ᐅ Clinker Brick Supports vs. Brick Slips

Hello dear forum,

We are currently planning our new build (timber frame construction, mineral wool insulation) and are about to pour the foundation slab. So far, we have planned to use external thermal insulation composite system (ETICS) with thin brick slips. Unfortunately, the thin bricks I like best (retro style, hand-formed) tend to have too high water absorption, which means they can’t be used with the ETICS. We already discussed at the beginning with our architect why we wouldn’t just use full bricks, but we decided against it for cost reasons. Since I am now quite frustrated with the thin bricks (because I cannot find any nice ones with a maximum of 3 percent water absorption), my architect has now suggested installing brick brackets next to the foundation slab, on which full bricks would then be placed. Now I have the following questions:

• Why don’t we just pour the foundation slab 10 cm (4 inches) wider all around so that the bricks can be placed directly on it? What is likely to be the cost difference? (Our architect is reluctant to do this due to the building permit/planning permission, structural engineering, and potentially costs.)
• What effects do full bricks generally have on the structural calculations of a timber frame house? Would this require a complete recalculation?
• Is full brick really that much more expensive than thin brick slips?
• What could be the disadvantages of using brick brackets?

Thank you for your answers and best regards from the cold North.
schlckr7

I’m not very familiar with this. However, I would say that the additional costs for the larger foundation slab are probably not that significant. As for the price difference between facing bricks and brick slips, it’s best to ask the supplier directly.