Clay bricks have shaped the construction and interior design industry across the world for centuries. Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) Department for Business Innovation and Skills in the United Kingdom show continued positive market conditions with a significant year-on-year rise in clay brick deliveries published for Q4 2016 (up 26% compared to the same period in 2015), a trend that has continued in the first quarter of 2017, which has seen deliveries increase by 17% against Q1 2016.
While many skylines cross the metropolitan cities of Dubai, Riyadh, Kuwait City and other capitals across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) are characterized by skyscrapers made from materials such as steel, reinforced concrete and glass, conventional brickwork remains a popular option for many interior and exterior projects in the region.
As sometimes it is not possible to use real brickwork for buildings in the GCC, brick slips are a fantastic way to replicate the look of masonry work in both new build and renovation projects. For architects and designers preferring to produce a more traditional finish for their clients, brick slips are a cost-effective and efficient way to achieve the look of a natural brick wall for surfaces such as bathrooms, kitchens, indoor feature walls and external wall cladding.
Usually, these thin sections of brick are manufactured by being cut from the surface of a standard brick or, alternatively, they are produced by running extruded clay down a production line where a wire section is cut and then fired before it is baked.
The conventional metric dimensions of most brick slips are 215mm wide and 65mm high, although they can be made to measure for a special look. Standard thicknesses for slips are 15mm, 20mm, 25mm, 30mm, 40mm and 50mm but may vary depending on the manufacturer or brick type. Bricks slips are thinner than conventional bricks taking up less floor space on the inside or outside of the building.
Using brick slips is simple and hassle free. The single unit brick slips are assembled onsite and special adhesive is applied to set them in place. Horizontal lines are used to ensure uniform positioning.
According to Hannah O’Toole, Marketing Manager of Riyadh-based Al Diyar Al Atiqa, the leading manufacturers and suppliers of high quality clay bricks for construction and interior design across the GCC, there has been a steady increase in sales across their brick slips range in Q1 2017 which saw sales figures grow four fold in April 2017 when compared to February of the same year.
“We find this extremely encouraging and it suggests a growth in the adoption of brick slips in the construction and interior design industries in the region,” she explains. “With our understanding of the changing interests of the market place we will be expanding our range of high quality European cladding brick slips to help our customers achieve the desired look of any project, whether it is interior or exterior, commercial or residential.”
With a variety of new colors and textures coming soon, the Al Diyar Al Atiqa range of brick slips give a natural finished look that is cost effective and easy to install. Colors will include red terracotta, black, brown, white, yellow and grey and the surface of the bricks can be designed to look aged and rugged, or smooth and sleek, depending on your design preferences. All products are certified for water absorption, fire resistance and ISO quality. This helps to ensure you choose exactly the right product for your specification.
