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A CENTURY OF EXPERIENCE
Founded in 1885 as a fire brick company, Belden Brick has remained
dedicated to constantly improving our basic product. Today,
the fourth generation of Beldens heads the firm bearing the
family’s name. For 120 years, our employees have sought
ways to reliably provide customers with the best in brick products.
In this century-long commitment to customers, the traits of
our company have come to merge with those of our products –
solid, stable and reliable. Today, our more than 500 skilled
employees combine old world craftsmanship and dedication with
modern technology to produce what are acknowledged to be the
finest architectural brick available. Our ISO 9001:2000 Registered
Quality Management System demonstrates the company’s commitment
to quality in our business and manufacturing processes.
Consider the adjectives used to describe brick structures…words
like solid, durable and classic. Next consider the natural beauty
of brick. Manufactured from clay and shale, brick displays tones
and textures giving brick structures their unique appeal. Little
wonder that brick has been choice for architects and builders
seeking to create buildings that embody both style and strength.
Many people are satisfied with the limited palette available
using traditional brick. Others have sought ways to expand the
use of this classic building material, seeking brick shapes
and colors to enable striking new architecture while maintaining
the material’s traditional strengths. These leading-edge
architects and builders typically turn to The Belden Brick Company’s
Special Shapes Division. Here they find a dedicated group of
artisans and craftsmen able to provide ever-more creative forms
of brick to those interested in designing with a difference.
UNLIMITED POSSIBILITIES WITH BELDEN BRICK SHAPES
The experts at Belden Brick’s Special Shapes Division
are prepared to move new brick concepts from your mind to the
mason’s hand. Architects and designers need not let their
creativity be stifled by existing ideas of what a brick should
look like. We invite you to explore the artistic impact that
special shape brick can have on your design.
You can rely on our special shape brick to provide unique design
elements – corners, angles, curves, slopes and other dramatic
effects that go on to become signature pieces of residential
and commercial architecture. We can also provide unique colors,
making your next building stand out as a one-of-a-kind structure
or blend in with its surroundings or existing companion buildings.
We have already created an amazing array of shapes, sizes,
colors and textures for projects across the country. The brick
you have in mind may already be here for your use. If not, we
are prepared to offer you design and production services customized
to your exact needs.
WE PARTNER WITH YOU IN DESIGN OF SPECIAL SHAPES
You can select from our extensive inventory of standard-shape
dies and molds for commonly used special shapes such as corners,
radials, bullnoses, sloped sills, headers, coping caps and other
general shapes. You can also modify those shapes or create entirely
new shapes of your own. Please look at our website at beldenbrick.com
to see a large variety of shapes and photos. Soft mud varieties
can be mass-produced and fired to look exactly like centuries
old hand made brick. When required, skilled artisans at The
Belden Brick Company can also hand mold special shapes to create
one-of-a-kind designs that might not be possible from a typical
molding process.
Designing a special shape begins with your drawing along with
some basic information, as outlined in this Special Shapes Brochure.
You will need to partner with your Belden Brick Distributor
to fill out the required information form. From this information,
we will create a computerized CAD drawing to be submitted for
final approval before going into production.
As you work with our Special Shapes Division, you will experience
the willingness and ability of The Belden Brick Company to provide
you and all of our customers with an unlimited range of possibilities.
THE ART OF MAKING BRICK
Brick making is as much an art form as a manufacturing process.
Our raw materials include Ohio clays and shales that are carefully
blended. Extruding this mixture through a die and cutting it
to the proper width produces most special shape bricks. Some
shapes are made by hand to exact customer specifications. An
impressive inventory of dies, templates, mold boxes and other
tools used for creating special shapes provide The Belden Brick
Company with options for both large scale production runs or
one-of-a-kind specialty items.
Once molded into shape the clay or green brick is hand set
onto kiln cars and taken to dry. Both standard and special shapes
go through a critical, slow drying process and are then fired
in high temperature kilns at the same time as the field brick
to ensure both structural integrity as well as the desired appearance.
 We use both state-of-the-art
tunnel kilns as well as the old style beehive kilns. Tunnel
kilns provide more control for achieving uniform color continuity.
Smoke or extra heat can also be added to create flashing, which
enhances the brick color. Beehive kilns produce colors not available
in tunnel kilns and are used when extended flashing is required.
When the firing and cooling process is completed, the brick
are inspected, sorted and blended by hand to provide the desired
color blend needed for the job site. This saves valuable construction
time and ensures a balanced appearance. Shapes are then packaged,
numbered and often coded to correlate with specific assembly
instructions at the job site.
YOU CAN DESIGN WITH A DIFFERENCE
Many building materials are commodity items. They are, by necessity,
the same no matter when or where they are purchased. Architects
and builders rely on these commodity items for many parts of
their construction projects.
For those elements of the project that need to stand out, that
need to embody unique visual or structural characteristics,
you require unique products like Belden Brick special shapes.
Our special shape brick give form to function, and combine dramatic
visual appeal with structural integrity. The unlimited range
of sizes, shapes, colors and textures enable you to Design with
a Difference.
SCULPTURES
The ultimate expression of brick is seen in the many brick
sculptures that have been inspired by architects. These one-of-a-kind
sculptures are created by artists and constructed from quality
Belden Brick. There is no more impressive or en-during way to
present logos, murals or emblems. There is no stronger way to
integrate these images into the facility itself. The rich colors
and textures of brick impart a warm, human feeling to the highly
dimensional images carved in the brick. The sculpture adds a
distinct touch of lasting beauty and style, and provides immediate
visual recognition for the facility.
Belden Brick artisans will work with your original design or
execute an existing logo or emblem in brick. They will carve
the image into the green brick, achieving a remarkable level
of detail. The brick is then fired and carefully inspected before
being hand-packed for shipment to your site. Brick sculptures
can enhance the beauty and individuality of offices, schools,
churches, hospitals and corporate facilities. With brick sculpture,
designers and architects have the opportunity to transform your
logo or emblem into a lasting brick masterpiece.
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