Block Paving
Paving Slabs
Permeable Paving
Retaining Walls
Facing Bricks & Walling
Kerbs & Edging
Steps
0 products added
Products
Back
Predictions that Britain and Ireland could be about to enter a housing boom will be welcome news for housebuilders. To truly capitalise on the opportunity, a reliable pipeline of materials will be essential. This article looks at the effect that recent closures of clay brick manufacturing plants could have on supply and how concrete facing bricks, also known as masonry facing bricks, offer a visually stunning, cost-effective alternative that can help meet demand.
Today, it’s a very different picture. Recent clay brick factory closures mean that the UK market has lost between 300 million and 400 million bricks from its manufacturing capacity. The danger is that this gap in supply and demand could lead to longer lead times and rising costs which could in turn impact the build schedules of some new home developments, unless housebuilders take steps to safeguard material supply and prices now.
That’s where concrete facing bricks come in. They are manufactured from cement, aggregates and iron-oxide pigments, and are available in the same standard sizes as clay bricks, providing a durable alternative that will help turn the design into a reality.
For architects, one of the key factors when selecting bricks for developments is aesthetics. The word concrete can conjure images of cold, drab greys, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Today’s masonry facing bricks are available in smooth and tumbled finishes and come in a range of colours from warm reds and vibrant buffs to contemporary slate greys. These features can not only make them indistinguishable from the clay brick alternatives when used in external walls, but can add dimension to the design by creating a stylish modern look or be used to blend with surroundings.
It’s important to remember that the architect’s vision is not the only consideration when choosing brick colours. There are instances where the local plan means that housebuilders need to match the style and colour of bricks used in the surrounding area.
Some housebuilders, familiar with the properties of clay, look for reassurances regarding the consistency and colour fastness of concrete facing bricks. This is not an issue as most reputable manufacturers use high quality iron oxide pigments to produce a colour that is consistent throughout the entire facing brick.
Masonry facing bricks are also vapour cured for a minimum of 12 hours during the manufacturing process to help reduce the possibility of efflorescence.
Whilst a concrete facing brick is slightly heavier than a traditional clay one, the weight difference is marginal. What’s more, consistency of sizing means that concrete facing bricks help bricklayers achieve straight perpend joints which helps to improve the laying speed. As a result, tests have shown that masonry facing bricks can be laid with just as much efficiency as clay. This means that lifts of 1.5 metres or 20 courses can be achieved per day (BS 8000-3).
There are some minor differences between how traditional clay bricks and modern concrete facing bricks are laid, but most bricklayers are proficient with both. If, however, your installation team is new to laying concrete facing bricks, most manufacturers produce step-by-step installation guides and will have a technical team on hand to provide tailored advice and support, ensuring they can get up to speed extremely quickly.
Rodney Allen. Surveying Manager – Antrim Construction Company:
Tobermore provides us with a first-class product, have a great range of colours within their facing bricks, and service and delivery is second to none.
Embodied carbon encompasses all the carbon generated during the manufacture of a product, including the extraction of raw materials, the manufacturing process, the transportation of the end product to the building site, and what happens to the product at the end of its life.
The average levels of embodied carbon in clay bricks are 453.19kg CO2 per 1000 bricks which, as an example, is 56% more than the levels of CO2 in Tobermore’s Kingston facing bricks. To ensure that you have accurate figures regarding the sustainability of the bricks you are specifying, always ask your manufacturer for the Environmental Product Declaration (EPD), which will include the specific levels of embodied carbon for that product.
As discussed at the beginning of this article, cost and availability are of paramount importance to ensure that build-programmes can be delivered on time and on budget.
Advanced manufacturing methods mean that facing bricks are quick and easy to produce, so if they are not available from stock, they can often be delivered in as little as two or three weeks.
In terms of price, masonry facing bricks are typically more cost effective, costing typically more than 10% less than clay as a guide.
Ultimately, we know the UK and Ireland need more homes, so it makes sense for housebuilders to take steps now to ensure that their supply chain partners can deliver the materials they need when they need them.
While clay bricks may be in limited supply, concrete facing bricks are readily available, and this, together with their design aesthetics, cost-effectiveness and ease of installation, means that switching to concrete facing bricks now means that housebuilders will be poised and ready to capitalise on the next housebuilding boom.
For one off orders, we can usually supply our walling products from stock or can typically make these to order in two to three weeks. More than 98% of deliveries to the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland arrive on the day of request, giving customers the confidence that their project deadlines and timescales can be met.
Book a virtual consultation with our expert team and let us make hard landscaping easy. We will pitch in and provide you with the inspiration you need to achieve your design aspirations.
