STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS


SIZE & SHADE


The diversity in brick colours around the UK is down to the local clay. Even within a small area, the shades can change significantly. or eample, London is known for its Yellow Stock bricks, but red bricks are also common in parts of the capital. Buff shades are popular in Cambridge, while in the north, rustic reds and oranges – and even blues – are traditionally found.


Pollution (centuries of smog in London!), weathering, and the different firing and finishing techniues hae a significant effect on the colouring of a brick. Blackened and authentically coal-spotted bricks can be added to a pallet of bricks to create an authentic ‘reclaimed’ look once they are laid. Replicating traditional clamp firing, which was used in Yorkshire and the north, creates mixed hues of brown, red, purple and yellow, where the bricks are stacked on top of each other. Before 1965 all bricks were ‘imperial’ sized, so if you’re repairing or extending a period property the bricks should be matched appropriately. But note that imperial sizes differ depending on the region, with bricks in the north traditionally larger (3 inches high) than those in the south (2 5/8ths inches high). If you’re working on a new build,


42 www.sbhonline.co.uk


Handmade bricks will always trump machine-made bricks in terms of character and charm


then a range of handmade bricks are also aailable in metric sizes, to fit with modern lintels and blocks. These can be aged and weathered (even ‘tumbled’ to soften the edges for a reclaimed appearance) to suit. Brick slips for cladding are a further option, to ‘reskin’ a property, covering up inappropriate brickwork or unsightly rendering, or match existing brickwork on neighbouring buildings. Slip systems can also be used with timber framing for fast-track construction. inally, the pattern in which your bricks


are laid (the ‘brick bond’) can have a maor impact. The lemish bond, for example uses alternative stretchers


and headers (the long and short sides of the brick) in each layer (or ‘course’), while the English bond features a row of stretchers and then a row of headers. And brick ‘banding’ can introduce another brick colour to wrap or band around a property, adding visual interest.


ETHICAL TRADING & ACCREDITATIONS Whatever bricks you choose, and whether theye been specified by an architect, recommended by a builder or builders’ merchant, or you’re sourcing directly from the manufacturer, it’s worth checking their ethical trading policies, as well as quality accreditations. And also check that the bricks you specify are the ones you actually get!


All new bricks used in the UK should be UKCA/CE marked, and tested to meet EU and UK standards for freeze- thaw, water absorption, compressive strength, soluble salt content, and tolerance. Ideally manufacturers and/or suppliers should be Sedex-audited – the benchmark for ethical trading used by companies like Dyson and M&S – and their factories accredited to ISO 14001 (for Environmental Management) and ISO 9001 (for Quality Management).


Jason Hughes is managing director of Imperial Bricks


jan/feb 2024


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