How to Specify Brickslip Style Cladding

What is a Brickslip?

A building’s façade can feature an array of materials such as timber, masonry, terracotta, metal, steel and aluminum. The design and performance characteristics of these materials vary significantly, and your choice of cladding should be based on a careful assessment of the project’s climate conditions, as well as the aesthetic design intent.

Brickslip cladding is used to replicate the appearance of traditional clay brick walls, both internally and externally. The system is not structural, and primarily an aesthetic alternative, while still offering many of the same advantages.

Strength, sophistication and simplicity are hallmark benefits of brickslip cladding that make fabrication and installation significantly easier.

Smartbric, the lightweight brickslip system for faster brick cladding.

The innovative, high performance brick facings create durable brick-look façades that acts as a rainscreen and maximises installation efficiency.

RYLEY GILLIES | SMARTBRIC SPECIALIST FAIRVIEW

Why Smartbric?

Smartbric brings the beauty of traditional brick façade’s together with the functionality and ease of a brick slip installation.

Eliminating the need for traditional adhesive and mortar but creating a much easier and less labour intensive install that can be completed in a fraction of the time. 

Smartbric’s universal Track and Rail System is one-of-a-kind here in Australia. The Ventilated Rainscreen System can be used across all class A, B & C developments. Smartbric unleashes new and creative design possibilities not achievable with conventional brickwork.

The Smartbric Track and Rail System comprises of the following components:

1. Brick Facings – Made from genuine brick cuttings or specially manufactured fired clay.
2. Framing System – A uniquely profiled track and rail mounting eco-system.
3. Backing Structure – A weather defense system tested to AS4284.
4. Mortar – Brick grouting for decorating and sealing between bricks.
5. Finishing Trim – Decorative aluminium extrusions for detailing trim.

Designers and builders are striving to find alternative solutions that sustain natural resources and provide greater biophilic presence, while simplifying the installation process.

• Non-Combustible – Smartbric units are made from vitrified clay or concrete and are inherently non-combustible. Each clay brick is individually tested during the firing process.
• Design Flexibility – Available in a range of striking colours, both traditional and contemporary brick finishings, the universal Smartbric Track and Rail System allows for a mix and match approach, which provides a highly customisable solution and aesthetic fluidity.
• Genuine Brick – without weight, space and boundary limitations faced in modern day construction.
• 100% Australian-Made – Smartbric’s local range is made in Australia and allows for greater reliability.
• Express Installation – Smartbric utilises a unique eco-system design of the sub-system which allows for a simple and intuitive installation.
• Low Maintenance – The Smartbric Rainscreen Façade System requires low to no maintenance, maintaining its aesthetic appearance for many decades. In the case of a necessary brick facing exchange or replacement, this is easy to do with Smartbric Rapid.
• Durability Assurance – Smartbric’s lifetime is extended due to the ventilated rainscreen’s internal air cavity which remains dry and removes condensation, precipitation and atmospheric moisture in a natural way, keeping the material dry and improves durability.
• Environmentally Friendly – Smartbric is developed in compliance with all requirements for environmental safety and is made from natural raw or high content recycled materials. The rainscreen system additionally favours both thermal control and energy saving of the building.
• Leading Technical Support – Smartbric is supported with some of the industry’s leading technical content and customer support.

What Look to Choose

When specifying brickwork, various criteria should be considered depending on factors such as the intended application, environmental exposure and the aesthetic effect required.

Brick has unlimited design possibilities, dramatically increases a project’s value, and outperforms every other building material from maintenance and an investment viewpoint.

But did you realise there’s more than just a brick’s colour to decide on?

For standard colours that suit your design brief, select from our standard range of local and imported finishes. If this doesn’t quite hit the mark, you can look at your own customised colour.

The natural textures of brick are present in Smartbric as they are simply cut or extruded brick facings, allowing you to achieve the traditional and timeless look of brick.

The choice between our range of grouts, or a mortarless shadow look provides design flexibility. 

Specifying Smartbric

1) Brick Facings

• 25mm thick compared to a 110mm traditional brick​
• Classic facing and matching corners – grouted
• Rapid facing – Shadow (mortarless) brick look without the expense of pointing

2) Framing System

• Option of a rail or track to hold brick facings (and corners) in position​
• Rails – allow for variable brick height​
• Track system – interlocking strips whereby strip height serves as an in-built spacer

3) Mortar

• Grout between bricks to provide weatherproofing and the authentic brick look​
• Conventional mortar with Smartbric ​Add-Mix plasticizer ​
• Smartbric Redi-Mix polymer modified ​pre-mixed grouting compound

With Smartbric’s Universal System, you can add the variation of colour and profiles as another design layer and can achieve something that is bold and authentic.

Smartbric is the future of brick walls, with a revolutionary new system that makes installation quicker and easier. The brick tile veneers slot into a cleverly designed Track and Rail system for secure, yet simple installation and a classic brick look façade.

SPECIFY SMARTBRIC FOR YOUR NEXT PROJECT.