a reduced bearing surface. With the exception of weathering or cosmetic purposes, bricks should always be laid frog up. 

Improved physical key and more even firing were welcome refinements for builders. However manufacturers gained with a neat frame for the company name or logo, such as Cardup. 

Introspective tool collectors will be relieved that even stranger people collect bricks and choose to display the frog in preference to the face. Bricks from the original Indianapolis Race Track, ("the Brickyard"), and of course Australian bricks with visible convict thumb prints are examples of coveted bricks. 

Less effort is required to bed a brick frog down, so consequently a bricklayers production can increase. However this does carry the risk of being labelled a "frogger", only surpassed by the "cobbler" as a derogatory description of a bricklayers skills, and partially accounts for the up verses down confusion. 

Bricklayers, once well regarded artisans of many allied skills and dozens of bonds, sadly through the twentieth century experienced a considerable slide to one dreary bond and often more dependent upon wits than skills. 

The New Age brick layer could, with a clear conscience, frog down all day and only frog up the last visible course. Even when surpised by the stealth of the unexpected client he could still summon up his most convincing manner and supply a suitable explanation and so continue the spread of confusion. 

See also "From The Ground Up, Bristile, Whittakers and Metro Brick in Western Australian History", by Bryce Moore, University of WA Press. 

Thanks to P Kallarn, who does not collect bricks. 

Apparently the BBC building contracts explicitly state that the frog must be downwards, as this ensures up to 20% better acoustic density which must be more important to them than long term building integrity. This is a fact from the Internet. 

Editor