above:  Red fire place bricks

Bricks Ireland offers variegated types of bricks.  From its colors to its styles and even to the brick’s types, it is offered in Bricks Ireland.  In fact Bricks.ie has included about 500 various types of bricks.  Bricks here in Bricks Ireland have been categorized into:

1.  COLOURS:
Main colours include:

• Red brick
• Yellow brick
• Blue brick
• Brown brick
• White brick

Others are:

• Grey brick
• Black brick

Though they are classified according to its colors, they are can also be a handmade, reclaimed, traditional wire cut, facings, rustically or retro, buff or fire place smooth glazed, tumbled, pressed, or stock bricks.  Its colors can also differ with regards to its shading.  Take for example the red bricks; there are red bricks available in light to dark red bricks.  Some bricks are also made to appear rustically in red color to terracotta red bricks and even with burgundy red shade.  These bricks can be low cost and some are really expensive, it depends on you and your budget and Bricks Ireland surely offers the best quality of bricks.   Solid, perforated, frogged, solid or perforated are the format or pattern which are obtainable with the bricks from Bricks Ireland.

2.  TYPES OF BRICKS:

• HANDMADE BRICKS:

These are bricks made out by the bare hands or also known as done through a hand process, so there is no any machine included in the making of it.  They provide a unique and distinctive beauty since they are created through a hand moulding process.  There are a lot of possible colors for handmade bricks that are made to be available by the Bricks Ireland.

• SMOOTH GLAZED:

Smooth Glazed bricks created smoothly with a shiny coating.  They are especially made and are very much ideal to serve in setting the colour highlights.  The glazing of these bricks is extravagant and adorable to look at.

• PRESSED:

Pressed bricks are built through exerting much pressure on them.  They are greatly subject to pressure and mouldings before they are burned to shape it well.

• STOCK:

Stock bricks are very much appreciated when they are used in the foundation of any building or houses and on benches as well.  They do well with foundations of any buildings or constructions.

• TUMBLED BRICKS:

The type of bricks which are founded through face bricks which are then made to undergo the process of twirled and twizzled in a drum for it to be molded into a tumbled appearance.

• TRADITIONAL WIRE CUT BRICK:

These are bricks that are cut from clay and they are moulded through the process of extruding the bricks before they undergo heat.  The long bars of bricks are then cut by the use of wires giving it a pleasant and good looks.  The state of the art craftsmanship strategies helps the traditional wire cut bricks look that good.

• ENGINEERING BRICK:

Engineering bricks are known to be more solid, durable yet not so presentable to look at compared to others.  They are generally used for ground works or for retaining walls due to their known ability to withstand longer than ever possible.  When you are looking for hard wearing and sturdy brick type, engineering type of bricks are offered in Bricks Ireland.

• RECLAIMED BRICK:

From the old or inactive buildings, bricks are usually being taken and processed again to be sold, which are then called as reclaimed bricks.  Its looks are usually ideal for building an antique looking structure and that; they are also cheaper compared to new bricks.  For those who are having plans to buy some bricks and only have small budget, reclaimed bricks are the right ones for you since they are cost effective bricks.

• FACINGS BRICK:

These facings bricks are usually made to be placed on a building façade, used on more exposed areas like front walls of a construction.  They do have attractive appearances and they are available in a variety of colors.

• RUSTIC BRICK OR RETRO BRICK:

These are facings brick which are having sand covered surfaces.  It is popular for its scratched texture which applied before heating the bricks.  These rustic or retro bricks have many different shades of colors.  These are usually chosen by many buyers because its appearance is plain and simple.

• BUFF BRICK:

They are the type of bricks which are ideal in constructing something or restoring some structure into good repair and also in doing extension works.  These are the type which could be placed anywhere.

• FIREPLACE BRICK OR FIRE PIT BRICK:

The colours which are achievable with regards to fireplace brick or for fire pit brick use are red, yellow, blue, brown, white and buff shades.  Among it all, red coloured bricks are the most popularly applied in fire pit areas.  They usually undergo being clay fired and are primarily built with a very high heat level of tolerance since they are designed to be placed on fire places.   But, though they are created to withstand extreme heat exposure, direct contact with naked flame is still prohibited to avoid burning and damaging the fire place or fire pit brick.

3.  BRICK FORMATS:

• SOLID – these are bricks having the unbroken format.  There can be no gaps or holes in it.  Therefore they are solid in appearance, with strong and secured construction.

• PERFORATED – Perforated bricks are the bricks with perforations in its body.  This is the brick format which has decreased weight.  Also, these perforated bricks are easier and quicker to be burned due to the fact that it dries quickly.

• FROGGED – Has indentations on one of the longer faces

• SOLID/ PERFORATED – can be whole or with holes

above:  A residential construction with a building facade designed with red bricks

Picking the right brick is very much necessary to be able to come up with a beautiful and durable structure.  Bricks in the first place are very much admirable and are best to be placed on the walls, patios and any other structures of a building since they are of good durability.  They have been known to be hard wearing materials and if they are well selected and placed on where it has been designed to.   For you to be able to attain the most out of your expenses, you must pick the right brick to be structured.  Here are some of the helpful tips for you to use as a guide in purchasing some:

• Firstly, in choosing the right brick, you must know where it must be placed or used.  Bricks are also categorized into interior and exterior designs which most people have a problem with.  Interior bricks are designed to be used inside, and exterior ones are for outside use to avoid failure and waste of your effort, time, and money.  If you are finding some bricks which will be used outside the house, which is known to be freeze prone areas, SW or severe weather bricks are the ideal bricks.  In outside areas where, there is only a medium chance to be exposed to a very cold weather, MW or moderate weathering bricks can be placed.  Interiorly designed bricks or Interior grade bricks are only designed for indoor use and if you are building a fireplace or fire pit, specially crafted bricks must then be used.
• Secondly, decide of it is for structural use, decorative, or whether the bricks are for ground work.  This is done in order to match the details of the bricks on the area will be placed.  There are available units of bricks for a particular use of it.  Structural bricks are designed to have holes cut through its center and they are generally used for creating interior design with bricks or designing the exterior walls.  The holes that were placed on each brick minimize its individual weight.  The appearance of the each brick would not be destroyed since the top of the brick will be invisible or hidden from the viewer’s point of view.  On the other hand, face brick do not have any holes at all.  They are mainly used in the creation of walls along with the brick floors or the patios.  Nevertheless, if you are planning to have it done on your walkways or any other hardscapes areas, brick pavers are the suitable bricks; they are made to have a rectangular or square shape.
• The third one is to choose according to your taste.  The appearance of the bricks must be taken into consideration.  The profile, its color and any other properties of it must be included in the decision making.  Also, if you plan to add some bricks on your existing bricks, it is best to bring the existing bricks for you to have uniform bricks in the end.  Bring a sample so you may choose the right size, color or its finish, and the texture of it.   Small differences in size and especially in its colors are difficult to notice, that’s why it is advisable to bring the sample.
• Lastly, if you plan to buy those bricks which are really cheap in price, you may consider shopping and picking them ate a store where reclaimed bricks are available.     These items are already used but are also prepared to be used again.  This is used by some buyers as a strategy to have a sample to complement the older existing bricks or on the contrary, utilized by some people who are in search for an extraordinary type of bricks.