Brick slips are used in construction and aesthetic design projects to create a specific type of finish. This guide takes you through what they are and some of the most common uses for them. Brick slips are essentially thin versions of regular bricks. They can be embedded into concrete to give the appearance of proper brickwork. This can sometimes help to cut costs as it can be more efficient to build something out of concrete and then decorate it than build the whole thing out of bricks.
One of the most common uses of brick slips is as facing on buildings. In this, they have a primarily aesthetic function because, as suggested above, they are there to give the appearance of brickwork rather than serve any specific structural purpose. This means they are there to create a façade on buildings made out of a material other than bricks. For instance, if you were to use concrete or cement to cover the wall of a house, you could then stud it with brick slips.
Another common use of brick slips is on the ground as opposed to being installed on the walls of buildings. For example, many people undertake garden projects where they lay down concrete to make a patio. On its own, this can sometimes look a little bit dull and ordinary, but it is possible to use brick slips to create patterns on the ground and break up the monotony of the concrete. They could also be used to mark out the area around a flowerbed or a pond.
Fireplace surrounds are also a good place to make use of brick slips as they are ideal for creating visual interest around a fireplace. Fireplaces always have to be properly ventilated, which can put a limit on any structural alterations you might want to make. This sometimes means that while you might want to have a brick fireplace, it would be unwise or unsafe to do so. You can, however, still achieve the appearance of brickwork by embedding brick slips into the fireplace surround.
One last use of brick slips is to decorate concrete columns. The vast majority of buildings – especially new buildings – are supported by columns and, especially when they are part of a large building development, these are often made out of cement as this is more efficient than using bricks. Then, to make the cement columns more interesting and to personalize them, brick slips can be used to make them look nicer and give them the appearance of being hand-built rather than dull concrete.
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