Emperor Facings

What are Krause Emperor Facings?
Krause Emperor Facings are extruded clay facings that take the distinct aesthetic of the Krause Emperor brick and reimagine it as a lightweight facing. At 30mm deep, they suit interiors, pre-cast concrete panels, and retrofitting existing structures where a full brick width is not required, delivering the elongated Emperor look without full-depth masonry.

What size are Emperor Facings?
Krause Emperor Facings measure 390 x 30 x 45mm, with coverage of 46 facings per square metre. The 390 x 45mm face matches the full Krause Emperor brick, so facings and full bricks can be used together on the same project with a consistent appearance. Dimensions are nominal averages; as the products are crafted from natural clay, some variance in size and finish is expected.

What is the difference between Emperor Facings and standard Emperor bricks?
The face dimensions are identical, but the bed depth differs. A full Krause Emperor brick is 105mm deep, while an Emperor Facing is 30mm. The full Emperor is used for conventional brickwork; facings are used where a full brick width is not required, such as interiors, pre-cast concrete panels, and retrofit work.

Where can Emperor Facings be used?
Krause Emperor Facings are ideal for interiors, pre-cast concrete panels, and retrofitting existing structures where a full brick width is not required. Because they carry the Emperor’s 390mm face at only 30mm deep, they bring the elongated Krause brick aesthetic to situations where the weight or thickness of full masonry is not workable.

What colours are Emperor Facings available in?
Krause Emperor Facings are available in Ghost and Nero, with custom colours also available. This is a narrower palette than the full Emperor brick, which comes in nine standard colours, so if a project pairs facings with full bricks, Ghost and Nero are the colours common to both formats.

Do brick facings reduce the load on a building’s structure?
Yes. A facing is a fraction of the depth and weight of a full brick, so it places far less load on the supporting structure. This is what makes facings viable on framed construction, pre-cast panels, and retrofits to existing buildings, where the structure was never designed to carry a full masonry skin. Structural adequacy should still be confirmed by the project engineer.

What is the difference between brick facings and brick veneer?
Brick veneer is a full-depth brick skin built on its own footing and tied back to a framed structure, making it real self-supporting masonry. Brick facings are slim clay units adhesive-fixed to a substrate, with no self-supporting brickwork at all. Both produce a brick face, but the build-up, weight, and structural requirements are very different.

Can full bricks and brick facings be combined on the same building?
Yes, and it is common. Where a facing shares its face dimensions with a full brick from the same range, the two read as one material across the facade, allowing full-depth brickwork where it can be built and facings where it cannot. Matching the colour and mortar joint across both is what keeps the transition invisible.

How are corners and returns detailed with brick facings?
Corners are where facings are most likely to give themselves away, since a slim unit has no real return. The usual solutions are purpose-made corner units mitred to form an L, or careful mitring on site. Getting the corner detail right is the single biggest factor in whether a faced wall reads as solid brickwork.

What substrates can brick facings be fixed to?
Brick facings are typically fixed to solid, stable substrates: concrete, blockwork, render, or a suitable backing board over framed construction. The substrate needs to be flat, sound, and able to carry the facing’s weight, and external applications need exterior-grade adhesives. Substrate requirements vary by system, so follow the manufacturer’s guidance for the specific product.