Skip to content An overview of Brick Cladding system
From heritage brick appearance to contemporary systems, brick cladding is widely used in Australian residential and commercial construction.
What is Brick Cladding?
Brick Cladding is an aesthetic layer of brick on the on the surface of a structure. Cladding may be a brick facing as thin as 10mm up to the full width of a brick. Importantly, Brick Cladding is not structural as is traditionally the purpose of brickwork.
Corner pieces are made and fittied to the corners of the building and the external window and door reveals, giving a seamless impression of brick work.
Types of Brick Cladding Systems in Australia.
- Glued on brick facings. Only for low levels, brick facings may be glued to a wall giving the appearance of real brick work. Glued at 10mm spacings the morter is added to the bick façade in a separate action.
- Brick facings on rail system. Steel or aluminum rails are fitted the structure of the building enabling brick facings to be grooved and mechanically fitted into those rails.
Brick Cladding and its drawback
Brick cladding installed without correct equipment and processes has a reduced lifespan for the following reasons.
- Insufficient surface preparation when gluing on brick facings will allow them to fall off.
- Insufficient skill and training when gluing brick facings will allow them to fall off.
- Inadequate fixing mechanisms will allow mechanically fixed cladding to fall off.
- Rail systems that are light and vulnerable to corrosion are at risk of falling off.
- Soft and more porous brick types will be less secure in rail systems and more likely to detach.
- Site labour installing these cladding systems is expensive and time consuming, disrupting and holding up the building process.
When any brick cladding failures occur on a building façade, the area beneath becomes condemned until the façade is replaced.
An alternative method for brick cladding
Brick inlay offers a solution to all of these brick cladding issues:
- Brick inlay is entirely installed off site.
- Brick inlay provides a secure fix of every masonry element into the concrete precast panel, (the building structure)
- Brick inlay saves the time and cost of site labour.
- Brick inlay is suitable most masonry products, with testing available.
- Brick inlay takes place in a secure and quality controlled environment.
Brick Cladding vs. Face Bricks: Choosing the Right System for Your Build
Face Brick, the traditional and original method of applying bricks to a building, is still the most common way to apply brickwork to single and double story buildings.
- Face brick is simple to organize and available at small scale.
- Face brick is generally the most economical way to apply brick work to a single or double story building.
- Brick cladding systems allow a builder of a large building the opportunity to separate and outsource the brick façade process.
- Brick cladding systems reduce the time and space taken up by brick layers on a large building site.
- Brick Cladding systems reduce the noise and congestion on a large or congested building site, when compared to brick laying.
Design Trends: Australian Brick Colours and Textures
Bricks colours come in and out of demand, with trend changes over the past 50 years favoring Red, Tan , Cream, Grey tones , and White.
With brick, a permanent structure, these trends have left our urban areas identifiable in age largely by the bricks that have been used.
Some designers strive to be original, sometime at the expense of the building’s future fit with its surroundings. Others understand that brickwork, whether hand laid or in a façade system should always represent the earths natural colour palette. Both attitudes contribute to the success of brick as a building material and ensure it to be a lasting medium for centuries ahead.
Next Steps for Builders and Architects
For certified brick inlay solutions that meet Australian Standards and deliver consistent façade performance, contact Form Brick. Our systems are engineered for compliance, efficiency, and durability in both residential and commercial projects.
