While brick slips are highly useful, there are some disadvantages and limitations to consider:
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Higher Material Cost (in Some Cases): Brick slips can be more expensive per square meter than standard bricks, especially for premium or specialty slips. Prices for quality real clay slips often range from around £28 up to £50+ per m², depending on style and brand. By contrast, plain facing bricks might cost less per m². Additionally, compared to very cheap alternatives like brick-effect wallpaper or faux panels, slips seem costly. So if budget is the primary concern and a perfectly authentic texture is less critical, some might view slips as an expensive option. (That said, basic brick slip ranges start around £20–£30/m², making them comparable to mid-range tiles or bricks.) One should also factor in the cost of adhesive, mortar, and possibly backing boards or cladding systems when estimating the budget for a slip project.
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Not Structurally Load-Bearing: A brick slip is purely decorative and cannot carry loads like a real brick wall. This means slips always need a proper substrate behind them (be it a wall, board, or structural panel). You cannot use brick slips to build a free-standing wall or any structure – they are cladding only. In new construction, if you desire the structural robustness or thermal mass of a double-brick wall, slips wouldn’t provide that; you’d still need a structural wall (wood, steel, concrete, etc.) underneath. Thus, slips don’t replace bricks in a load-bearing capacity – they replace them aesthetically. In practice this isn’t a major issue, but it’s a limitation: for example, you couldn’t use brick slips to make a structural garden wall (you’d need to build a block wall and then clad it in slips).
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Quality of Installation is Critical: Brick slips rely on adhesive bonding and proper pointing for stability. If they are not installed correctly, problems can occur. Poor adhesion can lead to slips debonding (falling off the wall) which is both dangerous and unsightly. There have been cases of brick slip facades shedding pieces due to adhesive failure or substrate issues. To avoid this, the correct adhesive must be used and the substrate must be sound. Improper installation can also result in crooked courses or uneven spacing which ruin the effect. Essentially, while easier than bricklaying, installing slips still requires care – mistakes like insufficient adhesive, no expansion gaps, or subpar materials could cause slips to crack, shift or “start to crumble, fall off or crack” over time if not addressed. It’s recommended to follow manufacturers’ instructions closely and perhaps hire experienced installers for large-scale external projects (where failure would be costly). When done properly, failures are rare; but done poorly, a whole veneer could potentially peel off in extreme cases, so this is a serious consideration.
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Exposure to Moisture: If brick slips are used externally in very harsh conditions (areas with driving rain, freeze-thaw, or coastal salt air), moisture management is important. The slips themselves are as weather-resistant as bricks, but the system as a whole can have vulnerabilities. Water ingress behind slips is a concern – if water gets between the slip and the wall and cannot escape, it might cause the adhesive to deteriorate or freeze and force the slip out. The surface of a slip-clad wall can also hold moisture in the mortar joints if not properly protected. In environments with constant heavy rain or near the sea, extra measures might be needed (like sealers or water-resisting admixtures) to ensure longevity. Otherwise, the facade might show accelerated weathering, efflorescence, or in worst cases, detachment. Traditional brick walls also face moisture issues, but they have the advantage of thickness and often a cavity; a slip is just the outer skin, so any crack or gap can potentially let water straight through to the underlying structure. Regular inspection of exterior slip cladding is wise, especially after freeze cycles or storms. When installed with proper waterproofing and movement joints, however, these risks are mitigated.
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Limited Structural/Functional Benefits: Unlike full brickwork, slip cladding adds negligible thermal mass or acoustic insulation to a wall (the slips are too thin to significantly absorb heat or block sound). Traditional brick walls are known for their good soundproofing and ability to even out temperature fluctuations due to thermal mass, but a brick slip on drywall won’t confer those benefits to the same degree. While some sources claim thermal insulation benefits for slips, in reality a 20 mm clay slip has an R-value very close to zero – any noticeable insulation effect comes from an added insulation layer behind the slips (in an EWI system, for example). So, you shouldn’t choose slips expecting them to improve a wall’s structural integrity, insulation or sound resistance by themselves. They are a cosmetic and protective finish only.
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Availability and Matching: Though there are many styles of brick slips, sometimes finding a perfect match for a specific existing brick can be challenging. If you have a unique brick on your house and you want slips to match for an extension or interior feature, you might need to have them custom-made (either by cutting your own bricks or ordering from a specialist) which can be expensive. Most common brick styles are available as slips, but very large or rare bricks (like certain oversized Victorian bricks, or highly irregular handmade ones) might not be readily sold as slips. This is a minor drawback and can usually be solved by custom cutting, but it’s a difference from standard bricks – with bricks you could at least theoretically get the exact same brick and build with it, whereas with slips the market selection might be a bit more limited in niche cases.
Despite these drawbacks, many of the issues can be managed with proper planning and installation. Cost can be controlled by choosing economical slip options or limiting their use to feature areas. Installation risks are minimized by using professional installers or high-quality materials (one supplier provides specialized adhesive and even offers long warranties to ensure slip installations “hold up” over decades). When correctly applied, brick slips perform well, but being aware of these considerations will help you decide if they are the right choice for your project and how to implement them for best results.
