A varied red-to-brown brick palette can create depth and rhythm, but colour alone cannot identify the firing process or approve a facade product.
This guide uses a 2022 WAGAS-branded interior image archive to explain colour-range control, batch blending, module and joint composition, cuts and corners, mock-ups, exposure evidence and system selection. It complements product pages without repeating generic brick or paving benefits.
Start with what the archive can—and cannot—show
| Archive observation | Evidence still required |
|---|---|
| Red, orange and brown variation | Current manufacturer/model, finish, approved physical range, production batch/lot, colour-measurement or sample-control method where specified, and permitted variation after installation |
| Long narrow vertical modules | Actual unit length, width, thickness, tolerances, orientation, face/back, intended use, edge condition and current dimensioned drawing |
| Dark and light joint lines | Project joint material, colour, width/depth/profile, movement strategy, workmanship tolerance, staining/cleaning compatibility and approved mock-up |
| Walls, counters and kitchen opening | Substrate, support or bonding route, interfaces, public contact/impact, cleaning, moisture/heat/grease exposure, food-service requirements and responsible-system approval |
| WAGAS sign | Specific branch, project and design credits, material supplier and contract roles. None is supplied by the 2022 post, so the image set is not presented as a verified LOPO project. |
Define “reduction-fired” as a traceable product claim
Reduction firing describes a controlled manufacturing condition, not a colour name. Similar-looking red, orange, brown, grey or variegated surfaces can arise from different bodies, firing routes, surface treatments, glazes or post-production effects. Conversely, units from a declared reduction-fired range may not reproduce one photograph’s palette.
Product declaration
Record the current manufacturer, model and finish; declared firing/process description; plant and date/version; intended use; and the documents that connect delivered batches to that product.
Physical reference
Approve a representative set showing expected light, mid and dark units, surface texture, edge and dimensional variation. A single “perfect” sample cannot define a varied range.
Performance file
Keep colour/process identity separate from absorption, strength, freeze-thaw, salts, staining, slip, fire or other tests. Match every result to the exact product, test configuration, method and exposure.
Write a colour-range and batch-blending plan
Translate the visual intent into an approved physical range and a repeatable site procedure. Review samples under representative daylight and artificial lighting, at close range and the intended viewing distance, beside the proposed joint, metalwork, timber, glazing and floor finishes. Photographing samples is useful for records but does not replace physical approval.
| Reference set | Label every approved unit by model, finish and batch/lot. Define acceptable light/dark limits, surface variation and any excluded conditions without relying on an uncalibrated screen image. |
|---|---|
| Mix schedule | Define how many pallets/cartons and which lots are opened together, how installers draw and rotate units, and whether the design uses random distribution, bands, gradients or a mapped sequence. |
| Hold points | Approve a representative dry layout, then the full-size installed mock-up, then the first completed area before production continues. State who may accept or reject a colour shift. |
| Traceability | Record pallet/carton and lot locations on elevations. Quarantine damaged or out-of-range units and document substitutions rather than blending them invisibly into accepted work. |
| Future replacement | Store labelled spare stock in suitable conditions. Agree how a replacement can differ from weathered or cleaned adjacent work and how discontinued batches will be handled. |
Coordinate module, joint, cuts and corners
Start setting-out from controlling dimensions: openings, counters, columns, corners, floor/ceiling lines and adjacent panels. Test whether a vertical, horizontal, stacked, running or custom bond supports the design intent without leaving narrow slivers or uncontrolled joint drift. Coordinate nominal unit size plus the project joint—not unit size alone.
- dimensioned module and bond/orientation on every elevation;
- joint width, depth/profile, colour and alignment across returns and changes of plane;
- start/stop datums, centre lines and relationships to signage, lighting, services, furniture and glazing;
- inside/outside corners, reveals, soffits, bases, tops, openings, curves and transitions to other materials;
- full, cut and special units, permitted minimum pieces and treatment of cut or exposed edges;
- structural and material movement joints carried through the finish at coordinated locations; and
- access panels and removable zones that do not disrupt the intended colour distribution.
A full-size curved or corner mock-up should use the proposed product, support/substrate, joints, cuts, trims and adjacent finishes. It must be large enough to show cumulative tolerance and the colour range. A flat sample board cannot validate a curved counter, exterior corner or facade opening.
Select the complete application and support route
| Interior adhered facing | Confirm that the unit, substrate/preparation, adhesive or mortar, joints, movement and edge/corner details form an approved compatible system for unit mass/format, moisture, heat, cleaning and public contact. No universal mix, thickness or spacing is given. |
|---|---|
| Exterior adhered facing | Add climate, wetting/drying, freeze-thaw where relevant, salts, thermal/moisture movement, water-management interfaces, height and falling-object risk. Use the project’s required tests, engineering and code route. |
| Masonry / supported brickwork | Design foundations or shelf support, ties/reinforcement where required, cavity/water control, movement, openings, top restraint and temporary/final stability. A thin facing image does not approve masonry construction. |
| Mechanically supported facade | Use a current product declared for the proposed carrier/fixing system. Engineer panels/units, rails, brackets, anchors, substrate, cavity, drainage, movement, fire stopping and interfaces as one assembly. |
| Flooring | Wall-facing appearance does not qualify a unit for foot or vehicle traffic. Confirm intended horizontal use, slip, abrasion, impact/loads, setting/support, falls, drainage, joints and maintenance under the applicable methods. |
The responsible architect, structural/facade/enclosure and fire specialists, manufacturer/system supplier, contractor and installer must define and approve the route for the actual building. Photographs cannot reveal concealed layers, compatibility, capacity or code compliance.
Match exposure evidence to the exact product and assembly
For exterior work, define climate, orientation, saturation, freeze-thaw where applicable, wind-driven rain, coastal or de-icing salts, pollution, UV/heat exposure, impact and cleaning access. Request current test reports and declarations for the proposed product and configuration under the required standard edition and acceptance criteria. Do not import results from another body, finish, thickness or installation.
For food-service interiors, coordinate cleaning chemicals and frequency, grease, steam, heat, staining sources, wet zones, hygiene detailing, public impact and interfaces with stainless steel, counters, equipment and services. Visual texture and colour do not establish cleanability or suitability. Test representative units, joints and sealers/treatments where proposed, and record prohibited methods.
Assemble the approval and handover record
- approved product/model, intended use, dimensions/tolerances, process declaration and test/certificate register;
- physical colour-range set, batch-mixing method, full-size mock-up and written acceptance record;
- coordinated elevations, cuts/corners/openings, joints/movement, support route and interface details;
- quantity, overage/replacement strategy, pallet/lot traceability, packaging, delivery and storage plan;
- inspection hold points, nonconformance/quarantine process and cleaning/protection requirements; and
- as-built lot map, spare-stock labels, maintenance instructions and repair/replacement method.
Review current options on Terracotta Brick, Terracotta Tile and Terracotta Rainscreen as distinct starting points. Use the terracotta tile receiving and inspection checklist to plan batch records and acceptance; confirm current availability and evidence for the selected route.
Build a traceable colour and application brief
Share the building use and location, interior/exterior areas, exposure, drawings and dimensions, desired colour range and distribution, product/application route, substrate/support information, cuts/corners/openings, applicable standards, mock-up/testing plan, quantities and programme.