OVER 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 9001:2008 Compliant 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.

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.