Brick Slips Explained

Traditional brick facades are still one of the most sought after finishes throughout the UK, however, with a continued shortage in the supply of bricks and a lack of skilled tradesman in the industry it has led to the development of ‘real’ clay brick slips.

Clay brick slips replicate the look of conventional bricks and are available in a variety of thicknesses and colours making them a popular choice for both contemporary and traditional projects.

What are Brick Slips?

Clay brick slips or ‘preformed’ slips as they are commonly known are manufactured and fired in the same way as traditional bricks. Clay is taken through the brick making process but rather than the normal brick creation, a slim line profile is used to wire cut and create brick slips, they are then kiln-fired in the normal way. Corner slips are also available and manufactured in this way to create a seamless finish for any project.

Wetherby’s ‘real’ clay brick slips and preformed corners have the ability to achieve a genuine brick appearance for a fraction of the cost and are readily available in a wide range of colours, textures and thicknesses allowing for all design aspirations to be met.

How thick are Brick Slips?

As they are designed to replicate the look of masonry, most slips are manufactured to match a brick’s conventional metric dimensions (215mm wide and 65mm tall), however, they are available in various thicknesses to suit a number of construction techniques whether that be for external or internal use.

Wetherby offer the following thickness’ in Brick Slips 7mm, 9mm and 15mm slips.

How are Brick Slips fixed?

Brick slips can be installed in a number of ways, the thickness of the slip often determines the method chosen.

One process is to use specially profiled galvanised steel mesh which is fixed directly onto the existing substrate or EWI system. The mesh is fixed using specialist fasteners of the appropriate length to give a suitable penetration into all types of substrate to comply with wind loading requirements. The unique profiling of the mesh creates a natural brick coursing and joint width, which enables the installer to achieve perfectly level courses. Brick slips are bedded in adhesive mortar and pointed using coloured polymer pointing mortar to compliment the brick slip and provide a professional high quality finish.

Wetherby’s 15mm brick slips have been developed specifically to suit this installation method and are available in a variety of colours including complimenting shades of pointing mortar.

Another process widely used does not require the use of a galvanised steel mesh, instead the brick slips are fixed directly onto a unique brick slip adhesive. This method can significantly reduce installation times making it ideal for projects where speed of installation is crucial. The process is comparable to tiling with horizontal lines set out to guide the installation of each slip followed by the use of spacers which allow for a complimenting pointing mortar to complete the finish achieving a genuine brick appearance.

Wetherby’s 7mm and 9mm brick slips have been developed to suit this installation method and are available in a variety of colours including complimenting shades of pointing mortar.

For more information about all of our available brick slips and pointing mortars, follow our website here.

Brick Slip benefits

One of the most common uses of brick slips is to accompany an external wall insulation system making them an attractive option for upgrading the external aesthetic of a home or building. Brick slips not only provide a traditional look but can also be used to create a dual finish alongside thin coat renders to achieve contemporary facades making them a popular choice for architects, housing associations, local authorities, private landlords and homeowners.

Brick slips are extremely versatile and whilst they are best known for their external use they are fast becoming a trend for creating chic interior décor and making feature areas within the home. For example, fire place surrounds, kitchen splashbacks, feature walls, bathrooms etc.

Wetherby’s brick slips can be matched to a project exterior, for a continuous theme and design throughout a building, creating an authentic exposed brick look within the home.

As discussed throughout this post, brick slips offer many benefits so it’s no wonder they are becoming increasingly popular as a finish and more widely chosen over the conventional brick. Here’s a summary of some of the main benefits:

• Offer a professional, real brick finish
• Easy to install
• Faster application compared to traditional methods
• Suitable for both internal and external applications
• Cost effective
• Ideal to accompany an external wall insulation systems
• Wide range of shades and complimenting pointing mortars to suit any design aspiration

Wetherby Building Systems offer a wide range of brick slips in an array of colours, textures and thicknesses that are suitable for internal and external use.

For more information about Wetherby’s Brick Slips or any of their BBA approved external wall insulation systems, please contact the Technical Team on 0800 1073299 or visit the website here!