F.A.Q.

You can buy directly from us, through your builder or merchant. The earlier you can get your order in, the better. Our experienced and helpful Customer Services Team can help answer your ordering queries. They can be reached at com@santanselmo.it

No order is too small! Simply request the amount you need, and we will make it happen.

Through our experience and the different production processes at our disposal we are able to replicate bricks in color and finish. Send us a picture and the dimensions of the brick you would like us to duplicate.

All of our clay bricks come with a 25 year guarantee. Request our Warranty Form for more information.

Clay bricks should NOT be sealed. In an area with freeze thaw, water gets behind the sealer and can pop off the face of the brick. It needs to “breathe” to allow water to migrate in and out of it. Any water-repellent process blocks this "breathing" property and can cause crystallization inside the brick and exfoliation. Fornace S.Anselmo accepts no liability for any damage caused by the application of water-repellent substances. The porosity of clay bricks is natural and it's one of its advantages: it colours fast and will not fade over time.

No two bricks are the same, no two computer screens are calibrated the same and printing throws in another set of colour variables. Physical samples allow you to see the real brick colour in natural light, ensuring there are no surprises when the bricks arrive on site. It is important that you get a sample pack of the brick you want to use and quote the batch number on the back of it when ordering your bricks. Great news is that this service is free of charge, simply request a sample and we will courier it to you, or pop into the nearest display centre and we can provide you with sampling from there.

Bricks are made of natural materials, the clay from one part of the clay pit (quarry) may be a slightly different colour to another. As controlled as the kilns are, the firings and the environment change a little each time. It’s important that you get a sample pack of the brick you want to use and quote the batch number on the back of it when ordering your bricks.

The simple answer is: light. A wall that faces south will have full sunlight, making it look brighter, while a south-facing wall with less light will look darker.

A brick’s "face" is the side designed to be seen. Most of our bricks have two "faces" and the ends are called "headers", therefore, it is important that bricklayers lay them correctly.

A color through brick is a clay brick that is the same color through the entire brick body; from face to back.

A vitreous or slurry coating is when a clay brick has a face color different to the color of the brick body. This is achieved by the application of a separate clay coating during the manufacturing process and kiln fired into the body of the brick to create a permanent, ceramic finish. The coating will not fade or rub off.

Unlike concrete products, terracotta brick colors do not fade. Although clay bricks do not fade, they do wear naturally over time.

The color choice of mortar comes down to personal preference and design trends. Take the time to view mortar samples to explore mortar colors and brick combinations. We recommend the use of bagged mortars, click here for further information https://santanselmo.it/en/prodotti-complementari/tools-malte. Mortar represents roughly 18% of the overall look of the brick veneer, so there is a substantial colour difference to one’s eye using, for example, a white colour mortar, compared to a black mortar. This can completely change the look of the brick.

The form of the joint does influences the appearance of a facade. Of course the height of the joint plays an important role, but the depth is also important. The deeper the joint, the more it will end up in the background. This creates a shadow play between the joint and the facing brick, which especially emphasises the colour of the brick. There are various standard types of joints. We recommend you talk to your builder or bricklayer around ensuring the right mortar joint is used on your build.

Bricks are made of clay, shale and other minerals that are moulded into the "brick" shape then fired at temperatures up to 1200°C. There is a very complex science behind making a clay brick, so, depending on the plant of manufacture, the materials and technology used will vary.

Good question! For efficient handling and laying, bricks must be small enough and light enough to be picked up by the bricklayer using one hand (leaving the other hand free for the trowel). Brick sizes have changed over the course of history, in most cases, the length of a brick is twice its width plus the width of a mortar joint. More commonly however, bricks are different sizes (formats) to provide different aesthetic options to our customers.

In most cases, the difference in pricing is due to the geographical source of the clay (national, international, plus the cost of clay itself), and to the peculiar processes to which some products are subjected after the first firing cycle.