What is a facing brick?
A facing brick is a brick made to form the visible face of masonry. The Dutch verblendsteen is, in the strict sense, a hard, smooth brick with sharp arrises, usually perforated and with low water absorption. The name comes from the German “Verblender”, a brick that faces, and so hides, the structure behind it. In everyday Dutch building practice the word is also used more loosely for any brick in a fair-faced wall. In American English this is simply called face brick.
Properties
A classic verblendsteen is made from rich clays, shaped in an extruder, then dried and fired. The perforations mainly help the brick dry and fire evenly; they are not there for insulation. The result is a dense brick with consistent size and colour. Unglazed versions often come in shades from whitish yellow to red, and glazed versions in many more colours. That crisp, smooth look sets it apart from a hand-moulded brick with its lively, sanded surface.
Application
You find facing bricks in the outer leaf of a cavity wall, in plinths and in façades that need to look crisp and be low-maintenance. Glazed facing bricks were widely used in Art Nouveau façades, and the brick is used both outdoors and indoors as a decorative finish. In restoration work, look for a brick that matches the original in size, colour and surface.
Tips
- Frost resistance: for external walls, choose a brick the manufacturer declares frost resistant. Data sheets state this under EN 771-1, often as class F2.
- Match the mortar to the brick: a dense brick absorbs little water. Use the mortar the supplier recommends and never lay wet bricks, or the bricks will “float” on the mortar.
- Keep the holes out of sight: perforations belong in the bed face.
- Clean off mess straight away: mortar splashes and efflorescence show up quickly on smooth or glazed bricks.
- Order from a single batch: colour can vary between production runs.
Related terms
- Gable stone
- Brick
- Facing brickwork
- Parement
- Brick extruder
- Hand-moulded brick
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