Durability of clay bricks 2
Parapets and copings, for example, are clearly subject to more severe exposure conditions than face brickwork protected by overhanging eaves. Internal face brickwork is not subject to the same degree of exposure as external, unrendered brickwork. This section is primarily concerned with the selection of bricks for external face brick applications.
The use of facings and nonfacings selected for durability in an area geographically close to the factory manufacturing the bricks poses few problems. The local knowledge of the exposure conditions and of the per formance of the bricks concerned, which is generally available from the brick manufacturer, specifiers and building contractors, will ensure that only products suited for the intended purpose will be used.
It is when bricks are specified by an architect or client far from the location of the manufacturer, with the building undertaken by a contractor who is not familiar with the properties and performance of the particular brick, that the risk of a brick being used that is not suited to a particular application is increased.