BREEZE BLOCK

Breeze Block Screens for Air, Light and Privacy

A breeze block is a cement block with a patterned opening, laid in a wall so air and light pass through while the view does not. Malaysian homes have used them since the 1960s for stairwells, porch screens and fences, and they are back in new builds and cafes. This category holds cement breeze blocks in several patterns, from a plain window to a bamboo, ball or double triangle motif. Choose a pattern by how much you need to see through it.

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Buying guide

Choosing and Building With Breeze Block

A breeze block wall is chosen by pattern, laid by a mason, and it stands or leans on the reinforcement you cannot see.

What to Look For in a Breeze Block

Pattern and openness. An open pattern such as a window or a ball lets the most air and light through and suits a stairwell or a porch. A tighter pattern such as bamboo or double triangle gives more privacy and suits a boundary wall or a bathroom window screen. Hold a block up to the light in the showroom.

Size and module. Blocks are square modules, so a wall should be a whole number of blocks plus joints in both directions. Plan the wall height and width in blocks before the builder marks out.

Finish. Raw cement paints well with an exterior emulsion. For a raw look, seal the face so dust and mould wipe off.

Where it works. A stairwell wall, a car porch screen, a wall behind a bathroom window, a balcony screen, or the infill of a boundary wall. For a solid feature wall with texture, brick veneer is the neighbouring category.

Laying and Structure

It is a screen, not a structure. A breeze block wall carries nothing but itself. It needs a footing or a beam under it and a column or a stiffener at intervals, and anything above roughly 1.5m needs a contractor to check the support. A tall unbraced screen leans within a year.

Mortar and reinforcement. Laid in cement mortar like brick, with a consistent joint of about 10mm. The hollows in some patterns can take a steel bar; ask the mason. A wall of openings shows every uneven joint, so the line matters more than on a solid wall.

Rain comes through. A breeze block screen lets rain and wind in. Fine for a porch, a stairwell or a wet bathroom; not fine behind a sofa or a bed.

Cleaning. Dust settles inside the openings. Hose the wall down now and then; a sealed face stays cleaner. The wider tile range covers the floors and walls around it.

Common questions

What is a breeze block?

A cement block cast with a patterned opening, laid in mortar to build a screen wall that lets air and light through. Also called a ventilation block or a vent block. Malaysian houses from the 1960s and 1970s used them everywhere, and they are back in new homes and cafes.

Can breeze blocks be used for a boundary wall?

Yes, as infill panels between columns, with a footing under them and a column or stiffener at intervals. A full-height boundary wall of breeze block alone, with no columns, is not stable. Get a contractor to size the supports.

Do breeze blocks keep rain out?

No. The openings let rain and wind through, which is the point of the block. Use them where wet does not matter: a porch, a stairwell, a wet bathroom, a garden wall. Do not put one behind a room that must stay dry.

Can I paint breeze blocks?

Yes, with an exterior masonry paint, after the mortar has cured and the wall has been brushed clean. Painting inside the openings takes patience; a spray or a small roller helps. Or leave them raw and seal the face instead.

How high can a breeze block wall be?

As a rule of thumb, a screen up to about 1.5m can stand on a footing with end columns. Above that it needs columns or stiffeners at intervals and possibly a bar through the blocks, and it should be checked by a contractor or engineer. The block is not the limit; the support is.

Count the wall in whole blocks before you order: cutting a patterned block is the part everyone regrets.

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