EWI fills gap in brick shortage

Wetherby Building Systems has seen its brick slip sales increase by 55% during the last six months following the widely reported brick shortage and lack of skilled bricklayers, which has led to specifiers and contractors looking for alternative solutions.

With brick manufacturers unable to keep up with demand following the upturn in the house building market, and new reports confirming skilled bricklayers are in short supply, enquiries regarding Wetherby’s brick slip systems have doubled in recent months. The external wall insulation provider has supplied more than 1.5 million of its new EpsiBrick-7 brick slips alone to both new build and refurbishment housing projects across the UK over the last three months.

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.

Applied to a masonry property, 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. 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 10 different colour finishes, the EpsiBrick-7 system ensures there is a product option to meet almost any design criteria and effectively complement surrounding properties.