Once you decide to use brick slips for a project, you need to choose a suitable building system.
One of the main drivers for choosing the right system for your project is cost. No one wants to overspend, especially if you are working with a tight budget.
Understanding how to best use your budget is paramount when pricing a brick slip project, to ensure that your building is not only aesthetically pleasing, but that works within your project budget too.
In this blog, we will explore the 3 main building systems chosen by architects and delve into the cost-related elements that need to be considered before choosing one.
Which Brick Slip System Should I Use?
Before diving into cost-related considerations, let’s be clear on the 3 main types of building systems that are suitable for brick slip façades.
Adhesively Fixed Systems
An adhesively fixed brick slip system uses adhesive to fix brick to blockwork, a lightweight panel or insulation.
Adhesively fixed building systems can offer increased flexibility in design and are usually low cost. However, they are generally limited to below 18m due to fire regulations. If you are designing a high-rise building, there are more suitable systems both in terms of project ease and safety.
Mechanical Fix Systems
This type of brick cladding system gives the appearance of a traditional brick wall, where custom-shaped brick slips can fit into aluminium rails that create the structure of a façade, that are then are fixed back to the substrate using a backing system
This system is often used in commercial and residential construction to provide a durable and low-maintenance alternative to traditional brickwork but with speed of build and lightweight construction benefits.
See an example of this fix here via the Ash and Lacy website.
Brick Faced Precast Concrete and GRC (Glass Re-Inforced Concrete)
Precast solutions are ideal for those working on a tight site in busy city centre locations such as London. Everything is pre-made in a factory before being delivered onto the site and fitted to the building.
This system is popular when creating a brick slip façade due to its reduced installation speed – which makes it a good fit for those working within tight project timeframes. Furthermore, the quality control and ability to delivery complex brickwork designed is possible due to the system being created in a controlled environment.
How Can I Maximise The Cost Efficiency Of This Project?
To effectively price a brick slip project, you need to consider the bigger picture. For example, although choosing an aesthetically pleasing brick design and the cheapest system would, in theory, give you the perfect project – it wouldn’t be durable.
Finding the balance between your desired aesthetic and the most efficient system is the only way to achieve cost efficiency.
It is also worth considering that costs will rise depending on the ease of construction. Pre-cast concrete systems, for example, will be more expensive due to the factory manufactured method. However, if you are aware of issues on-site that can be overcome by using this system, such as a lack of construction space and complex brickwork design, this increased price will be worth investing in.
What are the drivers for your build?
Let’s take a look at the most common drivers for a project, how each one can be affected by cost and how the right system can help to overcome any issues.
Aesthetics And How To Choose The Right Brick Slip System
As mentioned in previous blogs, design is a major driver for architects and their projects in 2023. Everyone wants to create a fascinating and industry-leading buildings for others to appreciate. Shapes, sizes, colour and texture of bricks are all huge drivers for architects when specifying their building.
If planning isn’t efficient, bespoke design ideas cannot be achieved.
For example, if a building system is chosen incorrectly by not considering the required aesthetic and type of system simultaneously, this could cause major delays and extra cost further down the project timeline.
Brick companies such as Creative Brick Solutions can assist you in choosing the right brick for the system that needs to be used to make your project successful.
By having an expert help you to match the desires shape, colour, and texture of brick to the correct building system that will save you time, you can be sure to be maximising cost efficiency.
Installation Times
Being behind schedule on a project can cause immense stress and increased costs for all parties involved.
By choosing a suitable building system for your glazed brick slip project, you can avoid any excess cost and delays.
Most projects that end up being over budget are caused by lack of planning early in the timeline. This also goes hand in hand with speed of installation being interrupted or delayed.
To avoid this, make sure to research the most appropriate system for your project before tender stage. Speed of construction for many projects is a huge driver, which makes precast or mechanically fixed bricks systems a popular option.
The advantage of a quicker speed of installation contribute to reducing costs and increases onsite productivity.
Durability
Everyone needs to be confident that their project will stand the test of time.
The glazed brick cladding system you choose for your project has to be a durable and sustainable solution. Lowering carbon emissions, promoting waste management, and reducing air pollution are all ESG initiatives that will need consideration when planning your budget.
Although one system might seem fit for the project, is it the most durable option? Could spending less money on a value system result in a costly on-site labour costs that could be avoided with another quality system?
How To Be Confident That You’re Costing The Right System
When taking all of the above into account, it becomes clear that there is no set price advice for a glazed brick system.
Every project is different.
Every building has different requirements.
However, it’s crucial to tick off crucial decision boxes early in the planning process:
- Aesthetic choices
- Speed of build and location considerations
- Durability
- Height of building
By doing this, there will be no cost surprises in your project timeline, and you can be priced more efficiently by contractors and manufacturers.
If you are looking for advice when it comes to a glazed brick slip project, make sure to contact the team at Creative Brick Solutions to gain expert advice.
We can point you in the right direction when it comes to costing your project by starting with finding the perfect bricks for you.
Check out our website to browse new product ranges and get in touch with any questions you might have.