Brick slips, UPVC and cladding
Render is not always the right answer. Sometimes an elevation wants brick, and sometimes it wants a board finish. We do all three, so the advice is not steered by what we sell.
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When brick beats render
A brick slip is a thin face of real brick bonded to the wall, and it exists for the situation where you want a brick elevation but the wall cannot take the weight or the thickness of proper brickwork. It is common over insulation board, where the finish sits 150mm proud of where the original wall was and a full brick skin is not an option.
It is also the answer in places where render is restricted. In some conservation areas the permitted development right to apply render or cladding to an external wall has been removed, and a brick finish that matches the original may be the only thing the council will accept. That is a planning question, and worth asking before you commit to anything.
UPVC is the unglamorous part of the same conversation. Fascias, soffits and guttering are awkward and expensive to reach on their own, and straightforward while the scaffold is already up for the roof or the render.
- 01
Brick slips
A real brick face on a wall that could not carry full brickwork, including over insulation board.
- 02
Exterior cladding
Board and panel finishes to a whole elevation, a gable, or one feature section of a frontage.
- 03
UPVC fascias and soffits
Replaced while the scaffold is up, which is the only time it is cheap to do.
- 04
Guttering
New gutters and downpipes set to a proper fall, so water reaches the drain instead of the wall.
Is this the right answer for your house?
If you are already having the walls rendered, decide the fascias and guttering at the same time. Doing them later means paying for scaffold twice.
If the property is listed or in a conservation area, ask the council before you choose a finish. It is a five minute question that occasionally changes the whole job.
If you want one part of the front picked out in brick and the rest rendered, that is a normal thing to do and it usually looks better than either on its own.
Common questions
Do you have photographs of brick slip work?
Not yet, and we would rather say so than fill the page with somebody else's pictures. This is work Pick A Block does and advertises. Ring and Kyren will talk you through recent jobs.
Can brick slips go over insulation?
Yes, and that is one of the main reasons to use them. The finish sits proud of the original wall where a full brick skin would not be practical.
Will the brick match my existing house?
There is a wide range and a close match is usually possible. Bring a photograph, or better, let him look at the actual wall in daylight.
Do you replace fascias and guttering on their own?
Yes, though it is far better value bundled with roof or render work while the scaffold is already there.