An Extension That Stops Looking Like An Extension
Matched brick across the new elevation is the difference between a house with an extension on the back and a house that simply looks bigger.
Brick Slip Specialists
Exterior Brick SlipCladding Fitted AcrossTeesside & The North East
Make a new extension read as solid masonry from the street — real brick on the outside of the building, matched to the existing house, without the footings, ties and time a new brick skin demands.
Five-star reviewed on Google · 25-year workmanship guarantee
30 years in the trade25-year workmanship guaranteeOwn Middlesbrough showroomFive-star reviewed on GoogleFree, no-obligation quotes
The Service
The Look Of A Brick Skin, Without Building One
Exterior brick slip cladding is real brick applied to the outside face of a building: extensions, garden rooms, garage conversions, dormers, porches, render that has had its day, and full elevations. The finished elevation is fired clay and pointed joints, so from the pavement it is brickwork.
The reason it exists is dimensional. A traditional brick outer leaf needs a foundation to carry it, cavity width to accommodate it and wall ties to restrain it. On an extension built up to a boundary, a garage conversion or a timber-frame garden room, those things are often simply not available. Slips give the elevation back its masonry appearance without asking the building to grow.
The second reason is matching. A modern brick against a forty-year-old house rarely matches, and a poorly matched extension announces itself forever. Working from a range of weathered, antique and reclaimed-look blends gives a far better chance of an elevation that settles into the existing house instead of shouting over it.
Who it is for
- Homeowners finishing a rear or side extension that currently reads as blockwork, render or board.
- Anyone tired of cracked, stained or dated render who wants brick instead of another repaint.
- Garage conversions and dormers where the new elevation has to match the original brickwork.
- Garden rooms, annexes and outbuildings that need to look like part of the property.
- Developers and commercial clients who need a masonry frontage where a full brick skin will not fit.
When it is needed
- As soon as an extension is weathertight and the substrate is ready to receive a finish.
- When render is cracking, blowing or staining and repainting has stopped being worth the money.
- When an elevation is a patchwork of repairs, infills and mismatched brick after alterations.
- Before selling, when the front of the property is doing the value no favours.
Why It Matters
Why Poor Exterior Cladding Fails Outdoors
Outside, the weather does the auditing. An interior wall is forgiving; an external elevation is exposed to driving rain off the North Sea, freeze–thaw cycling through winter and constant thermal movement. Anything specified or fitted carelessly is found out, usually in the first hard winter.
The classic failures are water and movement. Where the substrate is not sound, or the wrong products are used for the exposure, water finds its way behind the slips; it then freezes, expands and pushes bricks off the wall. Where movement is not accounted for, cracks run in straight lines across the pointing and the elevation ends up looking worse than the render it replaced.
Aesthetically, the risk is the match. A blend chosen from a screen, in the wrong light, on the wrong scale, produces an elevation that never looks like it belongs — and unlike an interior wall, everyone who walks past sees it.
Common mistakes we are called in to fix
- Choosing a brick from a photograph rather than seeing a sample outdoors, in daylight, against the existing house.
- Treating an exterior elevation as though it were an interior wall and using products not intended for external exposure.
- Cladding over a substrate that is damp, unstable, loose or unsuitable, instead of resolving it first.
- Skipping corner slips on external returns, so the edge of the elevation gives the whole thing away.
- Ignoring window and door reveals, sills, ground clearance and the junction with existing brickwork.
- Assuming a full-elevation job is just a bigger version of a feature wall — the setting out is a different discipline.
Our Process
Five Steps From First LookTo Guaranteed Finish
- 01
Step 1 — Inspection
We look at the actual wall, not a description of it. Substrate type, flatness, moisture, existing finishes, sockets, skirtings, window reveals and the way daylight hits the surface all change what the finished wall will look like. Send photographs and rough measurements, or visit the Middlesbrough showroom, and we will tell you straight away whether the wall is suitable as it stands.
- 02
Step 2 — Brick Selection & Free Quote
You choose the brick from the full range in the showroom — in your hand, in daylight, against your own colour samples if you bring them. We then set out the quantity required including wastage and corner slips, and issue a free, no-obligation quote covering supply and fit, or supply only if you would rather fit it yourself.
- 03
Step 3 — Preparation & Protection
Surfaces, floors and furniture are protected before the first slip goes anywhere near the wall. The substrate is prepared so the adhesive bonds to something sound, and the setting-out is marked before fixing begins — bond pattern, joint width, start course and corner returns are all decided in advance rather than improvised halfway up the wall.
- 04
Step 4 — Installation
Slips are set out and fixed across the elevation with corner slips at every external return, and reveals, sills and junctions with existing brickwork detailed as the work progresses. Courses are held to line across the full width of the elevation so the finished wall lines through with the rest of the building rather than drifting.
- 05
Step 5 — Pointing, Verification & Guarantee
The elevation is pointed and struck for consistent joint colour across the whole face, then cleaned down and inspected for course line, plumb, joint consistency and corner quality. Every installation is backed by our 25-year workmanship guarantee.
What You Get
The Difference A SpecialistMakes To The Finish
Masonry Where A Brick Skin Will Not Fit
No footing, no cavity widening, no wall ties. Where boundary lines, existing foundations or a timber frame rule out a new brick leaf, slips still deliver the elevation.
Far Less Disruption Than Rebuilding
No excavation, no bricklaying gang on site for weeks, no mortar drying programme dictating the whole project timeline.
An End To Repainting Render
Fired clay does not need recoating every few years. Replacing tired render with brick removes a recurring maintenance job from the property permanently.
A Genuine Match, Chosen Properly
The Middlesbrough showroom carries the full range, including weathered and antique blends, so a sample can be compared against your actual house rather than guessed from a screen.
Guaranteed Workmanship
Set out by a specialist with 30 years in the trade and backed by our 25-year workmanship guarantee. Quotes are free and carry no obligation.
In Detail
Exterior Brick Slip Cladding In Detail
External work lives or dies on specification and setting out. Product-level technical data — dimensions, coverage and frost rating — varies by brick and is confirmed for your chosen slip before you order.
Elevations And Building Types
Rear and side extensions, wrap-around extensions, dormers, porches, garage conversions, garden rooms and annexes, plinths and boundary features, and full front elevations. Each has a different exposure and a different relationship to the existing brickwork, which is what the site inspection establishes.
Matching Existing Brickwork
Matching is about blend, texture and joint colour together, not brick colour alone. A weathered stock next to a forty-year-old elevation usually reads far better than a crisp new brick of nominally the same shade, and the pointing colour can pull a near-match the rest of the way. Samples should be viewed outdoors, against the house, in daylight.
Render Replacement
Removing or covering tired render and finishing in brick changes the character of a property completely, and removes the repaint cycle. The condition of what sits behind the render governs the approach, so this is always assessed on site before any commitment is made.
Substrates And Exposure
Blockwork, brickwork, render and board substrates are each assessed for soundness, moisture and stability. North-east coastal exposure — driving rain and freeze–thaw — is part of that assessment. Where a substrate is not suitable as it stands, we tell you at inspection rather than after the brick is on site.
Corners, Reveals, Sills And Junctions
Purpose-made corner slips wrap every external return so no cut edge is ever visible. Window and door reveals, sills, ground clearance and the junction where new cladding meets existing brickwork are the details that make an elevation convincing, and they are planned before fixing starts.
Bond, Coursing And Scale
On a full elevation, coursing has to line through with existing openings and features or the eye picks it up immediately. Stretcher bond is standard externally. Setting out establishes the start course and how the bond meets openings before the first slip is fixed.
Residential And Commercial
Shop fronts, units, offices and hospitality frontages are clad using the same method. What changes is access, phasing and trading hours; the quote process is identical — a look at the actual elevation, then a free written quote.
We supply and fit across Middlesbrough, Stockton-on-Tees, Darlington, Hartlepool, Durham, York, Harrogate, Newcastle and Sunderland, working from our showroom at Thompson Yard, Middlesbrough, TS3 8RQ. See the full brick slip range, browse recent work or check the areas we cover.
Questions
Exterior Brick Slip CladdingQuestions Answered
Still unsure? Ring Stuart on +44 7747 771113 — a two-minute conversation usually settles it.
How much does exterior brick slip cladding cost?
Every elevation differs in size, brick choice, detailing and access, so we quote each job individually. Quotes are free — send photographs and rough measurements to get started.
How long does an elevation take to clad?
It depends on the area, the number of corners, reveals and openings, and access. You get a realistic timeframe with your free quote before committing.
Can brick slips be used outside in the North East?
Yes — exterior cladding is a core part of what we do across Teesside and the North East. Suitability comes down to the right product for the exposure and a sound substrate, which is what the site inspection confirms.
Can you match my existing house bricks?
We carry a wide range including weathered, antique and reclaimed-look blends specifically for matching. Bring a photograph or arrange a look at the property, and compare samples against the house in daylight before deciding.
Can you clad over existing render?
It depends entirely on the condition and make-up of what is there. That is assessed on site first — we will tell you honestly what needs doing before anything is ordered.
Will it look like real brickwork from the street?
Yes. It is real brick with real pointed joints, and every external return uses purpose-made corner slips, so there is no exposed edge to give it away.
How long will exterior brick slips last?
Fired clay is a long-lived external material and correct installation is what protects it. Our installations carry a 25-year workmanship guarantee.
Do you cover Stockton, Darlington and Durham?
Yes — Middlesbrough, Stockton-on-Tees, Darlington, Hartlepool, Durham, York, Harrogate, Newcastle, Sunderland and the wider North East.
Do I need planning permission?
Not Provided — this depends on your property and local authority. Check with your local planning department; we can talk you through what the work physically involves.
Can I supply my own labour and just buy the slips?
Yes. We supply on their own as well as supply and fit, and we will help you work out quantities including corner slips and wastage.
Related Services
What Else We Do
Interior Brick Feature Walls
Living rooms, hallways, bedrooms and bars — a real brick finish fitted flat, level and clean, without the mess or weight of full brickwork.
Learn moreBrick Slip Supply / Trade Supply
Buying the slips only? Choose from our full range at the Middlesbrough showroom and take away or arrange delivery.
Learn moreShowroom & Samples
See and handle the full range in person before you commit. It is far easier to choose a brick in your hand than on a screen.
Learn moreNext Step
Get A Free Quote ForExterior Brick Slip Cladding
Send a few photographs and rough measurements and Stuart will come back to you with a free, no-obligation quote. Every installation is backed by our 25-year workmanship guarantee, and the showroom is open six days a week if you would rather see the bricks first.
30 years in the trade · 25-year workmanship guarantee · Five-star reviewed on Google