When building a new home or undertaking a renovation project, one of the key decisions that must be made is the type of bricks to use. While machine-made bricks have become widely popular in recent years due to their compatible size and shape, many builders and home owners still opt for handmade bricks for their outstanding character and artisanal charm. But which option is the best for your project?
Well, both brick types have their pros and cons. So, if you are confused about choosing the best one among both, you might want to consider these differences before making a decision. So, let’s begin with the discussion.
What is The Difference Between Handmade Bricks and Machine-made Bricks?
| Handmade Bricks | Machine-Made Bricks |
| Handmade bricks are made using the traditional technique of hand-throwing clay into a mould. They are then dried before firing. The result is a product that combines a rustic appearance with a traditional property value. | Machine-made bricks, on the other hand, are made through a modern automated process. These are produced with high compressive strength to minimise long term wear. They are also highly resistant to heavy weights. Because of this, they are preferred in the construction industry. |
| They are much more expensive than machine made ones. They take longer to make and are more costly to buy. But, they can be worth the extra cost. This is because they offer a unique look, and they are durable and versatile. | These bricks can be manufactured in a wide range of colours and textures. They can be designed to suit any architectural style and are available in different applications. However, their high price tag can be a turn-off for some people. |
| These types of bricks have a more traditional appearance, and they are a great option for historic properties. They are also available in non-standard sizes. | These bricks have a stylish appearance that is best suited for stylish homes and restaurants and many more. |
Whether you choose to use hand or machine-made bricks, they will add a distinctive and interesting look to your project. However, if you are only looking for a clean, smooth finish, you might want to consider machine-made bricks.
What Are Machine-made Bricks?
Machine-made products have their own special features, and bricks are no exception. These bricks are known for accuracy and high quality. They are manufactured using extrusion and the wire-cut method.
Manufacturers of machine-made bricks make large amounts of high-quality bricks to exact specifications. It guarantees accuracy and uniformity throughout the whole construction project.
- Extrusion is the most widely used method for making bricks (or wire-cut). A machine must press clay (and occasionally other materials) through a die to produce regular bricks in size and shape.
- Wire-cut bricks are made by continuously extruding bricks into the proper size and shape and then cutting each brick by hand with a wire. For example, water can remove the clay from the moulds and create “water-struck” bricks. Or by using sand to make soft mud bricks.
Also Read: What is Better: Clay Roof Tiles Vs. Concrete Roof Tiles
The Process of Making Machine-Made Bricks
Drying
When bricks contain a pint of water, that must be evaporated through drying before they get burnt. The brick will shrink by about 10% when drying. Thus to prevent cracking, the procedure must be carefully managed.
Dryers by wood chip combustion in biomass boilers are heated. The bricks are manually placed into the kiln after drying, with a finger’s breadth gap between each brick to provide for the best fire.
Firing and blending
The oil-fired kilns burn for about 24 hours before cooling down over three days. The kiln is then emptied once a week. All the bricks are manually reblended after removal from the kiln to ensure consistent and equal colour blends. This improves colour consistency.
What Are Handmade Bricks?
Handmade bricks are manually placed into sanded moulds without the aid of any machinery for compacting or cutting them. Due to the distinctive brick production method, handmade bricks feature wavering wrinkles and lines on their surfaces.
The water in the clay evaporates after they have dried in a controlled environment, and the handmade bricks are then burnt in a kiln like machine-made bricks are. Bricks created by hand aren’t entirely made by hand, unlike a painting or knitted blanket. The name alludes to the fact that no machinery is employed in the compacting or cutting of bricks; instead, they are manually tossed into sanded moulds.
As a result, wavy wrinkles and lines form on a brick’s face, giving it a distinctive quality that a machine cannot duplicate. Additionally, they can be produced in any size the manufacturer desires. That could be in the current metric size, the more traditional imperial size, or something completely different.
They are dried in a controlled setting after being placed in the moulds, allowing the water in the clay to evaporate.
The Process Of Making Handmade Bricks
Handmade bricks are heated in a kiln allowing for more consistency in the bricks. However, some manufacturers continue to employ conventional tunnel kilns to preserve the authentic historical effect. After producing all of the bricks, some of them will be chosen for various mixtures and colourings.
Reasons Why Machine-Made Bricks Are Superior
The five main reasons why machine-made bricks are superior to hand-made bricks are as follows:
1. Consistency
The almost universal design, shape, or dimensional irregularities of hand-made bricks significantly affect the structure. On the other hand, machine-made bricks are uniform in every way, even down to the last brick from the previous batch. As a result, they ensure that neither the structure’s beauty nor its structural integrity is compromised.
2. High Compressive Strength
The main reason why machine-made bricks are preferred is their extraordinarily high compressive strength. Because these bricks are constructed from pre-processed clay that has been ground into a fine powder, they are incredibly resistant to heavy pressures and weights and only need a thin layer of plaster to be reinforced.
Most new homes also have significant vibration levels, especially as you climb or get closer to railroad tracks or motorways. Machine-made bricks can absorb most of these vibrations due to their high compressive strength, reducing long-term wear and tear.
3. Low Water Absorption
Most hand-made bricks have significant water absorption rates, which promote the development of moss and flora over time if there is even a little leak or water seepage. On the other hand, machine-made bricks have meagre water absorption rates, which helps avoid vegetation development, cracks, structural weakness, paint peeling, and more.
4. Customisability
Due to their manufacturing process, hand-made bricks are often only offered in conventional shapes, sizes, and colours. However, machine-made bricks, like two-hole and multi-hole bricks, can be created in various colours, textures, and conditions. This highlights the practicality and aesthetic appeal of the structure and makes machine-made bricks applicable in a wide variety of construction projects.
5. Thermal & Sound Insulation
Finally, machine-made bricks can provide excellent thermal and sound insulation due to their composition and manufacturing process, making them ideal for use in residential or commercial structures.
Due to their bulk and multi-hole or hollow construction, machine-made bricks offer excellent resistance to sound waves and maintain temperature control in various environmental circumstances. With their exceptional durability, and machine-made bricks are employed in many construction projects.
Today, there is a wide variety of specialised machine-made bricks on the market with different features and uses that may be tailored to your needs. Machine-made bricks have emerged as the finest option as technological advancement is quickly changing construction projects’ fundamental nature, scope, and objectives.
How Jindal Mechno Pvt. Ltd. Helps You In Getting the Best Quality Bricks?
We at Jindal Mechno Bricks know that architects and designers often have specific visions that call for specialised sizes, shapes, curves, and colours of bricks. We collaborate closely with architects to comprehend their design needs and match them with the level of customisation to provide the most incredible possibilities.
We offer you the best quality bricks through extrusion or pressing procedures. We mix recyclable material and all the natural components in proportionate amounts at a specified moisture level. The principal part, clay, a constant variable, presents the actual difficulty in this situation.
After that, temperatures, drying times, and fire times are all managed to create the ideal brick. Brick-making is an art that has been honed over many generations. At Jindal Bricks, we have always emphasised client satisfaction as the foundation of our success strategy.
To ensure the highest quality, brick characteristics, including compressive strength, water absorption, efflorescence, and warpage, are closely tracked. When you contrast a brick home with others, you’ll quickly see how much money, time, and work the owners of brick-made homes save.
Conclusion
The choice between handmade or machine-made bricks will depend on several elements, including the age of the building and your neighbourhood. Handmade bricks provide greater flexibility, variety, and instant character and charm, making them well worth the additional expense for projects involving historic buildings or those taking place in conservation zones.
On the other hand, machine-made bricks provide sharp, precise lines for more modern designs that are harder to recreate with handmade bricks.
The only differences between handmade and machine-made bricks are price and appearance because both types of bricks are quite durable. The good news is that you’re guaranteed to find the ideal brick for your project with various possibilities available.
