No blocks on the block - What do we build with when we run out of bricks?

So what is the reason for this and why the remarkable change around, when we have only just begun to increase the volume of houses actually being built?

Why there’s a brick shortage in the UK

The UK brick shortage is facilitated by brick and block manufacturers being unable to increase their capacity. This is a result of the bad old days of the late 2000's when these manufacturers had to mothball or close down production when demand simply dried up.

And the lack of Government support for UK manufacturing may prevent heavy side building product manufacturers recovering some of the massive amount of lost ground.

The UK’s brick shortage is only going to get worse

The brick shortage in the UK can only increase, as house building will have to double in order to meet Government targets of 200,000 houses per year, so what is going to happen?.

Will it facilitate a more radical change? Causing volume house builders to have no choice but to move away from brick and block built homes and return to volume timber frame construction.

The growing case for timber in UK construction

As global efforts to cut carbon emissions intensify, timber – the most sustainable of the three main building materials – may get an additional boost on top of the brick shortage impacting the construction industry. Read our “Time for Timber” case study to learn more.

Timber frame is already dominant in Scotland, and CIB ourselves have led social awareness campaigns on the benefits of timber in construction. Might this inability to meet demand coupled with environmental concerns and the cost of transporting heavy materials from further afield in Europe make the appeal of timber frame for new build too hard to resist?

Based on the UK government’s 2024 Timber in Construction (TiC) policy, the answer is leaning heavily towards yes – making it an exciting time to be working with timber clients.

What is your view on a solution to a problem that may only get worse for our heavy side manufacturers?