Old Carolina Handmade Brick

Architectural and Sales Presentation

1.  What is a Handmade Brick?

This photo shows the oldest known handmade brick from a pre-pottery Neolithic house at Jericho around 8000 BC.  Handmade brick have been made for centuries, and have the durability to last for centuries.  They are the oldest known building material, and were first sun dried and later hard fired to make them more resistant to harsher weather conditions. From the ancient Egyptians, to the Romans and Greeks, fired handmade brick were used in permanent buildings.

Good quality handmade brick are reliable, weather resistant, and can tolerate atmospheric acids, pollution, and fire.  They can be manufactured to any specifications in size, color, and shape, making them easier to use than stone.

A handmade brick consists of a mixture of clay, shale, and sand in the required proportions.  The mixture of clay and shale is then hand formed in sanded molds, turned onto trays.  After drying, they are fired to around 2,000 degrees F. to become fully vitrified.  The manufacturing process can be adjusted somewhat to achieve the desired specifications.  The properties and quality of brick depend on the raw materials, the forming processes, and the firing treatment and temperature.  Iron oxides in the clay and shale impart the distinctive red colors, as well as adding considerably to the hardness and strength.  Various minerals including lime and oxides are used in the parting sand to achieve different colors. Manganese is added to the body material make a brown colored brick. During the firing cycle, raw fuel is introduced to "flash" the brick, imparting varying degrees of  blue/black and gold colors.

Handmade brick have withstood the test of time, and will continue to be used on fine buildings and houses for centuries to come.  Old Carolina Brick Co maintains the tradition of fine craftsmanship and dedication to all details to create lasting beauty and infinite durability in all their handmade brick products.