2019-07-01 Homebuilding & Renovating

(Joyce) #1

Design & Materials BUYER’sgUiDE


ABovE, toP:the
homeownersofthis
housechosetopaint
thebrickfaçade,which
brightensthehouse’s
exteriorappearance.

ABovE:hgMatthews
hasrevivedthe
traditionaltechnique
ofwoodfiringbricksso
thattheyareglazed,as
seenonthishouse,laid
ina Flemishbond.

Right:thisgrand
housefeatures65mm
Antiqueorange
clampbricksfrom
FurnessBricklaidin
a stretcherbond.the
clampbrickrange
canbeweathered
toproduceanaged
appearancethat
almostmatches
bricksusedin
originalbuildings.

sand,cementandlimethroughout.
“Theperceptionofmortar
colourcanbevariedbychanging
thejointprofile,”saysSean
Wilkins.Profilescanberecessed
(bestusedwithfrost-resistant
bricksasthisprofileisn’tas
weatherresistantasothers);
struckorweathered(introduces
lightandshadetobrickwork,
goodstrengthandweather
resistance);curved(good
strength)andflush.

Whatarethecosts?
Thecheapestfacingbricks
arewire-cutandarebetween
£250/1,000and£400/1,000,
whiledistinctivehandmadebricks
areupwardsof£600/1,000.
Tocalculatehowmanyyou
need,thestandardmethodis to
workoutthesizeofthefacing
wallsinsquaremetresand
multiplyby 60 (thestandard
numberofbrickspermetre
squareofstretcherbond
brickwork).Onlinecalculators
likewww.brickability.co.ukcan
helpyouworkouthowmany
you’llneedforyourproject.

Colour choice
There are many colour variations
— from white to cream, yellow
through to orangey reds, browns
and blue tones, there’s a spectrum
for traditional and contemporary
designs. “The colours of bricks
are determined by the position
of the brick in the kiln and the
firing temperatures they reach,”
explains Jim Matthews, partner
at HG Matthews. Colour is also
down to the type of clay and the
surface sanding or staining that
occurs as well. Because colour
variation will inevitably happen,
it’s a good idea to mix bricks from
different packs before they’re laid.

Choosing mortar
“The mortar joint surface area
varies from 18% for stretcher
bond to 22% for header bond,”
says Sean Wilkins, Technical
Manager from The Brick
Development Association, so
you’ll want to make sure the
mortar doesn’t dominate or clash
with the brick and is in-keeping
with the overall design. Make
sure the mortar is appropriate
forthebrickyouchoosetouse,
too.Hydrauliclimemortar,for
exampleis a goodchoicewhen
workingwithhandmadebricks.
“Themortarallowsfornatural
movement,offersanimproved
aestheticwitha texturedfinishand
is availablein regionallymatched
colours,”saysJasonHughes.“It
is alsobreathable,allowingany
moisturewithinthebrickworkto
escapenaturally,reducingtherisk
offrostdamageandbrickfaces
‘blowing’whichcanbea problem
withcement-basedmortars.”
Whatevermortaryouendup
usingkeepit consistentthroughout
thejobtoavoidunsightlybanding.
Onceyou’vedecidedona mortar
mix,sticktoit, usingthesame

homebuilding.co.uk 81

MEtRicvsiMPERiAl sizEs
Pre-1965 houses were built
using imperial-sized bricks,
whichtypicallymeasured
9in(w)x 4.5in(d)x 3in(h).
nowmetricsizebricks
areused.they’re slightly
smaller at 215mm (w) x
102.5mm (d) x 65mm (h).

image:


Simon maxwell (top)


Useful contacts
BDA http://www.brick.org.uk
Ibstock http://www.ibstockplc.co.uk
MBH plc http://www.mbhplc.co.uk
Furness Brick
http://www.furnessbrick.co.uk
Wienerberger
http://www.wienerberger.co.uk
LRBM http://www.lrbm.com
Bulmer Brick and Tile
http://www.bulmerbrickandtile.co.uk
Imperial Bricks
http://www.imperialbricks.co.uk
HG Matthews
http://www.hgmatthews.com
York Handmade
http://www.yorkhandmade.co.uk
Free download pdf