Clinker brick, a product of manufacturing errors, was once considered useless but architects in the early 20th century saw potential in their unique look. Obtaining and using them became popular, creating historical structures. Finding matching bricks is challenging and demand outstrips supply, making it costly. Replicas are available.
Clinker brick is a product of manufacturing errors. New bricks that are overheated or placed too close to the fire can change composition, becoming harder, less uniform in shape, unpredictably colored, and, until the early 20th century, an expensive waste of materials destined for disposal. The reason clinker brick caught the attention of anyone outside the brick building site was because architects in the early 20th century began to see the possibility of using these errors, instead of more uniform bricks, to create interiors and exteriors of houses or other buildings with a unique look. Since bricks were considered useless, their initially low price also made them attractive.
During the first three or four decades of the 20th century, obtaining clinker bricks and using them for all or part of houses or other buildings became popular, increasing the demand for these bricks. It also spawned the creation of a number of structures that are still standing and of historical interest. None of these structures are exactly the same in brick design or brick color because clinker brick shapes and colors are unpredictable. They can be curved and of different lengths and the coloring can be anything from pink to black with many colors in between. The degree to which the bricks have continued to melt or if they have melted into other bricks determines the shape, size and possibly color.
It can be challenging work to find enough clinker bricks that look alike to each other, and arranging them in some form of pattern takes planning and skill. Instead of making entire walls or other areas out of clinker bricks, they are sometimes simply used as accents. This way, it’s easier to fit some bricks into a more uniform design with other standard-sized bricks.
Where clinker brick was once widely available and cheap, this is no longer the case. Some companies may produce replica shapes, but many people who want to use them for buildings or renovation projects have to find older brick companies or clinker brick suppliers who seek out these companies and get their brick discarded. This means that demand tends to outstrip supply and the decision to renovate a clinker brick building or to use brick in new buildings is a costly one. Replicas may be preferred because they are less expensive.
No matter how the bricks are made, they produce unusual and attractive shapes and colors. This is considered by many to be fascinating. A number of newer buildings with classic or replica clinker bricks are thought to be attractive in their very disorganization of brick layout and lack of uniformity.
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