COMMON BUILDING BRICK may be made of any clay that can be molded well and then burned to a hard, uniform texture and red color. Good bricks do not absorb more than 10 per cent. of water. The standard size of brick in the United States, as adopted by the National Brick :Manufac turers' Association in 1887 and the National Trades' Association in 1889, is X 4 X 21,,f, inches. The legal standard in England is 8% X X 2% inches. The sizes in Scotland. Ger many. Austria, and South American countries in crease in the order named, and in the ease of the latter bricks are as large as 12% X 63/4 X inches. They are classed as arch, red, or salmon, according to whether they come from the cent-re, inner. or outer portions of the kiln. The first are inclined to be bard or brittle, and the last to be too soft.
Fitox.r ItnieK, also known as pressed, repressed, Philadelphia pressed. or face brick, is a smooth,
sharp-edged brick, first-class in color, used for the front or other exposed surface of buildings where good effect is particularly desired. Origi nally they were always molded by hand, and then pressed. hence the name. After machine mold ing was adopted, the term repressing naturally pante into use. At present a very good front brick can he made in a machine in one operation, but repressing is still practiced for front brick, either after hand or machine molding. The clay should be selected carefully, and may be weath ered, or exposed to the action of the atmosphere for a long time, or two clays may be mixed. Front bricks are now made in a variety of colors, instead of in red alone. The standard size adopt ed by the two associations named above is 8N, X 4 X 21/4 inches.