You might think: no pointing afterwards, so gluing facing bricks means lower costs. Yet, the total price of glued brickwork is often slightly higher than traditional masonry. This isn’t due to the construction speed, but rather the materials and the precision required.

Here are the 5 factors:

  1. More brick, less joint 🧱

    In traditional masonry, about 20% of your facade consists of jointing mortar. With gluing, the joints are razor-thin (4-6 mm), meaning your facade consists almost entirely of brick. Logically, you need more bricks per m² to fill the surface. You are essentially replacing 'filler' with high-quality facing brick, which impacts the price calculation.

  2. Cleanliness is key ⏱️

    Glued brickwork must be perfect immediately. With classic masonry, you can afford to be a bit messy because pointing happens later. This is not an option with gluing: adhesive on the visible side of the brick is difficult to remove. The mason must therefore work cleaner and more carefully, which demands more attention than traditional methods.

  3. No room for error (Time & Space) 📏

    In traditional masonry, the thick layer of mortar acts as a buffer where you can easily adjust bricks to get them level. With gluing, the joint is very thin (4-6 mm), so you lose that buffer. Additionally, gluing mortar sets much faster. The correction window is very short: the brick must be positioned correctly almost immediately. If you wait too long to adjust, you break the bond. This requires a steady, confident hand from the craftsman.

  4. Material costs 💶

    Gluing mortar is more expensive per kilo than regular mortar. On the flip side, you need much less of it (thin layers). While these costs partially offset each other, the balance often tips slightly towards the adhesive being more expensive.

  5. Specialisation 👷

    Not every contractor offers glued brickwork. Because corrections afterwards are impossible (you can't grind out and re-point like with a standard joint), it requires a confident contractor. Some specialists charge a small margin for this expertise.

Conclusion: With glued brickwork, you pay for aesthetics. The colour of the brick is more intense, and you achieve a massive, monolithic look. The price is determined by the combination of extra bricks per m² and the meticulous processing by the professional.