Clay Bricks in Use

More information on the usage of bricks

Natural colour

Bricks are made from clay from different areas of the country. Local clays give distinctive colours to the brick, and different production methods give varied textures and finishes; making brick a versatile and ever popular construction material  

Versatile

Brick can be manufactured in special shapes and sizes to complement the surrounding environment, especially important in conservation areas. This additional flexibility allows for refurbishment or creation of the distinctive architectural features and ornamental designs typical of period houses.  

Strong and durable

Brick has been around for thousands of years. With our constantly changing weather bringing extremes such as floods and high temperatures, brick is substantially more robust than many alternative building materials. Resilient to water, wind and fire, brick also has inherent sound insulation properties, reducing the outside noise of modern society.  

Brick has a high thermal mass, which retains warmth in cold weather and heats up only slowly in hot conditions enabling easier maintenance of a comfortable temperature. Brick is solid, permanent and low maintenance, providing enduring beauty and extensive durability. Our bricks are manufactured to exacting standards and have a long life expectancy, guaranteeing a lifetime of comfort and protection.

 Little waste

With modern manufacturing processes and investment in more efficient kilns, little clay is wasted during brick manufacture. Unfired clay is re-used and imperfect fired bricks are crushed and used as aggregates within the construction industry. Materials from Alternative, Recycled and Secondary Sources (MARSS) are increasingly important in the manufacture of many clay bricks. In 2009 19.2% of our total raw material usage were MARSS materials, this resulted in almost 200,000 tonnes of clay being replaced by materials which may otherwise have gone to landfill or been considered to be waste.  

Environmentally sound

Bricks have low embodied energy (the amount of energy required to manufacture and supply to the point of use), due to their anticipated lifespan of 150 years. “Recent research has shown that the proportion of embodied energy of clay bricks for a modern semi-detached property represents just 1.87% of the total heating requirement for that house over a 150 year lifespan.”  

The BRE’s latest Green Guide to Specification has assigned the highest possible accreditation A+ to every external wall it rated that contained brick, official proof that brick has a key role to play in meeting the targets set under the Code for Sustainable Homes. The guide provides designers and specifiers with a user-friendly, yet authoritative guide to making the best environmental choices for materials and components. It is the industry bible for green ratings.  

Our Warnham factory is the first in the UK to be awarded the BES 6001 Responsible Sourcing standards (August 2009). The Warnham factory produces a sustainable range of bricks and uses 100% renewable electricity and 30% recycled water in its production process.  

A very small footprint

The Green Guide scores all brick construction A+, the best rating. The clay brick component of 1 square metre of brickwork produces 28kg of carbon dioxide by the time it is delivered to site. That equates to 0.0001867 tonnes per square metre a year, over 150 years.  

In context, the energy used to produce and deliver brickwork for an average semi-detached home is less than 2% of what will be spent heating that home over a lifespan of 150 years. The embodied energy of the clay brick is equal to 0.4% of total domestic energy consumption over a 150 year lifespan. Brick also has excellent thermal insulation properties, allowing the reduction of energy consumption when heating or cooling your home.  

Wienerberger bricks are sold and used locally, typically within a radius of 94 miles, which reduces the impact of transporting materials over distance, saving ‘Brick Miles’. Furthermore, Wienerberger is committed to opening regional distribution centres across the UK, such as Glasgow, Highbridge and Warnham, to offer smaller quantities locally.    

An extended lifespan

The lifespan of brick extends well beyond 150 years. A recent survey of 900 homes found that brick structures can have a lifespan of 500 years and more. Maintenance is minimal. In contrast to other materials, wind and rain and snow will not damage brick. Weather merely mellows it. And, when the time comes to knock down brickwork, it can be recycled on site – and old lime mortar bricks can be cleaned up and used again as bricks. So as brick ages its looks improve and the embodied energy becomes insignificant.