Which should you stock?
Fabricated vs Manufactured Special Bricks
Special shaped bricks have been utilised for thousands of years. They are used in a wide range of applications allowing architects to create inspiring modern facades, to traditional renovation projects.
Wienerberger’s skilled craftsmen have been making special shapes for over 200 years. This enables us to craft bespoke, one-off specials to standard details produced in volume, all supported by our experienced technical design advice team. Special shapes provide flexibility in both aesthetics and functionality, and are immensely durable allowing them to be used on virtually any project; from a low-rise wall to high-rise contemporary buildings.
One of the most frequent questions that our teams get asked is: ‘Should I choose manufactured or fabricated special shape bricks for my project?’ Both ranges have their unique benefits, so merchants and contractors should familiarise themselves with these to help inform their customers on the available options.
To help you easily explain the differences between fabricated and manufactured special shape bricks, we’ve pulled together a handy overview for each method.
Manufactured Special Shaped Bricks
‘Manufactured’ Special Shaped Bricks are the real deal. Typically made as complete components, they are manufactured either via extrusion or with a mould. This method of production is often seen as the aesthetically stronger option, because the brick can be manufactured into the exact desired shape, leaving no room for errors.
We manufacture a complete range of British Standard Special Brick options and can also produce ‘purpose made’ and ‘bespoke special shapes’ that cannot always be replicated with fabricated Special Bricks. With our bespoke services, we can meet individual requirements to craft the right shapes, sizes and dimensions for any project that a customer may throw at you. And with our ready-made essentials range, we have a whole host of profiles in a variety of colours including the ever-popular smooth red, smooth blue and plain red stock options, all of which are readily available to stock. What’s more, because we hold stock of many of these Special Shaped Bricks we can often be delivered quicker than Fabricated Specials.
Fabricated Special Shaped Bricks
Fabricated special shaped bricks are often referred to as cut and bond. They are produced by cutting existing standard-sized bricks, and in many cases bonding two cut bricks together to form one special shape. We have been making fabricated bricks this way for over 25 years using high-quality adhesives and complementary sands, to ensure long-term performance.
Merchants typically choose to supply our Fabricated Special Shaped Bricks when the special shaped bricks they require isn’t available from stock. As manufacturing can often take 6 weeks or longer the option to use fabricated can reduce this lead-time to around 7-10 days. However, there are restrictions to what can be produced in this way, and any specials that have a rounded profile are often better produced by manufacturing. On the other hand, when we supply Fabricated Specials the cost of the brick, haulage and any wastage is included in the price, this is often overlooked when customers are talking to independent cutters. Fabricated special shapes can be a better match than manufactured specials for some brick types. Bricks that feature hearting or a range of multi colours are often better produced this way giving a consistent colour finish to a project.
As both options have a wealth of benefits, we would advise merchants and contractors to contact our specials department for information and guidance. But whatever you stock from our vast range of Special Shaped Bricks, your customers can rest assured that there’s a solution that will fit seamlessly with their project, no matter the shape, dimension or angle.
Special Shaped Bricks
Special Shaped Bricks are exactly what the name suggests; bricks specially designed to provide flexibility, both in terms of aesthetics and functionality, giving architects the freedom to create distinctive buildings.