Properties of Clinker
Clinker (also known as 'Dutch') bricks are so named due to the metallic sound they make when struck together. They are produced from clay that is fired at extremely high temperatures, sintering the surface to form its characteristically shiny coating, whether in deep red, black, purple, or yellow. Sintering is a process of forming a solid mass with pressure, or in this case heat, without reaching the point of liquefaction, making them water-resistant and more durable than the traditional red brick. The superior quality of these bricks results in a higher price than their normally-fired brick counterparts. That is why they were often used only on the outer layer of the facade as a facing. A good quality clinker is weather-resistant for centuries, even without plaster. The distinction between clinker and the traditional red brick is fluid, but the latter often only has loam rather than high-quality clay, and is fired at far lower temperatures, resulting in a more porous product that often needs a protective plaster layer against long term weathering.
Solid and hollow clinker
Solid clinker bricks can be found on many historic facades, but today they are used almost exclusively as paving stones, in road construction. Clinkers you see on newly built houses, walls, etc.. are almost always hollow / 'perforated' (bricks with rectangular holes in them).
Suitable wall mounts, rawlplugs and drills
Our cable trellis kits can be mounted into either the bricks or the mortar joints of an 'exposed masonry' wall. All 5 construction methods -- with their standard mounts -- are suitable, both for hollow and solid clinkers. Our heavy kits should be paired with a sieve sleeve if installing into hollow clinkers. We recommend hammer drill bit HB 44444; with heavy and massive kits- HB 16210; percussion drill bits and universal drill bits or when necessary, percussion bits, like the SB 77777, can also be used.
Drilling into clinker
One thing to be aware of in advance: decorative bands or single decorative bricks should not be drilled into! The grid of your respective trellis (where you will lay your wire rope trellis) should be pre-planned accordingly from the start. When drilling directly into solid clinker masonry, you can hit extremely hard sinter spots, which are caused by the caking together of iron oxides and other minerals. Only hammer drills can help here. Please refer to our guidelines under drilling, as needed.
