There’s a New Brick in Town
Fireclay Tile Launches Line of Modern Glazed Thin Brick
San Jose, Calif., March 29, 2012 - Fireclay Tile is excited to unveil its first artistic brick collection - Glazed Thin Brick. Featuring rich organic textures, local recycled materials and American craftsmanship, Fireclay’s Glazed Thin Brick will complement any interior or exterior environment. Utilizing up to 100% local recycled content and finished with a selection of nine fresh new VOC-free natural glazes, Fireclay’s Glazed Thin Brick gives endless options for any commercial and select residential designs. And 1% of all Glazed Thin Brick sales will be donated to charity – a first for any glazed brick product on the market!
"Glazed Thin Brick has been such a fun product for us to design. Fireclay has always been known for making beautiful glaze colors, and using the thin brick as our base opens us up to much larger projects at much lower price points. The 9 colors we developed are unique from any glaze we've ever seen, and they fit-in perfectly with the design requirements of today's architects and designers,” commented Paul Burns, Fireclay's Founder and Chief Ceramicist.
Fireclay is thrilled to be sourcing its thin brick from a local supplier, McNear Brick and Block, located only 65 miles away. McNear is the oldest California brick maker and one of only three still in existence in California. Even more exciting is that McNear incorporates recycled materials, consisting of reclaimed landfill-bound recycled clay and shale from local excavation sites, into its brick.
With up to 100% recycled content in the base thin brick and VOC-free glaze colors, Fireclay's Glazed Thin Brick is the most sustainable glazed thin brick on the market. Fireclay uses only lead-free, all natural raw glazes that are manufactured from oxides and raw earth materials. 100% of all glaze over-spray is collected and recycled, and any waste that is produced is inert and non-hazardous. "Though some competitors make claims of using reclaimed brick or recycled glazes," commented Eric Edelson, Fireclay's Vice President, "we learned during our 18-month product development process that most of those claims are quite misleading." Glazed Thin Brick also has the advantage of being made in America, thus qualifying for “Made in USA” required projects. It is also substantially lighter than traditional glazed brick, reducing the energy and transportation costs by as much as 80%.
Glazed Thin Brick can be specified in almost any interior and exterior wall cladding or floor environments where either thin brick or tile is traditionally used. It installs like a traditional brick, and cast methods or McNear's BrickFast system can also be employed. Glazed Thin Brick has the added advantage of being suitable for wet areas, especially those needing sanitary surfaces such as commercial kitchens, bathrooms, pools and spas. A near-zero absorption can also be produced for jobs with more strict cold climate exterior performance requirements. Glazed Thin Brick has already been used very successfully in numerous commercial settings.
Refreshing New Glaze Colors & Sizes
Glazed Thin Brick will initially be offered in nine fresh new eco-friendly glaze colors. Rich and earthy tones offer exuberant combinations designed to fit a contemporary look, evoking the beautiful natural textures of the original brick. "We noticed most other glazed brick products had very thick glazes that covered up the brick beneath, resulting in something that looks just like a regular tile. We went in a different direction all together - one that provides all the benefits of a glazed product but truly looks like brick," said Burns. All Glazed Thin Brick is 5/8" thick and the Standard size is 8-1/8" x 2-7/16", with corners, caps and glazed edges also available. This Standard size is slightly larger than traditional thin brick, leading to cost savings on installation as there are fewer pieces to install per square foot. Utility (11-5/8" x 3-5/8") and Modular (7-5/8" x 3-5/8") sizes are available by custom order, as are other finishes including Sandmolded. Custom color development is available on a per project basis, including custom color matching.
LEED Credits
Fireclay's Glazed Thin Brick will help your commercial or residential project qualify for numerous LEED Credits. These include credits for recycled content (30-95% of the finished product contains pre-consumer recycled materials), regional materials (manufactured in Northern California), low-emitting materials (all natural, lead-free and VOC-free glazes), and other possible design credits.
Community
1% of all Glazed Thin Brick Sales are being pledged to charity. Charities will be selected on a quarterly basis and publicized on the Fireclay Tile website. The first recipient is CORA, a Bay-area women’s shelter. This continues Fireclay’s community efforts, including its 5% pledge of all Boneyard, Fireclay’s overstock showroom, sales to local San Jose, CA charities.
To learn more please visit www.fireclaytile.com/glazed-brick. Samples and product information are available immediately.
Please view our YouTube video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LaQo-6W2cSg
About Fireclay Tile:
Founded in 1986 by its Chief Ceramicist, Paul Burns, Fireclay Tile (www.fireclaytile.com) makes the highest quality, most durable and aesthetic hand-made ceramic and glass materials that are unique, affordable, and “green.” The company is based in San Jose, CA where it manufactures and sells its products including Debris Series Recycled Tile, Crush Recycled Glass Tile, Vitrail Series Handmade Tile, Claymonde Ceramic Sheets, Express Series Quickship Tile, and now Glazed Thin Brick. Since inception, the company has been at the forefront of innovation in the ceramic industry, and today the company is proud to be sold nationally in over 130 tile and eco-friendly showrooms and be used by some of the most well respected brands including Whole Foods Markets. In addition, all products are LEED compliant and contribute to LEED's construction credits. Fireclay Tile’s manufacturing efforts are also being supported by a grant awarded by the California Department of Conservation. Fireclay Tile aims to be a triple-bottom line company and ensure they take the environment into account in every decision they make and offer all employees a fare wage and benefits. To learn more about Fireclay Tile, please visit the company at www.fireclaytile.com.
CONTACT: Teresa Cooney Peterson
(760) 846-4823
teresa@fireclaytile.com
www.fireclaytile.com
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