Brick Articles

When you are looking for the perfect brick for your building project, you will want to consider several factors. Firstly, you will need to ensure that you have the freedom to choose the brick colour and maybe even style fits in with the aesthetic of your area. Some areas only permit building with a certain colour of brick. Secondly, the texture is a consideration.

As the weather warms up and the evenings get longer, many peoples minds turn toward that great summertime tradition, where the man of the house dons his apron and reverts back to his inner caveman to cook meat outdoors.

Most people would like some extra room at home, whether it be for an extra bedroom, a bigger lounge or kitchen or even a hobby room. However, fewer people can afford to move house these days so they look for ways to improve their existing property.

A frequent problem when making additions to any brick building is matching the bricks that were used to construct the original building. Whether the addition is an extension or a garage, the challenge will always be to source bricks that match the original ones.

How many times have you thought about adding to an existing brickwork construction, but have held back because you couldn't find the exact same bricks to match? Here at ET Bricks we are frequently getting enquiries from people who want to add on to an existing wall, or replace bricks that have been damaged by drilling.

How many times have you watched a movie where the home set is in a converted factory or warehouse? Vast open plan spaces to live in with the charm of bare brick walls.

Bricks have been used for building countless structures over many thousands of years because of they last for so long and are very durable. This and a number of other factors make them a sought after building material and contribute to their inherent sustainability.

There are many thousands of different types of bricks, they cover an ever increasing range of coulours and finishes but they can be broken down into a handful of basic types. The majority of these bricks are made from clay and are fired in a kiln.

Bricks of one kind or another have been manufactured from many different materials throughout the ages. Whether they be for the construction of a simple dwelling hut to a grand cathedral, bricks have been the staple building material for many centuries. The manufacturing process may change from location to location, but the overall use of bricks has remained pretty constant.

Depending on where you live, you may be restricted to a particular colour of brick for your property. The Olde Welwyn brick is a good example. A mellow red that is mixed with 25% grey tones to provide a mature weathered look, textured to give a traditional handcrafted appearance. These bicks form the bulk of properties in the Welwyn village and its larger neighbouring town of Welwyn Garden City, with very few exceptions.

We all know that bricks are used extensively around the world to make dwelling houses and office buildings. We are also well aware that there are many different styles and colours of brick for such building projects. What many seem to be unaware of is just how good bricks can be when used as an interior building material.

Rarely do we walk down the street and pay any particular attention to bricks. Bricks are everywhere and we generally take them for granted, why? Probably the reason we ignore bricks is because we are so used to looking at them on our own house when in the garden, or the view through the front or rear windows of our property may look directly at a very similar, if not the same type of build. Many people would think that a brick is just a brick, maybe different colours exist, but that's about as far as the changes go. In fact, the humble brick has more diversity and heritage than most would give it credit for.

When it comes to choosing the right sort of building material for your house renovation or building project, what is the best material to go for? Brick and wood are practical choices as building materials for homes. They also come in a massive variety of colours, finishes, treatments and styles. Brick and wood are natural to look at and very durable and they insulate well too. You can build a house from all bricks, one from wood panelling or a mixture of both. What factors should affect your decision though when deciding what building material to use?

Should you speak to any bricklayer worth their salt, they will tell you about the benefits of dampening any absorbent bricks before laying them!

When most of us think of a brick, we tend to think of a red lump of fired earth that is used to build houses. Not very inspiring, but practical nonetheless!

Should someone ask you to think of the most obvious use for a brick, your mind would most probably start to focus on house building and the construction industry in general. Bricks are without a doubt used for building more than any other use, but just what else could the humble brick be used for?

We have probably all seen it! That nasty white powdery coating that spoils the look of brick buildings. A recent development of luxury home in Hertfordshire looked amazing when they were finished, but within a short space of time, the majority of these attractive red brick dwellings were white with efflorescence. So what is the cause of this phenomenon and what can be done to prevent or cure it?

ET Bricks can source virtually any brick you want. We have been leading the way as a brick merchant for many years and not only manufacture superior quality bricks, we supply them from other renowned brick manufacturers too, so our customers can be certain of getting the bricks they want.

ET Bricks can source virtually any brick you want. We have been leading the way as a brick merchant for many years and not only manufacture superior quality bricks, we supply them from other renowned brick manufacturers too, so our customers can be certain of getting the bricks they want.

A facade is the front or face of anything,  but the term is mainly reserved to refer to a building. Facade is a pretty common word that is used for anything that changes the face of anything. The exterior face of a building which is the architectural front, is sometimes distinguished from the other faces by more elaborate architectural or ornamental details.

Glazed bricks have been used to great effect in many building projects over the years. They can really stamp the property with its own unique look and feel when incorporated into a period restoration project.

It has been claimed recently in the media that Britain is currently facing a shortage of house bricks! The sudden flurry of house building activity following the recession has been blamed for the severe lack of house bricks available.

When people think about having a new patio, they are faced with a bewildering array of paving slabs to choose from. Many of the slabs for sale at the local DIY centre look great, but are they really up to the job?

If you are you building a new property or possibly even refurbishing an old property, you may have considered using reclaimed bricks.

It's no just bricks that ET Clay Products are famous for, we have a vast range of cast stone and it really is taking off in a way we knew it always would! Cast Stone is often referred to by different names such as reconstructed stone, reconstituted stone, artificial stone, synthetic stone, manufactured stone and art or artistic stone. The two most popular names the buying public use for this product seems to be reconstructed stone and reconstituted stone, but the industry term for it remains 'cast stone'.

When somebody thinks of a brick wall, they tend to imagine a flat vertical surface constructed of bricks, but depending on the design or terrain, it can be so much more!

There’s far more to bricks than just the standard shapes! Imagine how monotonous architecture would be if all buildings were constructed from standard bricks.

Bricks are without doubt, one of the oldest known building materials. They date back to 7000 BC where they were first found in southern Turkey and around the city of Jericho. The first bricks were sun dried and made from mud. Fired bricks were found to be more resistant to the harsher weather conditions, which made them a far more reliable brick to be used in the construction of permanent buildings, where mud bricks would not have been sufficient. Fired bricks were also very useful for absorbing any heat generated throughout the day, and releasing it at night.

If there's one thing we really know about at ET Clay Products, it's bricks! We stock literally thousands of bricks in every conceivable size, shape, colour and texture. Choosing the right brick for your building project can be pretty daunting when you are faced with such a massive assortment of bricks, but then that's why we have friendly and experienced staff always on hand to help that process go smoothly.

The Wienerberger Dartmoor Heather Brick is a glorious red brick that has been a perennial favourite with our customers for quite some time. The enduring qualities of this versatile brick are the reason why customers continuously ask for this particular brick over many others.

The Wienerberger Peak Bordeaux brick is a glorious red multi brick that is ideal for so many building projects that require a naturally rustic looking red brick.

A home that has been constructed out of bricks displays more than just a style. The bricks allow you to offer a personal reflection of the people who live in the property. With bricks the designs are endless, there are so many wonderful finishes that can be achieved. You can transform your home into a beautiful, living experience with countless ways to have bricks make a real statement about the sort of person you are. It really depends on the sort of look and feel you want to achieve, a classic or modern design, one that is quietly understated with traditional lines or boldly announced in a look that could well be years into the future. The simple fact is that bricks, unlike any other building material can make for an unmistakably individual home.

At ET Clay Products, we frequently receive enquiries from customers regarding weathered bricks. There are many reasons why a client will need bricks that have a weathered appearance. Probably the most obvious reason for wanting weathered bricks will be for an extension to an existing brick built building.