What you need to know about handmade bricks
Jason Hughes, Managing Director at Imperial Bricks, looks at how architects, specifiers, developers and housebuilders can use handmade bricks to enhance kerb appeal and add value to developments. Imperial Bricks is the leading supplier of handmade, wirecut and pressed bricks in the UK, selling 15 million bricks a year.
Specifying the right brick is one of the most important elements of a development, whether it’s new build or refurbishment. Bricks offer durability, weather-resistance and minimal maintenance, but they’re also a major visual feature. The texture, size and finish of brickwork - and how it’s made - can change the style (and value!) of a building significantly.
But the product mix within the market is changing. There’s much more demand for handmade bricks. We’re getting more enquiries across the board - from general builders, self-builders and contractors, and architects and specifiers - and helping them choose the right brick whether it’s a renovation, extension or a new build is vital to ensure the success of their projects.
We’re also seeing more cases of planners requiring that bricks used in restoration or new-build projects, particularly in conservation areas, are regionally-matched for colour, size and texture to maintain an authentic appearance. They often want samples in advance, too. But genuine reclaimed bricks are expensive and difficult to source, particularly in
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volume. They don’t meet modern standards of frost resistance and there can be issues with waste too. Newly handmade bricks offer a real alternative to reclaims, but you have to know what you’re looking for to choose the right bricks for your refurb or development.
For example, regional variations in both colour and size are seen across the UK - and that’s down to the different clays that were available locally, and manufacture. Clays with high iron content, for example, fire red, while high lime content results in lighter yellow or buff tones. The North tends to feature more reds, browns and purples in larger 3” sizes, while London bricks are predominantly yellows.
Imperial Bricks has the widest range of ‘off-the-shelf’ weathered and reclamation bricks, using traditional handmade techniques. Our whole range - including London Yellow Stocks, Soft Reds and our new Waterstruck options - are CE marked and have the benefit of guaranteed frost resistance and an ongoing reliable supply chain.
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