White Brick Slips

What Makes a Brick Slip White?

So in terms of brick slips, a simple answer is that the bricks that these slips are cut from are either white themselves, or have white applications on them meaning the faces we cut off to use as tiles are the same.

Primarily the way bricks come to be completely white is based on the mineral composition of the clay used. White bricks come from clay with extremely low iron content, meaning the redness you may associate with brick does not develop. This often needs to be enhanced by other additives such as calcium oxide and/or calcium carbonate, which are mostly added in production.

The other aspect is the firing temperature of the bricks- light colours are much better produced by slightly lower temperatures- around 1,000 degrees Celsius as opposed to 1,500 degrees Celsius for example will produce a much lighter product.

As we've come to understand more about firing bricks across the last century, we are able to manipulate the mineral content, firing length and temperature to get specific outcomes in colour, pattern and texture. However, brick is still crafted from natural clay so natural variation is always present.

How Are They Made?

Our range of white brick slips are mostly cut from full bricks. This means that a 'stock brick' i.e one pushed into a cuboid mould will have the character, specifically creasing and imperfect cuboid shape, created by that amount of clay being pressed. Once the brick is fired we can then cut each side off the brick to create 2 brick slips.

Our reclaimed collection has extra processes applied after the brick is made (but before cutting). They go through a tumbling process (like a big cement mixer) to not only misshape the bricks, but with application of slurries for some blends to create a more weathered look- this is what creates the whiteness in our blend 10 for example. After this process they can then be cut into the brick slips.

 Our contemporary range is a little different. Because they are meant to be perfectly sharp edged, they are simply extruded into the shape of a brick slip already, this economises the amount of clay and the amount of energy used to fire them. They are engobed with their colour to provide a baked in consistent shade.

How Are They Different From Each Other?

The temperature of firing, oxygen levels, length of firing and type/quantity of minerals present mean that there is a variation in colour between each blend, and the slips within each blend too. Each brick type is made to satisfy a different colour palette, and they aren't all completely white- or even white brick beneath the surface.

 Our blend 71 has ingredients which activate the colouring process after production- stimulated by water activating salts in the clay, it starts as a brown face and then develops to become white in variations, this creates differing levels of whiteness.

Things To Be Aware of With White Brick Slips

White brick slips are a beautiful way to give a light yet characterful appearance to your project, it's important to understand the balance in some of our blends, and that they may not be a pristine white.

The variation in quantities of lighter to darker colours can vary - from beige to white in blend 10 for example, or tan to white in blend 71.

It's also important to note that when wet they will appear much darker, and can appear more monotone as salts won't show, which create the lighter shades.

With such a light colour the mortar makes a much larger impact than on darker shades.

See below the effect that the different mortar colours can have on our white brick slips.