7 Benefits of Investing in UK Bricks
If you’re an architect, there’s a slim chance you may think of bricks as old-fashioned building materials. While the future is hard to predict, the good news for us as brick suppliers is that these materials aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.
Therefore, the idea that bricks are a thing of the past is far from true.
At Modular Clay Products, we recognise our collective bias regarding all types of bricks and blocks to use for commercial structures. We’re glad, if anything, that we can look towards a future where all brick types are still as heavily used as they are in contemporary architecture.
Are Bricks Outdated?
Change itself is inevitable, regardless of the industry you’re in, what products you sell and what you use. As far as architecture and construction are concerned, how structures are built, along with the methods and materials used, are constantly changing.
Modern innovation in brick manufacturing and brick matching helps suppliers like Modular Clay Products to source high-quality facing bricks for commercial purposes.
Even though brick has been around for centuries, retaining a timeless, rustic aesthetic, there are always ways in which they can look new and fresh. This is made even more diverse with the innovation within modern architectural design.
The short answer is that, no, bricks are not outdated at all. If anything, they’re the perfect blend of traditional and contemporary building materials. Many modern commercial buildings have endless design possibilities these days, with brickwork providing the physical performance and aesthetic value that architects and designers crave.
How is the Brick Industry Changing?
Brick masonry has been the most common method of building domestic and commercial structures across the UK. The construction industry is also experiencing rapid changes, making it more diverse than ever before.
During the early 20th century, brick buildings had fallen somewhat out of favour thanks to the large-scale introduction of reinforced concrete (both prefab and precast) housing. Many buildings made from this material are still around, ironically, looking more dated than ever these days.
The 2008 financial crash saw a temporary decline in demand for UK bricks, with architects briefly opting for alternative building materials. However, that was only a mere blip in an otherwise consistent history, with brick products being in heavy demand since the 2010s.
If you’re in construction, whether your uses for bricks are for load-bearing purposes or aesthetic appeal only (see brick slips), you’re in luck because these materials aren’t on the decline and don’t look set to be anytime soon.
7 Reasons UK Bricks are So Widely Used
There are numerous reasons why clay bricks have been the go-to construction material for the UK for such a long time. It would be difficult to summarise all of them in a short blog post, but we have outlined a few of the main reasons why clay facing bricks remain ever so popular in the commercial building industry.
- Brick withstands a broad range of temperatures and varying weather conditions. UK weather is unpredictable at the best of times, so it’s great peace of mind knowing that bricks won’t fail.
- You can order bricks in a wide variety of colours, sizes and textures, meaning you can get anything from blue glazed bricks to yellow long format bricks, far removed from standard red facing bricks or class B engineering bricks.
- Bricks can be used for almost any internal or external wall, load-bearing or not. This means even if you use steel, timber, stone or concrete blocks as load-bearing materials, bricks won’t detract from the structural elements.
- They’re durable and offer excellent insulation and noise resistance. Many brick buildings are still standing from centuries ago, having had very little (if any) maintenance work carried out.
- Bricks look timeless, meaning you can create unique designs, as traditional or as contemporary as you like.
- Alternative products like brick veneers give architects more control over the visual aspects of their buildings, without buying standard bricks in full for non-load-bearing purposes, thus saving money.
- Bricks are recyclable and energy-efficient, meaning you can use them repeatedly and feel at peace knowing you’re not causing immense harm to the environment.