Brick slips come in various types, categorised by their source, material, or manufacturing method:
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Reclaimed Brick Slips: Cut from salvaged bricks taken from old buildings. These have authentic weathered colours and imperfections, giving projects a genuine aged or historic character. Reclaimed slips are popular for restoration work or to add rustic charm, though they can be pricier due to the sourcing and cutting process.
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New Clay Brick Slips: Manufactured from new bricks – either standard bricks cut down, or purpose-made thin bricks. Many suppliers use real handmade bricks or pressed/extruded bricks and saw off the faces to produce slips. This yields a product identical in appearance to traditional brick, since it’s made from the same clay material. New brick slips can range from handmade style (with irregular, textured faces) to machine-made style (more uniform in shape and texture).
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Purpose-Made Slips: Some brick slips are made directly in thin form instead of cutting from full bricks. For example, in factory production, clay can be extruded and wire-cut into slim profiles before firing (sometimes called preformed slips). Alternatively, clay may be pressed into shallow moulds to form slips. Handmade production is also possible: a clot of clay is thrown into a sanded mould, excess removed with a wire, and the thin unit is fired like a regular brick. These methods produce slips without first making a full-size brick, and they are often used for more uniform products.
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Concrete and Resin Slips: Besides traditional clay, some slips are fabricated from concrete, cement mortar, plaster, or resin-based materials poured into brick-shaped moulds. These faux-brick tiles can mimic the look of clay brick and are often used in systems where weight needs to be extremely low (for instance, acrylic brick slips for certain insulated cladding systems). While typically cheaper, concrete or plaster slips might not capture the exact texture and colour variation of real clay and may have different weathering properties.
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Glazed Brick Slips: These are clay brick slips that have a ceramic glaze applied and are kiln-fired again. Glazed slips come in glossy colours or translucent finishes and are used for decorative accents or to achieve particular design styles (such as mid-century glazed brick facades). They are made by taking thin clay slips, applying a glaze, and firing them a second time, resulting in a durable, shiny finish.
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Corner and Special Slips: To create realistic brickwork details, manufacturers also provide pre-formed corner slips (L-shaped pieces that wrap around external corners) and other special shapes (such as header slips or stretcher reveals). These allow continuity of the brick pattern around corners, window reveals, and edges so the finished installation is nearly indistinguishable from traditional brick construction.
