Reclaimed Products

Reclaimed bricks have a particular appeal, being matured and weathered, and with a distinctive patina and character all of their own; however, they are becoming increasingly difficult to obtain and are often more expensive than new bricks, the primary reason for this being the considerable labour involved in the process of demolition, reclamation, selection and cleaning of the bricks, coupled with the ever-increasing risks of health and safety.

Frost Resistance

It is difficult to assess the level of frost resistance in reclaimed bricks. Strong, dense Engineering bricks can be partially frost resistant, but it should not be assumed that because a brick is old it will have proven its frost resistance. Also, consideration has to be made for the probability that, when a building is demolished, the partially frost resistant bricks can easily become mixed up with the non- or moderately frost resistant. The assumption must always be that reclaimed bricks are not frost resistant.

Size

It is particularly important to check the sizes of reclaimed bricks if you are trying to match or integrate a new build with an existing building, as sizes can vary quite considerably and are more likely to be Imperial rather than metric.