What is the difference between cut brick slips and manufactured brick slips?

Find out the similarities and differences between cut and manufactured brick slip facades.

Brick slips, sometimes known as brick cladding, is a type of facade that creates an authentic-looking brickwork finish without having to lay bricks in the traditional manner. Brick slips are thin sections of brick that are fixed to an interior or exterior wall using adhesive and finished with mortar, resulting in a brickwork aesthetic ideal for a range of construction projects, from small domestic extensions to large-scale commercial builds.

Two of the most common type of bricks slips are cut brick slips and manufactured brick slips. Here are the key similarities and differences between the two.

Both wienerberger’s cut and manufactured brick slips are made from clay, a natural material commonly found on floodplains and riverbanks. Clay has unique properties that make it an unbeatable building material – it becomes plastic and mouldable when wet, making it easy to shape, but then once fired at high temperatures, it becomes very hard and durable. 

The basic method for installing cut and manufactured brick slips is essentially the same. The slips are affixed to the wall using a suitable adhesive, using spacers to ensure even gaps between each slip. Once the slips are securely fixed in place, mortar is applied to give a classic brickwork finish.

Both cut and manufactured brick slips can be used inside and outside, as an internal feature wall or exterior cladding solution, for all manner of domestic and commercial projects. The beauty of slips is that designers can create a brick effect anywhere, with a choice from a vast array of colours and textures.

The primary difference between cut and manufactured brick slips is the production method. As the name suggests, cut brick slips are cut from the face of normal clay bricks.  

Manufactured brick slips are produced using extrusion. This means that clay is pushed through a die and forced into the required shape. Using this method gives greater precision and results in a brick slip with tight tolerances for high levels of consistency. In addition, because the slips are not cut from a larger brick, there is less wastage and the potential for developers to achieve a reduction in upfront embodied carbon per square metre of brickwork. 

Manufactured brick slips are a popular choice as exterior brick slip facades for pre-cast producers, ETICS (External Thermal Insulation Composite System) and EWI (External Wall Insulation) suppliers and modular system manufacturers. Thanks to the tight size tolerances, manufactured brick slips are ideal for off-site installations, helping developers better manage productivity and deliver builds on budget and on time.