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CLAY BRICKS

Bricks are some of the oldest and most widely-used building materials. It would be incredibly challenging to find anybody who didn’t understand how frequently clay bricks are used, even in this day and age. Their widespread use in commercial builds, as well as their physical properties, speak volumes.

Even with modern civil engineering and commercial building projects using a variety of building materials these days, using traditional bricks is still a common practice. Anything from glazed bricks to standard engineering bricks (either Class A or Class B) have a place in modern commercial builds.

It goes without saying, however, that any type of brick needs to be of the highest quality. These materials play a pivotal role in this modern age of high-quality brick manufacturing and brick supplying, and low-quality products can have drastic implications.

mcp bespoke facing bricks

It’s easy for us here at Modular Clay Products to say, as well as our trusted partners, but understanding good quality bricks at the most basic level is essential. The brick quality may vary depending on the raw materials used as well as the brick manufacturing process used to create them. Nonetheless, whether using bricks for interior and exterior walls or load-bearing structures, if they lack in quality, then it can impact the overall build.

We have taken the time to outline what makes good bricks, in terms of both their physical and chemical characteristics.

HIGH-QUALITY BRICKS

  1. Uniform size and shape – a high-quality brick should have a standard shape and size, with plain and rectangular surfaces. The brick size (as standard) should be 215mm x 102.5mm x 65mm. However, sizes of brick vary across different countries, with UK bricks holding different uniform sizes to bricks in India and the USA.
  2. Compressive strength – brick compressive strength should be between 2000 and 5000 psi (15 to 35 MPa).
  3. Hardness – bricks should be sufficiently hard, with no impressions being left on them when lightly grazed.
  4. Water absorption – bricks should not absorb more than 20% of their weight in water, when immersed for 24 hours or longer.
  5. Texture – of course, brick texture varies considerably; the texture of glazed bricks will differ to that of long format bricks, for example. However, their surfaces should not be smooth to the point where mortars slip right off. They should also be free from cracks and stone nodules, with sharp and square edges.
  6. Low thermal conductivity – this should be low as commercial buildings built from brick should ideally be cooler in the summer, and warmer in the winter.
  7. Soundness – the brick should give a clear metallic sound, which rings when struck with another brick.
  8. Colour – there are numerous brick colours available, which is influenced by the chemical constitution of the clay as well as its burning temperature, kiln conditions etc. Good quality bricks should be well-burnt, as well as having a uniform colour. If bricks are under-burnt or over-burnt, they lose this uniformity.
  9. Brick earth – brick earth should be free from physical materials such as stones and pebbles, as well as chemicals like potassium nitrate.
  10. Durable – salt attack impacts brick durability. When excessive soluble salts are present, this causes efflorescence, and should not exceed 2.5% in burnt bricks.
  11. Strong – brick strength should be a minimum of 5.50 N/mm².
ceiling with red precast bricks

Bricks should also be soundproof, incombustible and free from lime-pitting.

Everybody should be aware of the above characteristics before using bricks in any commercial project. To achieve the best results possible, bricks that exhibit these qualities should be used. They will enhance the overall quality of the building.

It is therefore worth using reliable brick suppliers such as Modular Clay Products, to ensure you are getting the highest quality brick products from top, leading manufacturers.

clay brick wall

BRICK FINDER

Modular Clay Products have supplied numerous brick products to many architects, designers and reliable partners for their projects. You can read about them in our case studies page.

While our experienced and helpful sales team will be more than happy to talk to you about your requirements, we have a handy tool on our homepage. If you need assistance finding bricks that meet certain qualities and colours, you can use our built-in Brick Finder tool.

With this brick selector, you select which type you are after, which could be stock, wire-cut, water struck or even handmade bricks. You can choose variations, as to whether the bricks are multi or plain, and even select any particular colour shades. We have various colours available to choose from as well.

Not only that, but you can select a particular product, and compare it directly with another one. By highlighting the product image, select “compare brick”, then do the same thing for another brick. This allows you to see the respective brick qualities next to one another, for a direct comparison. The brick finder application can help you isolate exactly what you’re after in terms of aesthetics, dimensions and extras such as mortar colours.

If you need a precast brick solution, speak to us directly. We have extensive knowledge and expertise supplying bespoke precast bricks that accommodate specific shapes, sizes, colours and dimensions. Speak to us directly if you would like to find out more about our high-quality brick solutions.