Following further brick price increases, Wetherby Building Systems has seen sales of its brick slip solutions for new build projects increase by 20% in the first six months of 2015, as specifiers, contractors and end clients look for more cost effective solutions.
It has been widely reported that the price of brick increased by 9% in the first six months of the year, following a hike of 13.5% in 2014. These spiralling costs are leaving house builders with no alternative but to look at more cost effective building materials and, as a result, Wetherby has seen its EpsiBrick-7 brick slip system regularly installed on new homes across the UK since January.
With research suggesting at least 245,000 new homes a year are needed to meet demand, house builders are under pressure to complete new housing projects to increasingly strict timeframes and budgets. While the traditional, familiar feel of brick is still the preferred finish for many house builders, the increasing cost of the material is forcing developers to look at modern methods of construction as quicker and more cost effective solutions.
Utilising a brick slip finish, such as Wetherby’s BBA approved EpsiBrick-7, means it is possible to achieve a traditional brick appearance, while benefitting from the time savings associated with alternative construction methods.
EpsiBrick-7 is significantly quicker to install, compared with completing an outer layer of brickwork, but the end result will provide the same traditional, familiar look and feel. Unlike alternative brick slip systems available, which often comprise an acrylic brick finish, the EpsiBrick-7 product is manufactured and fired in exactly the same way as traditional clay bricks, providing a genuine brick finish. Currently available in 11 different colour finishes, the EpsiBrick-7 system ensures there is a product option to meet almost any design criteria and effectively complement surrounding properties.
Commenting on its latest brick slip sales figures, Wetherby Sales Director, Paul Kirby, said: “With the housing market slowly picking up this year, we expected an increase in our new build business but nothing like the level we have experienced. We are receiving increasing enquiries for our brick slip system month on month at the moment, with no sign of it abating any time soon.”
“The continued rise in brick prices has steered many contractors and developers to enquire about brick slips, but where we offer a real advantage is that our slips are manufactured in the same way as traditional clay bricks. With EpsiBrick-7 we can provide an authentic brick finish for a property, while reducing build time, which is really setting us apart and seeing the product fly out at the moment.”
Wetherby Building Systems Ltd is the UK’s market leader in the design and distribution of a wide range of solid wall insulation (SWI) systems, polymer modified renders, silicone & acrylic thin-coat renders and brick slip systems.
Wetherby’s insulated render systems offer environmentally sympathetic external façade solutions that have been successfully installed on many domestic refurbishment projects, new build schemes, commercial buildings and educational establishments for over 20 years.
