The Brick Dilemma: Handmade Vs Machine-Made Bricks – Which is Better?

Are you shopping for bricks? Maybe you’re renovating an old Victorian style property, or looking for something unique and interesting than the regular mass-produced bricks on the market.

You’ve come to the right place. As the top handmade bricks supplier in UK, we’ll walk you through the differences between handmade and machine-made bricks. By listing out the pros and cons of both styles, we can help you make the right choice.

If you’ve already decided to use handmade bricks, then you can head on to our handmade bricks page to check our latest catalogue and available products.

What are Handmade Bricks?

When we hear the term, handmade bricks we imagine bricks made by artisans using their hands, say like an artist-made painting or a hand-knitted basket. But the fact is that handmade bricks rely on sanded moulds just like regular bricks. The primary difference is that handmade bricks do not use any machines to compact or cut them.

• As a result of this process, handmade bricks have wavy marks and creases on their edges, giving them a unique character.
• Handmade bricks can be made in any size – you can choose to go with the modern metric sizes, or the older imperial sizing or any other customised sizes.
• Handmade bricks are placed in moulds and left to dry. As the water evaporates from the clay, the brick gets its distinct shape.
• Handmade bricks are fired in modern kilns just like standard bricks. Some manufacturers still use older traditional tunnel kilns for firing.

Pros of Handmade Bricks

• The best thing about handmade bricks is that they are available in customised sizes. You can let your preferred handmade reclaimed bricks supplier in UK know your sizing requirements, and they can help you find the right bricks in your preferred sizes.
• The best thing about handmade bricks is that they are available in customised sizes. You can let your preferred handmade reclaimed bricks supplier in UK know your sizing requirements, and they can help you find the right bricks in your preferred sizes.

Cons of Handmade Bricks

For the sake of a balanced argument, we would like to highlight the drawbacks of handmade bricks.

• The biggest barrier to using handmade bricks are its cost. Since it’s a labour-intensive product, the cost of handmade bricks is naturally higher than machine-made bricks.
• Also, they have a lengthy manufacturing process compared to standard mass-produced bricks. So, make sure to factor this while ordering handmade bricks in the UK.

Handmade bricks are not the ideal choice for all projects. If you require a consistent finish and want your walls to look new and clean, then it’s better to skip handmade bricks and move to machine-made bricks.

What are Machine-Made Bricks?

As the name implies, machine-made bricks are manufactured in bulk using machines. There are two major methods of making bricks using machines:

Extrusion – In this method, a machine pushes the brick clay through a machine that forms a consistent size and shape.

Wire-cut – In this method, the brick clay is extruded to the specific size and shape as a continuous block. Each individual brick is cut with a wire.

There are other less popular ways for machine-made bricks including soft mud bricks, water-struck bricks, etc.

Similarities between Handmade & Machine-made Bricks

Irrespective of whether the brick is handmade or machine-made, it has similar properties like stability, resistance and durability.

Differences between Handmade & Machine-made Bricks

What are Reclaimed Bricks? Are they the same as Handmade Bricks?

Reclaimed bricks are bricks that have been recovered/salvaged from old buildings. The mortar is then cleaned from the faces of these bricks and they are made ready for reusing. Reclaimed bricks offer a unique charm, giving them a beautiful weathered look. However, remember that reclaimed bricks are as expensive (and even more expensive) than handmade bricks. This is because the process of cleaning and sorting reclaimed bricks is time-consuming and laborious.

Finally, which is better? Handmade, Reclaimed or Machine-made Bricks?

Each style of brick has its own distinct advantages. It’s not that one style is better than the other. It all depends on your usage.

Go for machine-made bricks, if:

• You need consistency and clean finish, then machine-made bricks are the right choice. They give you a neat and tidy appearance.

Go for handmade bricks, if:

• You are looking to brick match with the existing bricks in a Victorian era or any other old property.
• You need unique bricks that add character to your space.
• You are looking to create a brick-faced accent wall.

Go for reclaimed bricks, if:

• You’re looking to conserve a heritage building

Speak to the Best Brick Suppliers in the UK

Finding the right bricks for your projects may feel like a major challenge. Worry not! DecorCera, the No.1 handmade brick suppliers in the UK are here to simplify your job! Get in touch with our friendly team and we’ll help you find bespoke bricks for your projects.