Blue Bricks

Blue Bricks Buyers Guide

Whether you’re designing a contemporary coastal home or restoring a heritage warehouse, blue bricks provide depth, character and proven performance. This guide walks you through the main types available in Australia, what to look for in specifications, and how to achieve a flawless finish.

1. Why choose blue bricks?

High-fired clay rich in iron and silica is what gives blue bricks their distinctive navy, slate or charcoal hue. The firing process vitrifies the surface, delivering a water-absorption rate as low as 5%. That translates to:

• Exceptional compressive strength for load-bearing walls
• Low porosity for salt-spray or freeze–thaw zones
• Rich, fade-resistant colouring that never needs repainting
• Excellent thermal mass for bush-fire and energy-efficiency ratings

2. Popular Australian ranges

Bowral Blue bricks from Austral’s Southern Highlands factory remain the benchmark for face brickwork in prestige projects. If you prefer a lighter smokey tone, look to Armidale Blue brick units from Namoi Valley. Austral Bricks’ Blue Gum collection offers a charcoal-blue body with textured faces ideal for industrial architecture. If your palette calls for an even darker finish, look for blue black bricks that pick up metallic flecks under sunlight. Reclaimed B29 blue brick pavers can add history to landscaping. All are available through suppliers listed on ArchiPro, allowing you to compare stock dimensions, MOQ and lead times in seconds.

3. Key specification checks

Not all blue bricks perform the same. Before you issue a purchase order, confirm:

• Dimensional tolerance: Better than DW1 for stack-bond or narrow perp joints.
• Exposure grade: Choose ‘EXP’ for coastal or below-DPC use, otherwise ‘GP’ is adequate.
• Salt resistance: Critical for façade areas near pools or marine environments.
• Finish: Smooth press-moulded bricks accentuate raked joints; wire-cut textures hide mortar smears.

4. Design & installation tips

Mortar colour is the secret weapon with blue brick façades. Light-grey mortar highlights individual units; near-black mortar pushes the wall into a monolithic plane. Popular bonds include Flemish, stretcher and hit-and-miss screens for passive ventilation. Architects occasionally specify glazed units for a neon blue brick wall effect in retail fit-outs. Lay bricks on a clean, level bed and avoid site-cutting if possible to prevent discolouration. A proprietary breathable sealer can further reduce efflorescence.

5. Budget & procurement

Pricing for premium blue bricks ranges from $1.60 to $3.20 per unit ex-yard, depending on format and finish. Factor in 5–10% breakage allowance plus freight to rural sites. Using ArchiPro’s request-a-quote tool lets you obtain firm pricing from multiple suppliers in minutes, saving time for builders and quantity surveyors alike.

6. Compliance & maintenance

All structural brickwork in Australia should comply with AS 3700—Masonry Structures. Proper detailing of weep holes, cavity flashings and control joints will ensure long-term durability. Occasional washing with pH-neutral detergent maintains the original blue sheen; harsh acid cleaning is rarely required. For additional guidance, the Australian Government’s YourHome brick resource explains thermal and acoustic benefits.

7. Explore related façade options

Still weighing up materials? Compare blue bricks against other cladding & facades solutions:

• Timber cladding
• Metal cladding
• Masonry and stone
• Fibre cement cladding
• Pre-cladding
• Render plaster systems
• Concrete cladding
• Flashing penetrations
• uPVC cladding
• Eaves and soffits
• Glazed facade systems
• Composite cladding
• Facade screens
• Exterior decorative mouldings
• Green facades
• Weatherboard cladding
• Timber shingles