Despite the impact brick shortages are having on the construction industry, Eurobrick, the UK’s leading brick slip cladding specialist, continues to enjoy strong growth in orders.
Eurobrick’s BBA accredited cladding systems are, for many designers, specifiers and architects proving to be an innovative alternative to the shortages of standard bricks, which is threatening to stall many projects.
The lead times being quoted by some brick manufacturers are getting longer and longer (a year is not unheard of) and some have even closed their order books for the time being.
For projects requiring a brick finish, alternatives to traditional construction methods using whole bricks and blocks are being urgently sought, in an attempt to shorten lead times and keep building schedules on track.
“When the recession started, the construction industry suffered a major decline and as a result, brick manufacturers had to reduce capacity,” explains John Mayes, Managing Director of Eurobrick.
“To avoid financial disaster, kilns and even entire factories were closed. Now that there has been an upturn in activity in the construction industry, demand for bricks has increased dramatically, catching the brick manufacturers unaware and who are now struggling to keep up with orders.”
Current forecasts suggest that the shortages are likely to continue for at least another year, maybe two, as demand outstrips production and many of the closed works may not be viable to recommission. In the meantime, the construction industry is experiencing brick allocation quotas and rapidly increasing prices.
Eurobrick has been supplying its brick slip cladding for almost 25 years. The cladding systems are designed to accommodate a kiln fired clay brick slip in standard UK sizes from 15mm thick.
“Brick shortages are hitting everyone” continues John Mayes, “but we have been able to maintain our supply chain more successfully than most. Historically, brick slip manufacturers form a small, specialised niche market and generally are far less prone to the pressures currently being experienced by the rest of the industry.”
For those architects, designers and contractors searching for viable alternatives in light of the brick shortages, brick slip cladding could be the answer.
