Pura Facades, the architectural cladding specialist, has become the sole UK distributor of VetaBric, the latest entrant to the fact-growing brick slip panel market.Acting as a lightweight panel alternative to traditional bricks, VetaBric can accurately reproduce the aesthetic of the majority of brick brands.

Available in a new, ultra-thin, pre-mortared joint, VetaBric panels weight just 12.5kg per m2, offering a sleek and modern look to the facade. While architects love the creative possibilities of this product, contractors appreciate the speed at which the panels are hung – up to a third quicker than traditional bricklaying according to Pura’s commercial director James Butler.

“Given the dearth of skilled labour and long lead times of bricks in the UK, solutions such as VetaBric are becoming much more popular with developers, architects and contractors. And despite being only 25mm thick, we’re finding the product to be dense and rigid; therefore very robust once installed on site,” commented James Butler.

“A project we were recently involved with – a residential development in Thornton Heath, South London – shows how effective brick slip can be. The project was finished on time and within budget, thanks in some measure to the adoption of VetaBric,” he added.

VetaBric is manufactured off-site in Lille, northern France, meaning it is supporting the UK’s move toward modular construction methods. It can be fixed onto a wide range of substrates including masonry, lightweight steel or timber frames – all using the extensive range of fixings provided by Pura. VetaBric also provides a joint free solution to facades, as any visible fixings are hidden by mortar applied once the panel is installed.