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Material Index Heritage Guide
Facing, Handmade or Staffordshire Blue: Choosing Reclaimed Brick
How to match reclaimed bricks for heritage and conservation projects, the difference between facing and structural brick, what condition grading covers, and how much to order.
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Structural vs facing brick
Reclaimed bricks generally fall into two groups: structural bricks, which need to meet load-bearing performance, and facing bricks, chosen mainly for appearance where they're not doing structural work. Know which one your project needs before ordering, a beautiful reclaimed facing brick isn't necessarily rated for structural use, and a structurally sound common brick may not match the aesthetic of a heritage facade.
The main brick types you'll come across
"Bricks" covers a wider range than most buyers expect, and the type affects both look and price:
- Facing bricks: chosen for appearance on an exposed wall, the most commonly searched and stocked type
- Common bricks: functional, usually hidden behind facing brick or render
- Handmade bricks: individually shaped, with more texture and colour variation, often used on period properties
- Wire cut bricks: machine-made with a smoother, more uniform face
- Special shaped bricks: corbels, bullnose, plinth and other profiled bricks for detailing
Condition and frost damage
Reclaimed bricks are graded on visible condition, including frost damage (spalling, where the face has cracked or flaked from repeated freeze-thaw cycles). Ask specifically about frost damage grading for any external application, since it affects both appearance and long-term durability.
Matching for conservation and heritage projects
Planning officers in conservation areas often actively prefer reclaimed brick because it preserves the character of the surrounding streetscape better than new material can. If you're working on a listed building or within a conservation area, take photographs of the existing brickwork to your supplier so they can match colour, texture and bond pattern as closely as possible, this matters more for planning approval than most buyers expect going in.
Quantity and logistics
Order more than the exact calculated quantity to allow for breakage, cutting waste and future repairs, reclaimed material can't always be topped up from the same batch later.
How Material Index sources bricks
Every listing comes from an audited demolition or deconstruction project, with type, condition and quantity recorded at the point of audit. Browse current stock in Bricks, or read about how heritage-sensitive projects are assessed in our audit service.
Browse Marketplace Stock
Mixed Gault
£218.39
Reclaimed Handmade Clay Paving Brick Paver | Pack of 400 Pavers
£589.00
Titan Multi Crest Bricks
£0.57
Reclaimed soft red brick (pack of 500)
£977.00
Reclaimed yellow stock brick (pack of 500)
£632.00
Reclaimed fletton bricks (pack of 500)
£678.00
Hampshire blend handmade Soft Reds
£1.10
Michelmarsh Handmade Orange Reds
£1.72
Pressed Red Wire Cuts
£1.15
Reclaimed London Yellowstone
£1.15
Lyneham Red
£1.10
Norfolk Red
£1.20
Frequently asked questions
- Will reclaimed bricks match an existing building for a conservation area project?
- Often yes, and planning officers frequently prefer reclaimed material because it preserves the streetscape better than new. Take photographs of the existing brickwork to your supplier so they can match colour, texture and bond pattern, this matters more for planning approval than most buyers expect.
- How is frost damage or wear assessed?
- Bricks are graded on visible condition, including frost damage, spalling where the face has cracked or flaked from repeated freeze-thaw cycles. For any external application, ask specifically about frost damage grading, since it affects both appearance and long-term durability.
- What's the difference between facing and common bricks?
- Facing bricks are chosen for appearance on an exposed wall; common bricks are functional and usually hidden behind facing brick or render. Reclaimed stock spans both, plus handmade, wire cut and special shaped bricks for detailing, so it's worth confirming which type your project actually needs before ordering.
How to make an enquiry
Source reclaimed bricks for your next project.
Whether you're delivering a heritage refurbishment, a conservation-area scheme or matching an existing facade, our team can help. We'll track down quality reclaimed brick across our supplier network, and can help with the rest of the material schedule too.
- Facing, common, handmade & Staffordshire blue bricks, condition-graded
- Frost damage grading recorded for external applications
- Type, colour and quantity recorded at audit
- Sourced from audited UK demolition and deconstruction
A specialist replies within one working day.
Call us: 07549 817311
