Each Vandersanden brick undergoes unique production. Once the raw materials are put together, Vandersanden forms balls of clay in the desired sizes, then fires them. We can add a finishing touch as a final flourish to give you exactly the look that you want.
Smothering for unique facades with gray tints
Smothering involves treating the fired stones in a special smothering kiln. This is not to fire the bricks again, but to influence the color. Due to the intense, low-oxygen atmosphere of the kiln, the gas in the kiln extracts oxygen from the bricks. The iron oxide colour changes to give the bricks their typical gray color.
The precise tint is ultimately dependent on the type of brick in the smothering oven. White bricks become light gray. Smothering gives yellow, orange, red, and brown bricks a gray to dark gray tint. And a base brick with multiple colours discolors to various grey tints. These color casts can often be intense and rich in character and are well suited to creative architecture.
