Belt course: Difference between revisions
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Adding short description: "Continuous row or layer of stones or brick set in a wall" (Shortdesc helper) |
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{{Short description|Continuous row or layer of stones or brick set in a wall}} |
{{Short description|Continuous row or layer of stones or brick set in a wall}} |
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[[File:Stearns-County-Courthouse-Detail1-Terra-Cotta.JPG|thumb|right|A highly decorative terra-cotta belt course between the brick and stone wall materials.]] |
[[File:Stearns-County-Courthouse-Detail1-Terra-Cotta.JPG|thumb|right|A highly decorative terra-cotta belt course between the brick and stone wall materials.]] |
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A '''belt course''', also called a '''string course''' or '''sill course''',<ref>{{cite book|last=Sovinski|first=Rob W.|title=Brick in the Landscape: A Practical Guide to Specification and Design|location=New York|publisher=John Wiley|date=1999|isbn=9780471293583|page=156|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0-Kw2IfWlEYC&q=%22belt+course%22+brick&pg=PA156}}</ref> is a continuous row or layer of [[Masonry|stones]] or [[brick]] set in a wall.<ref name=brickcourse>{{cite book|author=American Face Brick Association|title=A Manual of Face Brick Construction|location=Chicago|publisher=John H. Black|date=1920|page=110|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XTcyAQAAMAAJ&q=%22belt+course%22+brick&pg=PA110}}</ref> Set in line with [[window sill]]s, it helps to make the horizontal line of the sills visually more prominent. Set between the floors of a house, it helps to make the separate floors distinguishable from the exterior of the building.<ref name=morrison>{{cite news|last=Morrison|first=Hugh|title=Early American Architecture: From the First Colonial Settlements to the National Period|location=New York|publisher=Dover Publications|date=1987|isbn=9780486254920|pages=305–306|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Dk1qhPyIPfQC&q=%22belt+course%22+brick&pg=PA305}}</ref> |
A '''belt [[Course (architecture)|course]]''', also called a '''string course''' or '''sill course''',<ref>{{cite book|last=Sovinski|first=Rob W.|title=Brick in the Landscape: A Practical Guide to Specification and Design|location=New York|publisher=John Wiley|date=1999|isbn=9780471293583|page=156|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0-Kw2IfWlEYC&q=%22belt+course%22+brick&pg=PA156}}</ref> is a continuous row or layer of [[Masonry|stones]] or [[brick]] set in a wall.<ref name=brickcourse>{{cite book|author=American Face Brick Association|title=A Manual of Face Brick Construction|location=Chicago|publisher=John H. Black|date=1920|page=110|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XTcyAQAAMAAJ&q=%22belt+course%22+brick&pg=PA110}}</ref> Set in line with [[window sill]]s, it helps to make the horizontal line of the sills visually more prominent. Set between the floors of a house, it helps to make the separate floors distinguishable from the exterior of the building.<ref name=morrison>{{cite news|last=Morrison|first=Hugh|title=Early American Architecture: From the First Colonial Settlements to the National Period|location=New York|publisher=Dover Publications|date=1987|isbn=9780486254920|pages=305–306|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Dk1qhPyIPfQC&q=%22belt+course%22+brick&pg=PA305}}</ref> |
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The belt course often projects from the side of the building.<ref name=brickcourse /> [[Georgian architecture]] is notable for the use of belt courses.<ref name=morrison /> |
The belt course often projects from the side of the building.<ref name=brickcourse /> [[Georgian architecture]] is notable for the use of belt courses.<ref name=morrison /> |
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Revision as of 09:01, 27 March 2024
A belt course, also called a string course or sill course,[1] is a continuous row or layer of stones or brick set in a wall.[2] Set in line with window sills, it helps to make the horizontal line of the sills visually more prominent. Set between the floors of a house, it helps to make the separate floors distinguishable from the exterior of the building.[3]
The belt course often projects from the side of the building.[2] Georgian architecture is notable for the use of belt courses.[3]
Although the belt course has its origins as a structural component of a building,[3] by the 18th century it was almost purely a decorative element and had no functional purpose. In brick or stone buildings taller than three stories, however, a shelf angle is usually used to transfer the load of the wall to a hidden, interior steel wall. Flashing is used to cover the space exposed by the shelf angle to help limit the intrusion of water. Where flashing is considered aesthetically unpleasing, a belt course is often used.[4]
References
- ^ Sovinski, Rob W. (1999). Brick in the Landscape: A Practical Guide to Specification and Design. New York: John Wiley. p. 156. ISBN 9780471293583.
- ^ a b American Face Brick Association (1920). A Manual of Face Brick Construction. Chicago: John H. Black. p. 110.
- ^ a b c Morrison, Hugh (1987). "Early American Architecture: From the First Colonial Settlements to the National Period". New York: Dover Publications. pp. 305–306. ISBN 9780486254920.
- ^ Ballast, David Kent (2009). Architect's Handbook of Construction Detailing. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons. p. 93. ISBN 9780470381915.